In the end it is all about what stock markets expect and want. Before they wanted hiring, now they want layoffs. There is really no collusion.

In general I think the true leadership of many of these companies is overstated. Layoffs are way to appear to save money so they are doing just that. And the pandemic seem to have been growth in remote products, so they had to grow for that. Even if most of the new workforce might not have been needed.