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New Delhi, Even as tech giant <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> continues to cut down staff, a sacked Indian employee stated that the layoffs are not based on performance. In a LinkedIn post, Google India employee Animesh Swain stated that pink slips were also served to employees with highest ratings. The list also has names who were recently awarded promotions. "The people who managed to stay (including me) are not necessarily better than those laid off," Swain was quoted as saying in the post. Another employee Gurugram-based Aakriti Walia, working as a Google Cloud programme manager, was laid off just 10 minutes before a meeting. "The 'access denied' message on my system left me numb as I was preparing for my meeting just 10 mins away," Walia posted on the professional networking platform. "As I celebrated my 5-year Googleversary just a few days ago, little did I know it would be my last," she said. Earlier, Jennifer Vaden Barth, a creative Strategist at Google, said that the "layoff impacted very talented and highly rated professionals". Barth, who had worked at Google for 15 years said that "layoffs hit women particularly hard, especially women over 40". Meanwhile, in a bid to further cut costs, Google has even asked employees who return to work to share their work desks with a "partner" to maximise office space. Google India has recently terminated more than 400 employees. The layoffs at Google India were part of the larger job cuts that impacted 12,000 workers globally at the company. Denying that the layoffs were done "randomly", Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai had said earlier that he is "deeply sorry" for reducing the workforce. In an email to employees, Pichai said he takes "full responsibility for the decisions that led us here". The layoffs at Google's parent company were expected amid the deepening funding winter that has hit companies of all sizes in the global slowdown and recession fears. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oppos-new-flexion-hinge-has-made-flip-phones-more-practical-and-crease-minimal/articleshow/98213979.cms">Oppo’s new Flexion hinge has made flip phones more practical and crease minimal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/noise-and-fire-boltt-entered-in-top-five-in-global-smartwatch-shipments/articleshow/98171390.cms">These two Indian brands have together sold more smartwatches than Samsung in 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambanis-jiocinema-to-take-on-disney-hotstar-and-amazon-prime-with-free-4k-ipl-streaming/articleshow/98150380.cms">Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema to take on Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime with free 4K IPL streaming</a>

Google layoffs not based on performance: Sacked Indian employee

<ul><li><keyword id="19897758" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="samsung" source="keywords">Samsung</keyword> will lay off over 200 people in India</li><li>Employees across various departments will be affected</li><li>Affected employees will receive three months of salary</li></ul> The tech industry has seen a wave of layoffs in the recent months and another company has now joined the fray. <keyword id="19945681" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="samsung-electronics" source="keywords">Samsung Electronics</keyword>, known across the world for its smartphones, appliances, and much more, has now decided to cut more than 200 jobs in India. The layoffs come at a time when the company is grappling with lesser sales due to lower consumer demand, a report in ET reveals. <h2>Samsung plans to lay off people in India </h2> Industry insiders told ET that the layoffs will affect various departments including mobile phones, home appliances, and consumer electronics. The cuts are part of Samsung’s broader effort to lower costs and maintain profitability during this challenging period. The layoffs represent around 9-10 percent of Samsung’s managerial staff in India, where the company employs about 2,000 executives. Those affected will receive three months’ salary along with a severance package offering one month’s salary for every year of service. <h2>Samsung's restructuring plans </h2> As part of its cost-cutting measures, Samsung is also considering merging some of its business divisions, such as television and home appliances. This restructuring, which aims to streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies, could lead to further layoffs. While no official decision has been made yet, reports suggest that the final plan will be confirmed after Diwali, a key festival season in India. The report also mentioned that Samsung has already frozen new hires, and positions left vacant by executives who have resigned are not being filled. Additionally, the company is expected to reduce the number of off-roll employees to further cut costs. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112853351" title="Samsung launches AI-powered washing machines, all you need to know" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[See also]]></payload></div> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112165411" title="India&amp;#39;s smartphone shipments dip 2% in Q2 2024 as heatwave, slower demand takes toll" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[See also]]></payload></div>

Samsung Electronics plans to lay off over 200 Indian employees to reduce costs, details inside

