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Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

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Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#81

Post by brazzledazzle »

neon_electro wrote: post #37
mguerville wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And not doing so could affect their IR (investor relations) negatively, which is a higher concern than PR to most companies

Why can't a company do offense on the IR front with literally any action other than cutting workforce? "Our products are better than ever" "Our revenue per employee is better than ever" Why does cutting costs have to be the only way to please investors?

I have no unique insight into their perspective but if I had to guess they're starting to worry about the lack of easy money and want a signal that management is going to play it safe with their current cash reserves instead of banking on another infusion. They probably could, you know, tell them as much, but sacrificing your employees really adds oomph to your commitment.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#82

Post by folkrav »

f6v wrote: post #23
voytec wrote: post #3

The real question is: does the CEO take full responsibility?

I mean, it’s a funny joke. But this attitude only upsets people who thought jobs were not transactional. Kind of reminds me of stories by people who paid for sex and found out the sex worker didn’t want to cuddle afterwards.

The very idea of separating humanity from the system we live in will never sit right with me. Jobs are purely transactional on paper, sure, but in the end, we're not _just_ dealing with jobs, but people and their livelihoods. We're simply lucky enough to be in a field where saving up and building a financial security cushion is doable.

In practice, accountability only seems to go up so far. I shortly did consulting for a company that did large layoffs in early COVID days. The board played the "we take responsibility" card, cut in their own salaries, but scratch a little bit under the fresh coat of paint and most of the board's income isn't that mostly symbolic salary. The ones effectively paying the price were the file and rank, as usual.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#84

Post by hallarempt »

ajkjk wrote: post #74
bombcar wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO answers to the board, and the board is usually of the type to at least ask the question "Everyone is jumping off a bridge, why aren't we?" And sadly the easiest answer is "we ARE jumping off the bridge, see?"

Is it inconceivable that layoffs are the right choice for a business?

Yes. They never are. A recent study investigated this and neither stock price nor productivity nor profitability improved. All mass layoffs do is crater employee morale. And yes, it's a "others are jumping into the lake with their clothes on, let's get our brooks brothers shirts wet, too" thing without any rational cogitation involved..

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#85

Post by mcv »

ajkjk wrote: post #74
bombcar wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO answers to the board, and the board is usually of the type to at least ask the question "Everyone is jumping off a bridge, why aren't we?" And sadly the easiest answer is "we ARE jumping off the bridge, see?"

Is it inconceivable that layoffs are the right choice for a business?

It's not inconceivable, but it's weird that everybody is doing it at the same time even when the company is perfectly healthy.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#86

Post by andsoitis »

brazzledazzle wrote: post #46
andsoitis wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but when you look at the history of comments around this theme (CEO, layoffs), it seems pretty clear that people want a CEO to take responsibility in some other way that laying off staff.

I can't speak for everyone else but a lot of what I've seen is mockery of a meaningless statement that would have been better left unsaid.

Perhaps, but scanning the conversation thread here again, I see most people wanting to punish the CEO for steering the ship for a new reality in a way that includes layoffs.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#87

Post by m_eiman »

ajkjk wrote: post #74
bombcar wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO answers to the board, and the board is usually of the type to at least ask the question "Everyone is jumping off a bridge, why aren't we?" And sadly the easiest answer is "we ARE jumping off the bridge, see?"

Is it inconceivable that layoffs are the right choice for a business?

It could be, but that all the big companies come to the same conclusion at the same time is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#88

Post by [deleted] »

ajkjk wrote: post #74
bombcar wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CEO answers to the board, and the board is usually of the type to at least ask the question "Everyone is jumping off a bridge, why aren't we?" And sadly the easiest answer is "we ARE jumping off the bridge, see?"

Is it inconceivable that layoffs are the right choice for a business?

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#89

Post by ravenstine »

mcv wrote: post #24

I really get the feeling that many companies are just blindly doing whatever other companies do. One starts large layoffs, and suddenly everybody is doing it. At other times, when one goes on a hiring spree, they all go. One tries to reduce salaries, they all do. One pays enormous bonuses, and they all do. It's like CEOs aren't really thinking for themselves, just copying whatever the market does.

Could be blind, but could also be that laying off when everyone else is laying off protects a company from being the odd one out and distributes the blame.

Re: Tell HN: Confluent laying off 8% of staff

#90

Post by ghaff »

bombcar wrote: post #55
mcv wrote: post #24

I really get the feeling that many companies are just blindly doing whatever other companies do. One starts large layoffs, and suddenly everybody is doing it. At other times, when one goes on a hiring spree, they all go. One tries to reduce salaries, they all do. One pays enormous bonuses, and they all do. It's like CEOs aren't really thinking for themselves, just copying whatever the market does.

The CEO answers to the board, and the board is usually of the type to at least ask the question "Everyone is jumping off a bridge, why aren't we?" And sadly the easiest answer is "we ARE jumping off the bridge, see?"

And it's very reasonable for the board to at least ask: "Why do we think we're so special?" Which may have a good answer. But also may not.
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