While tech companies prepare for the upcoming recession with big budget cuts and brutal layoff plans, it’s important to remember that cybersecurity should be the last place you’re trying to save money.

The importance of cybersecurity is significant in the business world today. Unfortunately, the average business doesn’t invest nearly enough in preventing breaches and securing data, which can result in lost revenue, ruined reputations, and even the shuttering of your business.

Now, with virtually the entire business world looking to cut costs, business owners should be reminded that cutting costs in your cybersecurity department could have dire effects on the longevity of your business.

Cybersecurity Should Be Recession-Proof

While cybersecurity can feel like an unnecessary cost, resulting in no direct revenue, it remains one of the most important aspects of your business to invest in.

In fact, experts predict that, despite widespread cuts across the tech industry, cybersecurity spending is expected to increase by 10-15% over the next year and a half.

“Cybersecurity is actually getting special treatment in these recessionary times because of the increased threat perception.” – Santha Subramoni, global head of the cybersecurity business unit at Tata Consultancy Services

Increased threat perception is a bit of an understatement is regard to the current state of cybersecurity.

The Importance of Cybersecurity

Sure, experts and business owners are investing in cybersecurity, but how important is it actually? Well, according to a wide range of cybersecurity statistics and studies, you are really going to want to invest in cybersecurity for your business.

Right out of the gate, a data breach can cost the average US business approximately $10 million, which alone should be enough of a reason to shore up your security. Even worse, 83% of businesses view cybersecurity as important, but only 43% consider it to be a “top three” budget priority.

Remote work isn’t helping either. With employees working from home, cybersecurity is naturally a bit harder to nail down, creating security gaps that could cause serious problems.

“The digital footprint of our customers has increased exponentially. It’s not just the front production environments that are exposed to the internet. Everything is exposed to the internet because of remote working.” – Santha Subramoni

Fortunately, investing in cybersecurity doesn’t have to completely ruin you. While we highly recommend investing in a full-on IT department to handle security, there are some tools that can get you started on the right foot. Password managers and VPNs are a must for businesses with hybrid work models, allowing employees to access company systems without putting them at risk.

A new study has found that women want to work from home more than men want to, highlighting the importance of flexible work policies in attracting top talent.

For the last few years, remote work has become a staple of the business world. The pandemic encouraged millions of business owners to adopt the flexible work policy in hopes of curbing the effects of the virus. The paradigm shift promoted work-life balance, giving employees the freedom to get work done at their own pace.

Now, however, businesses are starting to demand employees return to the office, and it could be driving away a certain type of employee more than others.

Workplace Flexibility Is More Important to Women

According to a study from YouGov titled Workforce Insights, women want to work from home more than men do. The study, which surveyed 4,000 US individuals in the labor force, asked respondents about how important it was for a business to allow employees to work from anywhere.

In the survey, 71% of woman said that this was at least moderately important, whereas only 66% of men said the same. On top of that, only 12% of women said the ability to work from anywhere was not important at all, whereas 16% of men agreed.

“Given these gender differences, businesses that support flexibility with voluntary office work policies are likely to have the broadest positive engagement from workers.”

That’s not all, though. Women also view flexibility in working hours as more important than men, with 57% agreeing that it’s very important for a business to offer, whereas only 44% of men feel the same way.

Should My Business Offer Hybrid Work?

In short, your business should absolutely offer a hybrid work policy, and there are plenty of statistics beyond this study that prove it.

For one, productivity has been up across the board since remote work became popular. One study found that 32% of hiring managers said that productivity has increased under remote work policies. Another found that businesses experience a 22% performance boost when allowing employees to work from home.

More concrete numbers make it even harder to argue with. A Global Workplace Analytics study found that the average business can save up to $11,000 per hybrid work employees, thanks to everything from lower costs to higher productivity

Simply put, demanding your employees return to the office for some perceived company culture just isn’t the way anymore. As long as you have the right tools in place to facilitate productivity, communication, and security, like web conferencing software and password managers, you should absolutely be taking advantage of the hybrid work movement.

The tech industry’s honeymoon with remote work is coming to a close, as Snap joins other notable companies in doing away with the flexible policy.

At the start of the pandemic, tech giants like Snap were all too happy to jump on board the work-from-home boom. The infamously innovative industry paved the way for remote work, eventually spurring on the new normal of flexibility when it comes to your commute.

However, with a recession looming and tech layoffs abound, many companies have rescinded the previously flexible remote work policies, demanding employees return to the office for the majority of the week. And now, Snap has joined the fray.

Snap Employees Must Return to Office

In a company memo obtained by Bloomberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel informed employees that they would be required to be in the office at least four days per week. The update will apply to all 30 of Snap’s offices across the world and will go into effect in February of next year.

As for the reasons why, Spiegel is simply parroting the common line the productivity just isn’t the same with employees working from home.

“I believe that spending more time together in person will help us to achieve our full potential.” – Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap

The policy change comes after Snap has struggled in recent months, reporting low quarterly revenue growth, with only 6% quarterly sales growth in late October, the lowest ever in the company’s history. Will a return to office actually help? Spiegel certainly seems to think so.

“We’ve forgotten what we’ve lost — and what we could gain — by spending more time together.”

This news is particularly unfortunate for the remote work movement, as Snap was one of the first and most generous adapters of the work from home policy. Snap now joins Twitter, who also revoked remote work status for its employees under the new owner, as some of the pioneers of remote work that have rebuked their previous work from home plans.

Is Remote Work Dead?