Over 2,093 tech employees given pink slips every day in 2023 so far

<ul><li>Massive layoffs across sectors has deepened the unemployment crisis in India. But there would have been more layoffs if India did not have a massive 'mismatch' of talent and the right job roles. </li><li><keyword id="259654" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hitesh-Oberoi">Hitesh Oberoi</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO of <keyword id="218117" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Naukri-com">Naukri.com</keyword> says that the jobs that companies offer in India and the skills that the graduates bring to the table vary largely. </li><li>This may be because of poor quality of <keyword id="6355445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education">education</keyword> at the university level and lack of skills.</li></ul>Massive layoffs across sectors has deepened the unemployment crisis in India. But, this is not all. There would have been more layoffs if India did not have a massive ‘mismatch’ talent and right job roles. “The jobs that companies offer in India and the skills that the graduates bring to the table vary largely. And it widens when we talk of salaries and expectations of the employer,” Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO of Naukri.com told Business Insider. Oberoi said that the slowdown which was earlier limited to certain sectors is now spreading its wings as the companies become more cautious towards hiring. The only reason a few of them are looking to hire is the prevailing skill gap across industries. “It's very hard to hire people. Even today, when you put up a job on Naukri platform, there are over 1,000 applications. But it's still hard to find even five people that the employer is actually looking for,” Oberoi said. K P Krishnan, former secretary of the <keyword id="2485309" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Skill-Development">Ministry of Skill Development</keyword> and Entrepreneurship also agrees with the demand-supply gap in the job market. “India’s unemployment challenge is partly because of a low level of education, high dropout rates, labour market asymmetries, a mismatch between the supply of skills and demand and the high aspirations of young people,” he said. Quality of education and government initiatives Poor quality of education is one of the many risks that India faces — adding to its unemployment crisis.“What we have to do as an economy is focus on imparting the right set of skills and education at the university level. If that is done, there are enough jobs for these graduates to get hired,” he added. Even the ambitious Skill India mission is unable to plug the gap. As of July 2019, 1.5 million people gained skills and jobs, thanks to the country’s Skill India mission. However, this accounts for merely 21% of the total trainees — 7.2 million — who enrolled for the programme. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[
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 The <keyword id="2802809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pradhan-Mantri-Kaushal-Vikas-Yojana">Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana</keyword> (PMKVY) is yet another scheme to impart employability skills. The PMKVY 2.0 — which targets to train 10 million people by 2020 — has placed merely 1.2 million candidates so far. Skill gap needs urgent attention as unemployment swells in India This is a worry for the country’s economic situation as well. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) pegged the unemployment rate at <a href="https://unemploymentinindia.cmie.com/">7.1% in January</a> 2020. This joblessness is hitting the youth the most. Only 37% of people in the 20-24 age group are employed. This is despite the fact that India has 35% of its working population in the 5 to 30 year age bracket. “This should get much more attention from policymakers. Allowed to persist this can leave scars on India’s economy and polity for long years,” said Kaushik Basu, former Chief Economist of the World Bank. Over and above it, as many as 25 million people who lost jobs were under the age of 30 — that is 29% India also has fewer salaried jobs to start with — accounting to 21% of the total employment. This includes industrial workers, white collar workers, managers and support staff. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/young-and-jobless-63-indians-between-20-24-are-unemployed/articleshow/73999969.cms">Young and Jobless: 63% Indians between 20-24 are unemployed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/education-budget-2020-the-rise-in-budget-allocation-for-education-is-just-not-enough/articleshow/73182288.cms">The rise in budget allocation for education is just not enough</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/indias-education-budget-2020-allocation-news-and-updates/articleshow/73824561.cms">Education Budget 2020 gets ₹99,300 crore allocation, new schemes introduced — including 'INSAT' to enroll Asian and African students</a>

