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<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?

<ul><li>The looming fear of tech <keyword id="6357067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Layoffs" source="Orion">layoffs</keyword> in India rose again, after <keyword id="6370971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Accenture" source="Orion">Accenture</keyword> announced 19,000 job cuts on Thursday. </li><li>Accenture’s earnings are often seen as an indicator of the Indian IT sector’s performance. </li><li>Indian IT companies froze hiring in Q2, with hiring declining by 96% when compared to preceding 7 quarters. </li></ul>In spite of the many startups laying off employees since last year, the Indian IT sector has so far remained resilient. However, the recent announcement by global IT major Accenture that it will cut 19,000 jobs has brought back some of the fears again. “What we have been seeing for the last several quarters is a focus on cost with shorter return time. Everyone wants to be more resilient and [have] lower costs,” said Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture in a post-earnings conference call. Accenture has opted for retrenchments to drive resilience. “We are trying to cut structural costs so that we are in a better position. We are trying to mitigate the cost by driving efficiency,” Sweet added. Even as the big techs of Silicon Valley chopped thousands of jobs, top Indian IT companies gave no such indications. Yet, in the last few months, they have put sudden brakes on hiring. According to a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/hiring-by-it-cos-down-96-in-q3-compared-to-preceding-7-quarters-even-as-attrition-cools/articleshow/97023873.cms"> Business Insider India analysis</a>, hiring fell by 96% in the December quarter compared to the preceding seven quarters. Out of the big four IT companies, <keyword id="6357150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TCS" source="Orion">TCS</keyword> and Wipro actually reported a decline in their headcount during the quarter. Going forward, Indian IT companies could look at Accenture’s layoffs as a ‘blueprint’, says JM Financial. “We see such action as necessary for India IT players as well as a slower growth and falling inflation makes utilisation and pyramid correction difficult levers to pull,” said a report by JM Financial. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Other levers available to optimise costs" comment="subhead" text="Other levers available to optimise costs">Other levers available to optimise costs</cmsannotation> Apurva Prasad, vice president of institutional equity research (IT sector) at HDFC Securities told Business Insider India that there are other levers instead of layoffs which Indian IT companies can use to achieve cost optimisation. “There are multiple levers that Indian IT companies can use to achieve cost optimisation – this includes improving utilization ratios, better pricing of existing accounts, and vendor consolidation,” said Prasad. For context, Accenture’s utilisation rate stood at 91%, which is significantly higher than companies like <keyword id="6354512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys" source="Orion">Infosys</keyword>, which reported a 81.7% utilisation rate during the December quarter. In such a scenario, putting the bench to work would be better, Prasad explained. In Accenture’s case, global brokerage Jefferies said layoffs are a result of over-hiring during the pandemic, while Bank of America’s analysts underlined that the rise in jobs was facilitated by cheap capital. “Headcount reduction is a result of over-hiring during the pandemic and a slower growth outlook than originally forecasted,” Jefferies said in a note. Now that growth prospects have tapered and interest rates have risen sharply, companies are realigning their headcounts to match the current macroeconomic realities. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Banking woes bring troubles to BFSI spends" comment="subhead" text="Banking woes bring troubles to BFSI spends">Banking woes bring troubles to BFSI spends</cmsannotation> The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) segment, which is one of the major revenue sources for Indian IT companies, has seen a cutback in discretionary spendings. The troubles at four banks in 11 days, including Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse, will drive BFSI clients to “focus on current survival rather than investing for future survival,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. “Surviving the current crisis, and ensuring adequate liquidity and capital adequacy will emerge as the top focus, leading to prudence on spending,” the brokerage said, adding that tech budgets outlined at the beginning of the year could be toned down. It added that the deteriorating macroeconomic environment could lead to further polarisation of growth between leaders and laggards of the Indian IT sector. “TCS and Infosys are better positioned among Tier 1 IT. Cognizant and Wipro are vulnerable among Tier 1, higher consulting exposure increases vulnerability for the latter,” the Kotak report added. Overall, cost optimisation has emerged as a theme now with deteriorating macroeconomic environment, Prasad explained. It remains to be seen how Indian IT companies achieve this, hopefully without resorting to retrenchments. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/first-82-days-of-2023-see-more-layoffs-than-the-entire-2022/slidelist/98960848.cms">First 82 days of 2023 see more layoffs than the entire 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/debt-schemes-of-mfs-lose-edge-over-bank-deposits-as-budget-proposes-to-scrap-ltcg-indexation-benefits/articleshow/98965932.cms">Debt schemes of MFs lose edge over bank deposits as Budget proposes to scrap LTCG &amp; indexation benefits</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/shinier-zomato-gold-better-commissions-makes-analysts-bullish-in-the-long-term/articleshow/98938279.cms">Shinier Zomato Gold, better commissions makes analysts bullish in the long term</a>

