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Google to reduce workforce by 12k

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Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#491

Post by lwhi »

makach wrote: post #104

Not a bad email, and a decent follow up on the ones that are affected. It is also a reminder that killing yourself slowly at the workplace is meaningless. Management has no responsibility to you, and no promise is certain. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. My take, don’t be bitter. Take the severance as soon as possible and get back on your feet. Having Google on your resume is a very good thing.

Will a workforce of ex-Googlers create a positive benefit to other non-Google companies?

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#492

Post by heresie-dabord »

prepend wrote: post #381
ergonaught wrote: post #234

I need to see these "I take full responsibility" people actually punished. At the very least, this sentence needs to be removed from their mouths. Alphabet had 116 billion USD "cash on hand" at the end of September 2022. Even if the full cost of each of those 12K employees is 500K per year, that's "only" 6 billion dollars to keep those "great" people that they "love" working with around. Net income for that quarter w…

I’m not a fan of the “eat the rich” slogan because it’s not a good solution. But I understand the sentiment of wanting to torture and destroy people who are directly responsible for these “we wanted $70B and only got $67B so we’re firing you while smiling and offering hugs” events. I hope those laid off get new positions so it’s not a life threatening situation. I think most of us are capable and lucky enough to choo…

Revolution is an extreme outcome in reaction to a system of determined abuse.

A "good solution" would probably look like taking better care of people and reducing the polarisation of wealth particularly in a business community that is earning billions in profit.

> "We’ll be offering 6 months of healthcare"

This tells us something of the desperation that workers face.

> "The fact that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here."

Hello, I'm your rhetorical assistant Clippy, it looks like you are laying off thousands of people from your profitable, influential business without any good economic reason. Personally, I think the top of your managment pyramid could take a pay cut if you really care.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#493

Post by erfgh »

AYBABTME wrote: post #422

Every time I read stuff like: > "Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today." I feel taken for a fool. Every damn body knew that the last 2 years were not representative of the future. Everybody knew that free-money, COVID and related phenomenons were a phase. I can't believe that Google, Shopify, C…

Hindsight is 20/20.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#494

Post by chippiewill »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #438

This comment from a NYT opinion piece by former Slack CPO added some clarity as to one reason why tech companies are doing this: pressure from investors to keep the share price up. Public companies lose that freedom to do whatever they want even if they have tons of money in the bank. > Meta and Salesforce combined lost more than $700 billion in market cap last year. Both companies are now dealing with activist inves…

Google don't have to worry about such activist shareholders in the same way that other companies do. Larry Page and Sergey Brin have the controlling share in Alphabet thanks to their Class B shares. They only have a fiduciary responsibility to the other shareholders.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#495

Post by rvz »

AYBABTME wrote: post #422

Every time I read stuff like: > "Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today." I feel taken for a fool. Every damn body knew that the last 2 years were not representative of the future. Everybody knew that free-money, COVID and related phenomenons were a phase. I can't believe that Google, Shopify, C…

Well at the height of the market euphoria, nobody listened to my warnings a year ago:

From [0] November 2021

Me: 'Finally' The start of the market crash is under way...

>> Stock market up 1% today on both this news and decades-high inflation. [0]

Then more concerns for preparing for the recession months later after I said we were already in a recession. [1].

>> No. That is completely false. We are most certainly not in a recession. [1]

So after many layoffs, rising inflation, US debt ceiling fears happening since then the lagging indicators of this have now take effect and so 'now' we are preparing for the recession?

It has already happened and is still happening which it is too late to prepare.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29508238

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31441710

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#496

Post by BurningFrog »

AYBABTME wrote: post #422

Every time I read stuff like: > "Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today." I feel taken for a fool. Every damn body knew that the last 2 years were not representative of the future. Everybody knew that free-money, COVID and related phenomenons were a phase. I can't believe that Google, Shopify, C…

Everyone knew things would change.

Nobody knew when and how.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#497

Post by warkdarrior »

lwhi wrote: post #483

I find the 'work from home' final comment strange. Is he saying employees can work from work, because he's equating working from home as an easier ride?

Almost all articles on WFH posted on HN are followed by lots of comments on how WFH is better, less stressful, more productive, more enjoyable, etc. So yes, lots of people find working from home easier.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#499

Post by TheCleric »

tephra wrote: post #476
AYBABTME wrote: post #422

Every time I read stuff like: > "Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today." I feel taken for a fool. Every damn body knew that the last 2 years were not representative of the future. Everybody knew that free-money, COVID and related phenomenons were a phase. I can't believe that Google, Shopify, C…

In a similar vein, I would like to know what the "and I take full responsibility for this" line that CEOs always say in these emails actually looks like besides just saying it in the email.

It's the corporate version of "It's not you, it's me." breakup line.

Re: Google to reduce workforce by 12k

#500

Post by spacebanana7 »

chippiewill wrote: post #494
insane_dreamer wrote: post #438

This comment from a NYT opinion piece by former Slack CPO added some clarity as to one reason why tech companies are doing this: pressure from investors to keep the share price up. Public companies lose that freedom to do whatever they want even if they have tons of money in the bank. > Meta and Salesforce combined lost more than $700 billion in market cap last year. Both companies are now dealing with activist inves…

Google don't have to worry about such activist shareholders in the same way that other companies do. Larry Page and Sergey Brin have the controlling share in Alphabet thanks to their Class B shares. They only have a fiduciary responsibility to the other shareholders.

In fairness, neither did Meta. Zuckerberg has a similar dual class structure through which he can control the company.
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