There would be more layoffs in India if not for this irony

<ul><li>The tech industry has seen more than 200,000 <keyword id="6357067" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="layoffs" source="Orion">layoffs</keyword> since the start of 2022.</li><li>Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add a major value to the organization.</li><li>Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management.</li></ul>Bipin Singh, a business development manager at Byju’s with over 11 years experience in the EdTech industry was laid off last month after a stint of 1.5 years at the company. In his LinkedIn post he mentioned about the layoff and urged everyone to reach out to him with job offers or if not, like share and comment on his post to increase reach. Anil <keyword id="906861" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sahani" source="Orion">Sahani</keyword>, a software engineer, lost his job in Accenture recently .“I was one of the first ones to let go as I was a contract employee and also did not have any notice period. The layoffs are still on.” Singh and Sahani are among the thousands of employees who have been affected by tech layoffs in India. Google trend data, which reflects what people search for, shows that between January 22-28 this year, the term ‘layoff’ was at its peak popularity of 100, while between January 23 to January 29 last year, it was just at five. This is not surprising because layoffs are being reported majorly in the media and almost every other post on Linkedin is talking about layoffs. It all started with the news that the big tech giants like Amazon and Google parent Alphabet were laying off in large numbers. While Alphabet laid off 12,000 people, the Amazon layoffs affected more than 18,000 people. Microsoft said it will lay off 10,000 people by the end of the third quarter of 2023 and even SAP and IBM have started laying off employees. It seems it is almost like a contagion that is spreading rapidly like wildfire. The Indian situation: Which brings us to the question: Is the situation as bad in India? Layoffs are now a reality in India too. Reports suggest that around 21,000 techies have lost their jobs in the last three to four months. In the third week of January, Wipro fired more than 400 freshers for failing performance tests. While Amazon has laid off 1,000 of its employees in India, IBM and SAP are also laying off employees, affecting their employees in India as well. Very recently, Byju’s laid off 1,000 people, in a second round of layoffs in February. Sivaprasad N, vice president &amp; business head, TeamLease Digital, a staffing solutions company, puts the number of layoffs in the tech industry at more than 2,00,000 since 2022. Over 21,000 employees <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/70-plus-indian-startups-show-exit-door-to-21k-techies-more-pink-slips-coming/articleshow/97411761.cms?">have been laid off </a>by 70 startups in the past 3-4 months including from unicorns like BYJU'S, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>, MPL, Innovaccer, Unacademy, Vedantu, Cars24, OYO, Meesho, Udaan and many more. Anuj Gupta, who has over 10 years of experience in SEO, has lost his job in edtech company upGrad and is a part of the current tech and marketing layoff wave. The layoff situation in India is currently more of a spill-over effect of shake-ups in the West. Unlike the funding winter that hit the Indian funded tech startups cohort in 2022, the current layoffs by big labels are largely corrective talent adjustments. “Despite potential opportunities coming our way due to global shakeups, it is prudent for India Inc. to treat the current layoffs as a tip of the iceberg,” says <keyword id="138078" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kamal-karanth" source="Orion">Kamal Karanth</keyword>, CoFounder, Xpheno, a specialist staffing company. He adds that enterprises, especially in tech, will benefit from remaining alert and conservative on costs for at least two quarters. Agrees Sivaprasad, “Companies are battling a slowdown in demand after a hiring frenzy. No company is certain to avoid significant cutbacks in such an economic environment. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. It looks like the trend will continue for some time.” Many IT majors have announced mass layoffs in the last couple of months, quoting factors like overhiring, an impending recession and geopolitical conflicts. “We expect businesses to exhibit caution in hiring and workforce management through a major part of 2023,” <keyword id="13896318" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sachin-alug" source="Orion">Sachin Alug</keyword>, CEO, NLB Services - a global technology &amp; digital talent solutions company. Delhi-based Pankaj Kumar, laid off from a software company this month, says that one day he got a message saying that the company was restructuring and that it was his last day. “However, we were forced to resign and also we received very little in the name of assistance as promised.” Kumar feels that most startups today have no clue about manpower requirements and just hire to show their investors that they are doing well without having an idea of how they can sustain themselves in crucial times. Tech jobs have been the most affected: As discussed, tech companies, especially IT firms, are very vulnerable to an impending recession in the US. “The tech sector has always been highly sensitive to economic cycles, and the current economic downturn could have a significant impact on these companies. A recession could lead to decreased consumer spending, reduced corporate investment, and layoffs, which could all hit tech companies hard,” says <keyword id="328697" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sandeep-budhiraja" source="Orion">Sandeep Budhiraja</keyword>, Co-founder, Executive Director and Chief People Officer - BYLD Group which provides HR and Business productivity solutions, Additionally, the US market is a major source of revenue for many tech companies, so a recession here could have a widespread impact on global operations. Finally, any disruption to the global supply chain could further disrupt tech companies, as many rely on components and materials sourced from around the world. “The sectors that may be most affected, other than the technology, are telecommunications, financial services and retail. The telecommunications sector could be hit by reduced investment in infrastructure and lower customer demand. The financial services sector could be adversely affected by a decrease in credit availability and tightened lending standards, while the retail sector could suffer from decreased consumer spending,” adds Budhiraja. Everyone is vulnerable: “Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add major value to the organization. Usually, mass layoffs affect employees invariably regardless of their performance but in organizations that choose to let go of a selected few, performers at a certain level tend to be the target,” says Alug. The primary causes of layoffs are the foreseeable recession and the geopolitical scenario which have led to inflation, impacting many industries. Prominent players in the IT and Technology domain are being cautious to ensure profitability and better predictability of business. Agrees Karanth, “The larger layoffs related to enterprise strategy and austerity are mostly across the ranks and ratings of performance. Such layoffs related to macroeconomic movements are typically steamrollers on entire divisions, geographies and business units. While each enterprise has their own pattern of priority on the layoffs, the high cost and high volume headcounts typically come under the lens faster.” Look out for red flags: “Layoffs in a situation like now are largely written on the wall. It is often the speed and style of a layoff that's a surprise to talent, and not the layoff by itself,” says Karanth. Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management. “Additionally, if a company is reducing or eliminating certain departments or projects, it may be a sign that layoffs are coming. If there are rumours of layoffs or if employees are being asked to take unpaid leave, this could also be a sign that layoffs are imminent. Finally, if the company is not meeting its financial goals or is experiencing a downturn in business, layoffs may be a possibility,” says Alug. Hiring remains slow: “Many of those who lost their jobs are still looking for work, as nearly every major corporation has put a freeze on new hiring due to global macroeconomic conditions and recession fears. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. Looks like the trend would continue for some time,” says Sivaprasad. However Karanth feels that while tech hiring has slowed down, there are opportunities for talent who are flexible and agile to look beyond their domain. The non-tech sector's talent demand has been compensating well for tech's hiring slowdown. <keyword id="2838370" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shraddha-jain" source="Orion">Shraddha Jain</keyword>, who is also known as 'Aiyyo Shraddha' on social media, posted a hilarious video on Instagram, where she slammed companies for laying off employees despite making a profit. "At the company offsite, we celebrated the company tripling its profit in a year. What happened? A month later we are so poor. Who robbed us?" she asked. While these are questions that reflect the grim reality of large scale layoffs, employees should brace themselves for tough times ahead. 2023 will be a turbulent ride.

