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Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by deadfece on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:04PM (#38223039)
23 people at Zillow? I don't understand why that made news. But man that sucks for those 23 people.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by meesles on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:24PM (#38223300)
Fear of layoffs has increased productivity over the last 6+ months. CEOs are coupling this with their forced return-to-office policies to paint a convenient story to further both of their goals - trimming the fat and getting back to a status quo they prefer.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by SeanAnderson on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:41PM (#38223523)
You have a source for "fear of layoffs increases productivity"?

That hasn't really been my experience at companies I've worked at which experience layoffs. There's a huge morale hit from the layoff and survivors soldier on, but certainly not with renewed pep.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by Racing0461 on Friday November 10, 2023 @03:38PM (#38224199)
> There's a huge morale hit from the layoff and survivors soldier on, but certainly not with renewed pep

can confirm here too, myself included.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by LoFiSamurai on Friday November 10, 2023 @04:24PM (#38224730)
And me
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by jsocuwl on Saturday November 11, 2023 @02:18PM (#38233539)
Yep, same for me
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by meesles on Monday November 13, 2023 @09:43AM (#38250630)
Yep - https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-productivity-surges-se...

From my experience it's quite obvious that people with families amidst layoffs and a difficult job market will work harder (or look like they are) to ensure they keep their jobs.

This is no longer a worker's market, meaning your labor has been devalued and competition has increased. Increased globalization and rising unemployment rates (latest report has a .5% increase) will spell disaster for those of us who keep the same attitudes we enjoyed the last couple decades. I'm just a worker like most people on here, but I'm really steeling myself for what's to come. I don't think now is the time to sit on your laurels and hope that your tenure is enough to keep your job around.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by toomuchtodo on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:27PM (#38223345)
Unprofitable companies will die regardless of theater. Commercial real estate will take the hit eventually. Structural demographics means labor supply shortages for at least a decade. Someone has to get paid to declare the King’s intent I suppose.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by sheepscreek on Friday November 10, 2023 @06:10PM (#38225819)
> Someone has to get paid to declare the King’s (collectively speaking) intent I suppose.

Can you elaborate on this?

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by toomuchtodo on Friday November 10, 2023 @06:27PM (#38225950)
https://fortune.com/2023/09/05/amazon-andy-jassy-return-to-o... ("Amazon’s Andy Jassy shouldn’t make return-to-office decisions in an echo chamber of CEOs driven by feelings")

CEOs collectively saying "you must return to office because we say so" driven by feelings, status, etc with media doing the PR lifting.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by gedy on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:48PM (#38223615)
> Fear of layoffs has increased productivity over the last 6+ months

That is never the case. You get the desperate types sucking up to management more perhaps. And people complain less about the snacks in kitchen. But people who already deliver start biding their time, looking around, and do the minimal needed to look acceptable.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by milesvp on Friday November 10, 2023 @06:05PM (#38225783)
Yeah, my experience is you don’t really want the people whose “productivity” goes up after a layoff. There are the people who don’t actually produce much, but are able to look like they do. Then there’s the people who used to provide the most value but are now dead inside. They are the one whose measurable productivity may go up, but the output is “wooden”, or maybe hollow, now. It lacks the creativity and big picture thinking that really moves the needle. So you may think you’re getting more output but it’s not impactful anymore.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by hellisothers on Saturday November 11, 2023 @11:05AM (#38231478)
Great description, seeing this happen at BigCo…
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by harryquach on Saturday November 11, 2023 @10:08PM (#38236869)
The people who provide most of the value generally have options and will leave. At least this has beeny experience.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by latchkey on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:29PM (#38223365)
It'll be more than that. They just report on FTE's... not all the contractors and other part time people who they don't have to talk about. Design shops not getting contracts renewed... etc...
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by jjulius on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:13PM (#38223155)
It's a pretty darn famous website/company.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by ivalm on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:22PM (#38223274)
Yes, but 23 is ~0.3% of their labor force, which is negligible. Their weekly natural employee churn is likely more than 23.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by bjt12345 on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:42PM (#38223537)
Clearly they're taking the piss out of the analysts and must be in good financial shape.

Like how Bill Gates amd Steve Balmer used to tell Wall St how bad things are.

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by bmitc on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:25PM (#38223308)
Then doesn't it make you wonder why even bother laying them off, if it's apparently so neglible?
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by ivalm on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:35PM (#38223457)
The positions presumably got closed/not refilled. Zillow itself claims it’s part of normal audit process. Happens all the time and doesn’t make news.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by xw3090 on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:32PM (#38223409)
They might not have.

“noting the layoffs were not necessarily cuts in total head count.”

The devil is in the details and I know I’m way too lazy to go through all that paperwork and find out. Looks like everyone else is too. :)

Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by Eumenes on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:23PM (#38223287)
23 people prob quit on a weekly basis.
Re:Tech layoffs: Google, Amazon, Snap and Zillow announce ne... by 4death4 on Friday November 10, 2023 @02:47PM (#38223599)
Snap also laid off 20 product managers. It sucks for those affected, but it’s not really a newsworthy layoff.