Layoffs coming to the Indian IT sector? Analysts say Accenture’s jobs cuts offers a ‘blueprint’

<ul><li>Wipro has issued termination letters to all the affected employees and stated that despite adequate training, they have failed to perform.</li><li>The company has waived off Rs 75,000 training cost that the employees were liable to pay.</li><li>Commenting on the development, the IT giant clarified that it takes pride in holding itself to the highest standards.</li></ul>IT giant Wipro has laid off more than 400 fresher employees for poor performance in internal assessment tests. The company has issued termination letters to all the affected employees and stated that despite adequate training, they have failed to perform. Sources explained the termination letter maintained that the employees were liable to pay Rs 75,000 of the training cost which company has spent on them. But, the amount is being waived off. "We wish to inform you that the training cost of Rs 75,000 which you are liable to pay, will be waived off," the letter reads. Commenting on the development, the IT giant clarified that it takes pride in holding itself to the highest standards. "From every entry level employee it is expected to have a certain level of proficiency in their designated area of work. The evaluation process includes to align employees with the requirements of clients and the business objectives of the organisation. "This evaluation process, systematic and comprehensive, is followed by a series of actions such as mentoring, retraining and separation of employees from the company," it says. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-retails-q3-net-profit-up-6-2-at-2400-crore-finance-costs-depreciation-weigh/articleshow/97179758.cms">Reliance Retail’s Q3 net profit up 6.2% at ₹2,400 crore; finance costs, depreciation weigh</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jios-net-profit-up-3-2-sequentially-at-4881-crore-in-q3-on-better-subscriber-mix/articleshow/97179677.cms">Reliance Jio’s net profit up 3.2% sequentially at ₹4881 crore in Q3 on better subscriber mix</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/rils-q3-net-profit-stays-flat-at-15792-crore-retail-and-jio-deliver-while-o2c-drags-due-to-weak-demand/articleshow/97179878.cms">RIL’s Q3 net profit stays flat at ₹15,792 crore – retail and Jio deliver, while O2C drags due to weak demand</a>

Wipro lays off over 400 freshers for poor performance

<keyword id="10862" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wipro">Wipro</keyword>, which is India's third-largest software exporter, has decided to go leaner with its organizational structure, a move that would require it to trim excess layers of managers and executives from the company. This has come after CEO Abidali Neemuchwala decided to make the organisation more decentralised, following a similar move by arch rival Infosys earlier this year. 
 
Neemuchwala has put together a dedicated team to focus on this leaning exercise, which would help in faster decisions. 
 
"The lower-end of the pyramid will get automated. We may end up seeing something like a diamond-shape, more than a pyramid shape within the organisation structure. Again, there are certain structures which drive some of that non-linearity and automation are also important," Neemuchwala said. 
 
"Our robotics team and our MIT engine which focuses on all of the non-linearity are the structural changes that we have put in place. All of that is in place and there is a team up and running doing that," he added. 
 
The de-layering is also important because Wipro is finding it hard to register even high single-digit growth rates, having consistently lagged behind its peers over the past decade. 
 
<a href="http://images.financialexpress.com/2016/01/Wipro-CEO-5.jpg">Image source</a>

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

Divyanshi Sharma

Layoffs coming to the Indian IT sector? Analysts say Accenture’s jobs cuts offers a ‘blueprint’

Rounak Jain

Wipro lays off over 400 freshers for poor performance

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Wipro to trim away some managerial layers for a leaner structure

BI India Bureau

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