Tech layoffs to continue for sometime thanks to a slowdown in demand and an uncertain economic environment

<ul><li><keyword id="2573" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India">Air India</keyword>'s northern regional office has formed a committee to identify the "redundant" or "surplus" employees who would be asked to go on a compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to five years. </li><li>Air India issued an internal order on July 14, asking its departmental heads and regional directors to identify the employees, based on various factors such as efficiency, health and redundancy, who will be sent on a compulsory LWP for up to five years. </li><li>Moreover, the national carrier had said the employees can voluntarily opt for the LWP scheme too. </li></ul>Air India's northern regional office has formed a committee to identify the "redundant" or "surplus" employees who would be asked to go on a compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to five years. An official order in this regard was issued on Tuesday. Air India issued an internal order on July 14, asking its departmental heads and regional directors to identify the employees, based on various factors such as efficiency, health and redundancy, who will be sent on a compulsory LWP for up to five years. Moreover, the national carrier had said the employees can voluntarily opt for the LWP scheme too. P S Negi, Regional Director (RD), Northern Region, Air India, issued an order on July 21, stating that following the July 14 order, an empowered committee is being constituted for the identification of "redundant/surplus manpower resources". Negi's order, which has been accessed by , said the general manager (personnel), general manager (finance) and departmental heads will be the members of the empowered committee. It also said a representative of the RD can be co-opted in the committee, if required, on the basis of "case merit". "GM (Personnel) will share the staff list with all departments and convene the discussions/deliberations, including the process of identification of surplus/redundant resources. The report is to be submitted to the RD office by 11th August, 2020, for a review and onward recommendation to the headquarters," the order said. The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. All airlines in the country have gone for cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, LWP and firing of employees in order to conserve cash flow. Air India has four regional offices -- one each for the northern, western, eastern and southern regions. It is not clear if the other three offices, barring the one for the northern region, has formed such panels to identify redundant employees. In its July 14 order, Air India had asked its regional directors to constitute a committee each comprising the general manager (personnel), general manager (finance) and departmental heads concerned to "streamline the process of identification of redundant manpower, who would be told to proceed on compulsory LWP". The airline had said these panels would go through the records, based on factors such as suitability, efficiency, competence and health, and select the employees whose names will be forwarded, along with the RD's recommendations, to get the approval of the chairman and managing director for sending them on a compulsory LWP. Air India has a debt of around Rs 70,000 crore and the government had started the process to sell it to a private entity in January. The national carrier's net loss in 2018-19 was pegged at around Rs 8,500 crore. Equity infusion of Rs 500-600 crore every year is not sustainable and cost-cutting is necessary in Air India, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said on July 16, justifying the national carrier's decision to send certain employees on LWP for up to five years. On July 17, Air India had said its financial situation is very challenging due to the coronavirus pandemic and the LWP scheme for its employees is a "win-win" situation for them as well as the management. The employees' unions of the airline have opposed the scheme. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/dil-bechara-kissing-booth-2-and-other-movies-you-can-watch-on-netflix-amazon-prime-disneyhotstar-this-week/slidelist/77142498.cms">Dil Bechara, Kissing Booth 2 and other movies you can watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+Hotstar this week</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/work-from-home-effect-these-companies-are-shelling-out-for-employees-power-bills-internet-cost-and-more/articleshow/77139229.cms">WFH effect – These companies are paying for employees' power bills, internet cost and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/after-google-pwc-india-declares-a-company-wide-holiday-for-its-employees-this-friday-offers-time-off-for-a-well-deserved-break/articleshow/77125627.cms">After Google, PwC India declares a company-wide holiday for its employees this Friday – offers time off for a 'well-deserved' break</a>

Air India regional office forms panel to identify employees who would go on leave without pay for upto five years

