Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020 • Hacker News Board

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#11

Post by code4tee » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 1:51 AM UTC

kenhwang wrote: post #4

code4tee wrote: post #3

A lot of companies are cutting back big time on advertising spend and that’s Google’s sacred cow of revenue so this isn’t a surprise.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

How does that pair off against the reports that YouTube channels are seeing their ad earnings cut in half as digital ad spend drops?

Don’t doubt there are companies going against the tide but seems clear as spend has declined. Clearly an opportunity to get good rates for those looking to spend.

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#12

Post by testfoobar » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 1:55 AM UTC

janesvilleseo wrote: post #6

kenhwang wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

It depends on market segment. We have seen a contraction for the vertical I work in. BUT the big players are spending more. It’s the little companies that are pulling out.

Can you give an example segment of big players that are spending more? Insurance? Automobiles? Clothing? Entertainment?

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#13

Post by denormalfloat » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 1:55 AM UTC

With the number of people who go through Google's interview process, this might actually change the industry to think more carefully about the interview process. If Google isn't making whiteboard interviews the norm, who will keep it going?

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#14

Post by lainga » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 1:56 AM UTC

kenhwang wrote: post #4

code4tee wrote: post #3

A lot of companies are cutting back big time on advertising spend and that’s Google’s sacred cow of revenue so this isn’t a surprise.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

On all types of ad units?

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#15

Post by kenhwang » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 1:58 AM UTC

code4tee wrote: post #11

kenhwang wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

How does that pair off against the reports that YouTube channels are seeing their ad earnings cut in half as digital ad spend drops? Don’t doubt there are companies going against the tide but seems clear as spend has declined. Clearly an opportunity to get good rates for those looking to spend.

Google's advertising focuses heavily on ROI/CTR metrics min-maxing and for the most part, well timed and targeted ads. That's not what companies seem to care about right now. Everyone is running feel-good awareness campaigns.

If I had to guess, Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat will come out of this better than Google would.

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#16

Post by xxpor » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 2:00 AM UTC

the_watcher wrote: post #5

It's briefly mentioned in the article, but Google actually shed jobs during the financial crisis. Facebook is the company that ramped up hiring newly available talent.

Through layoffs or attrition though?

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#17

Post by kenhwang » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 2:03 AM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #8

kenhwang wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

That is totally not true across the board. I know for a fact that at one point the big online travel sites (booking.com, expedia.com) were some of the largest buyers of adwords among any companies. Can guarantee that is not happening now. I would guess spend is up only among companies that still have robust revenue. Tons of sectors have essentially been frozen for the time being.

Ah, yeah, can confirm the travel segment cratered into the ground. I can see adwords being an unpopular product overall at the moment. It's just an awful format for rebranding/storytelling/marketing.

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#18

Post by tootie » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 2:09 AM UTC

kenhwang wrote: post #4

code4tee wrote: post #3

A lot of companies are cutting back big time on advertising spend and that’s Google’s sacred cow of revenue so this isn’t a surprise.

I work in digital advertising. Spend* is up. Companies are diverting their traditional advertising budgets into digital. I'd be surprised if Google is unable to capitalize on this. edit: I want to clarify it's strictly ad spend/booking. It's companies committing budgets. They know they will want to run ads and will run more ads. The ads haven't actually run yet, so ad payouts will tank.

Just had a conversation on this in another thread and the consensus was that spend is drying up and ad-based businesses are struggling mightily.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22873272

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#19

Post by topspin » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 2:10 AM UTC

pcurve wrote: post #2

I think... there will still be work. I think it means they will be going heavier on contractors, so they have more 'cushion' to preserve FTE when things unexpectedly go south. At this point, companies simply don't know how the rest of the year will pan out.

You hope. The consequences of this lockdown frenzy were never going to remain limited to just service workers and shop keeps. I predict a sudden increase of interest in more flexible policies as professional workers start getting pinched.

Re: Google to Slow Hiring for Rest of 2020

#20

Post by tootie » Thu, Apr 16, 2020, 2:12 AM UTC

gbronner wrote: post #7

Makes sense if they can't onboard the talent, and can't manage a 100% distributed workforce. Nevertheless, seems like a great time to acquire talent on the cheap, so long as you can effectively use it.

Anecdotally, I've been told they require you to come onsite to get onboarded and receive Google hardware and their offices are locked up. Some recent hires are not able to work and now being paid to do nothing.