Indeed is letting go of 2,200 global employees

23 Mar 2023

Image: © Cerib/Stock.adobe.com

CEO Chris Hyams said that while Indeed has held off from layoffs longer than others, the revenue trends are ‘undeniable’.

Job search platform Indeed is laying off 2,200 employees globally as CEO Chris Hyams says the company is “simply too big for what lies ahead”.

In a message shared with Indeed employees yesterday (22 March), Hyams said that the job cuts would result in a 15pc reduction in headcount. Nearly every team, function, level and region at Indeed and Indeed Flex – the app for temporary work – will be impacted by the job cuts.

“The specific decisions on who and where to cut were extremely difficult, but they were made with great care,” Hyams told employees.

“We focused on preparing the organisation for the future, aligning with our strategy and priorities and reducing duplication of effort and inefficiency.”

For employees based in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Japan, Indeed said it will stay in touch to outline the specifics of each region based on local regulations. For all other locations, employees received an email yesterday to confirm if they had been laid off or not.

The job search platform has over 1,000 Irish employees based across two offices in Dublin. It is not clear yet how many of them will be impacted by the latest layoffs.

Hyams, who will be taking a 25pc cut in his base pay, explained the rationale behind the decision to reduce headcount in his message.

“It is clear the job market will continue to cool after the recent post-Covid boom. With future job openings at or below pre-pandemic levels, our organisation is simply too big for what lies ahead,” he said.

“We need clarity, focus and urgency to ensure that all of our energy is directed towards investing in our future. We have held out longer than many other companies, but the revenue trends are undeniable. So I have decided to act now.”

According to Hyams, US total job openings in the previous quarter were down 3.5pc year-over-year, while sponsored job volumes were down by a third.

“In the US, we are expecting job openings will likely decrease to pre-pandemic levels of about 7.5m or even lower over the next two to three years.”

10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.

Vish Gain is a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com