<ul><li>Two weeks ago, American retail giant Walmart laid off 56 employees across levels — including eight senior-level executives. </li><li>Over 36 Indian executives that were impacted by the move have now reached out to the US headquarters of the retailer quoting layoffs to be ‘unfair’ and not performance-based. </li><li>Given that, a compliance team from the US office may visit India to conduct a thorough investigation on the development. </li><li>The downsizing happened as the retailer saw little scope in adding physical stores in the country. </li></ul>Two weeks ago, American retail giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/walmart-sheds-brick-and-mortar-weight-as-it-plans-to-go-online-with-flipkart/articleshow/73220455.cms?src=hp_nav">Walmart laid off employees across levels</a>— including those in the senior management — as it moves from physical stores to e-commerce business. On Monday, over 36 Indian executives that were impacted by the move, reached out to the US headquarters of the retailer quoting layoffs to be ‘unfair’ and not performance-based. “We have written to them individually as well as a group because the company went ahead with the firing process even after an assurance in December that there will not be any layoffs. Some had even threatened to be whistleblowers in recent real estate deals where due process was not followed,” ET <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/retail/fired-walmart-india-executives-write-to-headquarters/articleshow/73642285.cms">reported</a> citing three former executives. Given that, a compliance team from the US office may visit India to conduct a thorough investigation on the development. However, the retailer claims to have a strong ethical programme in place and the company will review allegations seriously. “We are committed to growing in India, doing so in compliance with all applicable laws and in a way that benefits our associates, local businesses and the communities where we operate,” a Walmart spokesperson <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/retail/fired-walmart-india-executives-write-to-headquarters/articleshow/73642285.cms">told</a> ET. Walmart had earlier confirmed that it has laid off 56 employees, including eight in the senior management — adding that the impacted employees shall be offered severance benefits and outplacement services. The downsizing happened as the retailer sees little scope in adding physical stores in the country. It may put more weight behind Flipkart — which it bought for ₹1.13 lakh crore in 2018. However, Walmart’s exit from physical stores coincides with Flipkart’s expansion to the food retail segment in India. Flipkart FarmerMart is aimed to sell local products online — directly to consumers. Yet another online-physical combination — Amazon and Future Retail too are bunching their strategies together as they prepare for an onslaught from India’s richest man — Mukesh Ambani, who is planning to merge Jio’s digital capabilities with his retail venture JioMart which recently marked its e-commerce debut. Walmart entered wholesale business in India in 2007 with the Bharti Group. It currently runs 28 'Best Price' Modern Wholesale Stores — selling to small shopkeepers — across the country. The retail major has over 5,000 employees in India — including 600 based at its head office, Business Standard <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/walmart-india-fires-around-50-executives-as-part-of-restructuring-report-120011300200_1.html">reported</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/walmart-sheds-brick-and-mortar-weight-as-it-plans-to-go-online-with-flipkart/articleshow/73220455.cms?src=hp_nav">Walmart sheds brick and mortar weight as it plans to go online with Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/reliance-e-commerce-venture-jiomart-makes-a-silent-debut-calls-for-pre-registrations/articleshow/73046911.cms">Reliance’s e-commerce venture JioMart makes a silent debut, calls for pre-registrations</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-rushes-to-bring-kishore-biyani-future-group-online-days-after-mukesh-ambani-jiomart-launch/articleshow/73116395.cms">Amazon rushes to bring Kishore Biyani’s Future Group online, days after Mukesh Ambani’s JioMart launch</a>

The curious case of Walmart India layoffs and whistleblower allegations reaches US headquarters

Ever since the dotcom bubble burst in the beginning of this century, news of mass <keyword id="6357067" type="EVENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="layoffs">layoffs</keyword> doesn’t cause much flutter and has been relegated to the background. Aviation industry went through this phase a few years ago. Still, what is currently happening at <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> is anything to go by, the company that had earlier seen some great growth will be facing tough times in the future. And this may not be an isolated case. 
 
The Internet is spewing news about the layoff that happened at the STG (Systems and Technology Group) of IBM’s Bangalore office. The employees were called in for a meeting and were told to hand over their laptops, collect their personal stuff and leave the premises in two hours. Reports say that the employees left the premises in a highly emotional and vulnerable state and some were making unsuccessful attempts to fight back tears. 
 
Some of the employees who took to social networking sites vented their ire, saying they were treated in an inhuman manner. In one such Twitter posting, Solidarity4IBMinIndia aptly voiced the anger and shock: You treated Indians like resource widgets. These people are human beings. About 40% of the staff members at STG in Bangalore lost their jobs in a single day this week. And the downsizing operation turned IBM into a slaughter house of sorts, at least on social media. Of course, on its part, IBM has handed out the severance package, which is six weeks’ full salary. 
 
Experts are warning about more job cuts in India, Brazil and the Netherlands in what is termed as ‘resource action’ by the IBM. However, this cut-and-exit practice is not so prevalent among multinational companies operating in India, as it is in the developed countries. 
 
Over the past few months, industry pundits have been warning us of the tougher days ahead of IBM, with the company setting itself a target of earning $20 per share by 2015, despite the recent drop of 5% in revenues posted in December 2013. IBM plans to cut more jobs across the spectrum and across the countries in an extended operation. In fact, analysts have been forecasting the number of job cuts to be anywhere around 13,000-15,000. 
 
Although India, Brazil and the Netherlands are the first among the list of countries where job cuts are happening, IBM is reportedly planning a massive drive and may eliminate as many as 13,000 jobs across the globe. The US may witness this phase at its IBM offices towards the end of February, as per media reports. 
 
Things did not augur well from January (2014) onwards when IBM agreed to sell its low-end server business to Lenovo. This clearly indicated reduced requirements for professionals who were directly or indirectly connected with that group. Consequently, people in tech and engineering research roles had to leave, as well as those who were holding soft jobs. Employees who were really up the ladder were also asked to leave because of this ‘changed scenario.’ 
 Although homegrown tech biggies have announced salary hikes and continued hiring as usual, IBM’s mass layoff has sent the job market into a tizzy. India’s $118,000 billion IT services industry is projected to grow at 13-15% in the next fiscal, according to <keyword id="6372077" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword>. But IBM, which employs approximately 100,000 workers in India, clearly has a different story to tell. 
 
Although things do look quite bleak right now, hiring consultants have been rejoicing like never before. Their mailboxes must be overflowing with résumés even now and more will turn up in the days to come. When talent is available for less, they will surely want to make hay while the sun shines.

Botch Job: IBM India Layoff Shows
Red Days Ahead

Getting laid off from a company can be a jarring experience that you remember for a long time. Nobody is really prepared to receive a termination letter out of the blue. And when that happens in a global-scale organisation, it can come as quite a shock. This is exactly what happened with a <keyword id="19908290" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microsoft-india" source="keywords">Microsoft India</keyword> <keyword id="20073977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employee" source="keywords">employee</keyword> back in 2005. He shared his experience on LinkedIn and wrote how he was laid off without a warning from the tech giant. <h2><keyword id="22643393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ex-microsoft" source="keywords">Ex-Microsoft</keyword> employee on getting laid off</h2>"No warning, no explanation - just a cheque and shown the door," the ex-Microsoft employee wrote. He added, "The mix of emotions I felt: anger, confusion, and that sinking feeling of failure was overwhelming. I called my wife, and she asked me to drive straight home. Instead of lashing out or drowning in self-pity, my wife and I sat down and talked and wrote down our choices. Acceptance didn't come easy, but it was the first step." He then mentioned how he went on a relentless job hunt after this experience and eventually started working at a new place. The ex-Microsoft employee also added that now when he looks back at the time when he was fired, it looks like that was a turning point in his life and forced him to confront fears, re-evaluate goals, and find a path that was "more aligned with his true likes." He then addressed people who are going through similar situations and reminded them that they are not alone. <h2>Layoffs in the tech world</h2>The tech industry has been seeing a rise in the number of layoffs since 2022. Major IT giants like <keyword id="19895622" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Microsoft" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Microsoft" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword>, Meta, Amazon, Google, X (earlier Twitter) collectively laid off millions of employees across the world. People often share their experiences on LinkedIn, in hopes of either finding a better role or connecting with other like-minded people. Earlier today, Intel was making headlines for announcing a fresh round of layoffs. The chipmaker will be reducing 15 percent of its workforce and the decision was communicated to employees by CEO Patrick Gelsinger.

'No warning, no explanation': Former Microsoft India employee talks about his layoff experience

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Yahoo is effectively shutting down its Indian engineering office in a series of layoffs that will involve up to 500 people losing their jobs. 
News of the layoffs emerged yesterday after <a href="http://www.nextbigwhat.com/yahoo-india-layoff-297/">Indian news site Next Big What claimed that Yahoo</a> would be laying off every one of its employees in the country. That proved to be untrue.
<a href="http://qz.com/277371/yahoo-just-sacked-nearly-all-of-its-engineers-in-india/">According to Quartz</a>, around 500 employees will be affected by the cuts, meaning that the Bangalore software development centre will essentially be shut down. Yahoo India, the company's editorial, sales and support unit, will be unaffected.
Employees involved in the new Bangalore layoffs are being offered five months of severance pay. Around 5% are being relocated to Yahoo's US office in California. The layoffs won't all happen at once, either, instead they will come in phases until December.
<a href="http://qz.com/277371/yahoo-just-sacked-nearly-all-of-its-engineers-in-india/">In a statement to Quartz</a>, Yahoo explained the reasoning behind the layoffs: 
As we ensure that Yahoo is on a path of sustainable growth, we're looking at ways to achieve greater efficiency, collaboration and innovation across our business… To this effect, we're making some changes to the way we operate in Bangalore leading to consolidation of certain teams into fewer offices. Yahoo will continue to have a presence in India and Bangalore remains an important office.

Yahoo Is Laying Off Most Of Its India Engineering Office

<div type="image" title="Companies are embracing the unbossing trend" msid="113256383" hostid="261" sizebytes="1440779"></div> If there’s one thing both a productive team member and an underperformer hates in the corporate world, it’s being micromanaged. Now, imagine a workplace where the boss isn’t calling all the shots. Instead, everyone has a voice, and innovation flows freely. The recent corporate trend of "Unbossing" promises to do just that, empowering employees by eliminating the heavy hands of hierarchy. Sounds too good to be true? Well, globally, not just the new-age start-ups, but dozens of major corporations have embraced this trend and trimmed their middle management. <h2>Managers managing managers — no more!</h2>In January last year, <keyword id="399907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="META" source="Orion">Meta</keyword> CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines for declaring 2023 as the “year of efficiency” and saying that he doesn’t want a management structure that's just “managers managing managers”. <div type="image" title="Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg" agency="ANI" msid="113256403" hostid="261"></div> The same month, it was also reported by Command Line that Meta's chief product officer Chris Cox, had shared a post on the company's communication platform, Workplace, highlighting the necessity to "flatten" the organisation's structure. What followed was reports of Meta slashing middle management roles. Gradually, other companies like Shopify, Bayer, and Cisco began making headlines for showing the exit door to some of their middle managers. Loosely, unbossing is essentially cutting down the middle management roles. It cuts significant costs for the company and the new-age workforce also endorses the trend as efficient in enabling faster decision-making and innovation. However, critics argue this trend also limits the extent of mentorship that the younger generation receives while entering the workforce, which often remains an intangible value if your boss turns out to be a good mentor. Therefore, for some, it’s not about firing the middle management, but just another leadership philosophy on how leaders (and ‘bosses’) should conduct themselves. This approach advocates bosses working along with the team as a part rather than shouting instructions from the top. Whatever one’s understanding, this trend of “Unbossing” appears to be taking corporate America by storm in 2023, as evidenced by hundreds of media reports highlighting the same. Overall, most agree that the trend is restructuring organisational hierarchy to enable direct communication between employees and leaders. Cut to 2024, this trend is still prevalent and making headlines. A Bloomberg report recently said that Georges Elhedery, the incoming CEO of HSBC Holdings, might also consider plans to streamline the company's operations by reducing layers of middle management. But what’s the scenario in India? Are Indian companies ready to ditch the old-school approach and adopt this new way of working? Let’s dive in and see what the experts have to say! <h2>Layoffs to impact senior professionals: Naukri.com survey</h2>A survey by job portal Naukri.com early last year had suggested that recruiters in India expect a decline in layoffs during the first half of 2023. The survey, which included responses from 1,400 recruiters and consultants across ten industries, revealed that only 4 percent of participants anticipated layoffs to be the main focus of hiring activities within their organisations. However, the survey also highlighted that information technology roles and senior professionals were likely to be the most affected by hiring adjustments. About 20 percent of recruiters predicted that layoffs would predominantly impact senior professionals, while freshers are expected to face the least disruption from these hiring corrections. Interestingly the survey came around the same time when the Unbossing trend had begun picking up pace abroad. <h2>Layoffs at Wipro, <keyword id="18635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> and Collegedunia</h2>In January this year, Wipro India was in the limelight for laying off hundreds of its mid-level executives. The company reportedly culled many jobs as part of its strategy to improve margins. An ET report citing two sources familiar with the situation had said that the leading Indian IT firm reduced mid-level roles at its onsite locations. "Notices began being issued earlier this month, and hundreds of mid-level executives onsite are being let go," one source revealed. Another source added, "They have costly resources onsite in Capco, and although growth is returning, it's not sufficient. Aparna Iyer, Wipro's chief financial officer, has been tasked with delivering better margins this quarter." <div type="image" title="Amazon decided to lay-off middle managers in May" msid="113256170" hostid="261"></div>Then in May, Amazon also decided to reduce layers of middle management within its customer service divisions as part of an organisational restructuring, a Fortune report had said. The cuts impacted over 100 customer service managers in Level 5 and Level 6 middle management roles, both in call centres and virtual positions, primarily based in the U.S. and India. Not just large tech companies, startups too seem to be adapting the <keyword id="23125775" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="unbossing-trend-in-India" source="Orion">unbossing trend in India</keyword>. Last month, educational portal Collegedunia confirmed that around 100 employees from its Study Abroad department had been given the pink slip. A report in CNBC-TV18 had said that additional job cuts were happening across other departments as part of a broader reorganisation. The restructuring, as per the report, was aimed at automating many tasks to reduce costs. Interestingly, despite the layoffs, Collegedunia had posted 13 job openings on LinkedIn for various roles in different locations, primarily entry-level positions requiring up to two years of experience. "While Collegedunia is laying off several employees, it is also hiring fresh talent, allowing them to keep staffing levels up but at a lower cost," one employee told CNBC-TV18 at the time. Another source confirmed that while Collegedunia had been actively recruiting for some months, it has also been letting go of employees, including senior staff members with 7-8 years of experience at the company. <h2>What do experts say?</h2> <div type="image" title="Experts&amp;#39; opinion on unbossing trend" msid="113256250" hostid="261"></div>Mr. Sumit Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, told Business Insider India, “From the perspective of HR leaders and CEOs, the strategic culling of middle management is viewed as a means to streamline operations, reduce overhead, and foster a culture of autonomy and innovation.” He also noted that even though employees can “exercise greater ownership and agility in decision-making” through this approach, there are also significant downsides. “The erosion of middle management creates a vacuum in leadership development, mentorship, and the retention of institutional knowledge, potentially leading to disengagement, a weakened talent pipeline, and misalignment with organisational objectives,” Kumar noted. Talking specifically about the Indian scenario, he said, “Implementing this trend in India would be a strategic move, positioning organisations to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment. However, to fully capitalise on this approach, developing a more robust talent pipeline that integrates the ability to multitask at all levels is imperative. In today's landscape, leadership demands thinkers, strategic visionaries, and individuals who can execute with precision. We need to cultivate a new breed of leaders who are both thinkers and doers, capable of navigating complex challenges while driving innovation and growth. By building versatile, agile leaders through targeted talent development programs, Indian organisations can ensure they are well-prepared to thrive in a decentralised, high-performance environment.” RP Yadav, Chairman and Managing Director of Genius Consultants Limited, told ET recently that the Unbossing approach simplifies hierarchies and encourages open communication between frontline employees and senior management. He had added that the concept of “the oldest in the room is always the wisest of all” is no longer applicable. Meanwhile, Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO of CIEL HR Services told ET that the unbossing trend is predominantly seen in tech companies, creative roles, and startups, where swift decision-making and the unrestricted exchange of ideas are crucial. For example, the tech sector often thrives with flattened hierarchies that support rapid innovation and agility, while creative industries such as advertising and media use unbossing to cultivate a more collaborative and idea-focused environment. Thus, the unbossing trend is gaining traction beyond global companies and is finding its way into Indian organisations as well. While this approach can streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance agility, experts caution that it also brings challenges, such as gaps in leadership development and the loss of institutional knowledge. To fully harness the benefits of unbossing, Indian companies must focus on cultivating agile leaders who can navigate complex challenges and drive growth. By building a strong talent pipeline and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, Indian organisations can position themselves to thrive in a more decentralised and dynamic business environment. Do you have insights or personal experience to s hare on layoffs, <keyword id="34447" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="workplace-trends" source="Orion">workplace trends</keyword>, or career changes? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

SIMPLY PUT: What’s with all “Unbossing” talks? Are Indian companies also embracing this global trend?

Global <keyword id="6354185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT" source="Orion">IT</keyword> services firm <keyword id="6370971" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="accenture" source="Orion">Accenture</keyword>, which has a large presence in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, on Thursday announced to lay off of nearly 19,000 employees amid the challenging global macro-economic conditions and slow revenue growth. Delivering its quarterly results for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, the company also reduced its annual revenue growth and profit forecasts. "We are also taking steps to lower our costs in fiscal year 2024 and beyond while continuing to invest in our business and our people to capture the significant growth opportunities ahead," Julie Sweet, <keyword id="6415823" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="chair" source="Orion">Chair</keyword> and CEO, Accenture, said in a statement. The company said its revenues were $15.8 billion, an increase of 5 per cent in US dollars. The new bookings were at $22.1 billion, a 13 per cent increase. During the second quarter of fiscal 2023, Accenture initiated actions to streamline operations, transform non-billable corporate functions and consolidate office space to reduce costs. The company recorded $244 million in business optimization costs during the second quarter and expects to record total costs of approximately $1.5 billion through fiscal 2024. "Accenture estimates $1.2 billion for severance and $300 million for consolidation of office space, with approximately $800 million expected in fiscal 2023 and $700 million in fiscal 2024," said the company. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/now-sync-your-air-travel-with-uber-via-email-integration-in-india/articleshow/98942821.cms">Now sync your air travel with Uber via email integration in India</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/heres-how-meesho-zepto-pepperfry-and-icertis-cracked-hyperscaling/slidelist/98943189.cms">Here’s how Meesho, Zepto, Pepperfry and Icertis cracked ‘hyperscaling’</a>

You Searched For "india layoff" and got 12 results

Google layoffs not based on performance: Sacked Indian employee

IANS

Samsung Electronics plans to lay off over 200 Indian employees to reduce costs, details inside

BI India Bureau

Over 2,093 tech employees given pink slips every day in 2023 so far

Rounak Jain

There would be more layoffs in India if not for this irony

Prerna Sindwani

Tech layoffs to continue for sometime thanks to a slowdown in demand and an uncertain economic environment

Anagh Pal

Air India regional office forms panel to identify employees who would go on leave without pay for upto five years

PTI

The curious case of Walmart India layoffs and whistleblower allegations reaches US headquarters

Prerna Sindwani

Botch Job: IBM India Layoff Shows Red Days Ahead

Preetam Kaushik

'No warning, no explanation': Former Microsoft India employee talks about his layoff experience

Divyanshi Sharma

Yahoo Is Laying Off Most Of Its India Engineering Office

James Cook

SIMPLY PUT: What’s with all “Unbossing” talks? Are Indian companies also embracing this global trend?

Divyanshi Sharma

Global IT services firm Accenture slashes 19,000 jobs, tech mayhem deepens

IANS

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