More and more companies are demanding that employees return to the office. So, the question remains: will this former paradigm shift end up as nothing more than an extended vacation from terrible commutes and boring company culture?

If you’ve gotten used to working from home, rest assured that your flexible work schedule probably isn’t going anywhere. While tech giants have made a stink about productivity and returning to the office, the majority of businesses are sticking with their remote work policies and have no plans to change them. Even better, the numbers back them up.

78% of CEOs say that remote work is here to stay and working from home continues to be the number one priority for top talent, which means that removing this policy is going to do a lot more harm than good.

Still, you need to make sure your business is equipped to effectively manage remote workers, which is where business tools can really help. Web conferencing and project management software can go a long way in facilitating productivity, while password managers and VPNs are excellent for maintaining a secure system with employees working from home.

TikTok is struggling to make a dent in the world of US and European ecommerce, and has now enlisted the help of a number of startups to try and reverse that trend and bring the Live Shopping craze sweeping Asia to other markets.

Currently, TikTok relies heavily on digital advertising to bring in revenue, although this has not been as reliable of a profit stream in recent months as it has previously and is forcing the company to look for alternative ways to make money.

Live Shopping is an integral part of the “social commerce” phenomenon – a general term for ecommerce experiences within which customers don’t even have to leave social media platforms to buy items – but other tech companies like Meta, as well as TikTok, have struggled with it in the US and Europe so far.

TikTok Teams Up With Ecommerce Startups

Digital advertising raked in $11 billion in revenue for TikTok during 2022, but the social media platform has struggled to make similar inroads in the world of ecommerce – so it’s drafting in some help.

Startups such as TalkShopLive, YunExpress and ChannelEngine all facilitate order fulfillment via integration with marketplaces and shopping technology.

TalkShopLive’s services were already requested by TikTok back in October, with the social media giant needing support for its North American rollout of a number of new shopping features that launched this month.

The company is, according to the Financial Times, also hiring staff to build an order fulfillment platform from the ground up.

A Mountain to Climb

The problem is that, for both customers and businesses, buying and selling items on TikTok hasn’t exactly been plain sailing.

Recently, several retailers that have used TikTok to sell items have informed the Financial Times that “the level of resources needed to sell on the app was not worth the returns”.

The paper also reports “around 200 new customer complaints” were being recorded daily during the summer, all related to users having shipping issues and long delivery delays.

Should Tech Giants Stop Trying to Make Social Commerce Happen?

By some metrics, certainly not. TikTok’s sister company Douyin, for instance, which is also owned by ByteDance and mainly operates in China, has seen a 320% rise in sales between April 2021 and April 2022.

But while Live Shopping seems to have really caught on in Asia, there’s significantly less enthusiasm for the retail phenomenon across Europe and the US.

TikTok parent company ByteDance isn’t the only big tech company to struggle with social commerce in European and US markets, with Meta announcing that it was phasing out its Live Shopping function in August.

The precise reason why this is the case is somewhat unclear at present, but many experts believe it’s simply down to entrenched tech and ecommerce habits. Most people in the west are used to buying products from Amazon or ecommerce platforms they recognize, rather than streamers.

Of course, this could change any time – especially when companies with the financial clout of ByteDance have money to throw at it until it does.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has stated that he intends to reinstate the accounts of previously banned Twitter users, he said in a Tweet on Thursday.

The social media platform has already reinstated two high profile accounts in that of Donald Trump and Kanye West, but now it seems that the floodgates could be about to open.

With many Twitter suspensions in place for racist and homophobic behavior, as well as Covid and political misinformation, the move is likely to be controversial.

Twitter Puts Down the Welcome Mat for Banned Users

In a tweet on Thursday, Musk told followers that he would be offering an amnesty to those who had had their Twitter accounts banned under the site’s previous ownership.

Much like he did with Trump’s reinstatement, the ‘Chief Twit’ posted a poll, asking if those who hadn’t ‘broken the law’ should be allowed back on the platform.

Should Twitter offer a general amnesty to suspended accounts, provided that they have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2022

After the results of the poll were finalised, in which 72% of respondents stated that banned users should be allowed back on, Musk followed up the poll, voted on by over three million people, with the latin phrase “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” – the voice of the people, the voice of God.

It’s the same phrase that Musk used when he canvassed opinion on reinstating Trump, although that poll proved slightly more popular, with over 15 million votes.

Who Could Return to Twitter After Ban Lift?

The list of those who have been suspended from Twitter is long, and makes for grim reading. Musk has already said that reinstatements won’t be gifted to those who broke the law, but even with this in mind the move will still be a controversial one.

Many of those who were suspended from Twitter in the past were done so due to the use of racist or homophobic language. Many more were banned Covid or political misinformation.

It’s a cast list of abrasive figures whom are unlikely to have turned over a new leaf since their original bans, leading to fears that reintroducing them to the platform could lessen discourse and stoke controversy.

Despite the seeming free-for-all of unbanning potentially thousands of accounts, there are some users who won’t be welcomed back on the platform. Musk has already stated that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ suspension will remain in place.

Musk Ditches Moderation Committee

Shortly after taking over Twitter, Musk had originally stated that all bans would be subject to review by a committee formed of ‘widely diverse’ viewpoints.

However, it appears that this proposal has since been canned by Musk, who later followed up the tweet saying “A large coalition of political/social activist groups agreed not to try to kill Twitter by starving us of advertising revenue if I agreed to this condition. They broke the deal.”

It appears that under the new amnesty, banned accounts will simply be reopened, without any moderation taking place, as Musk’s message doesn’t make reference to any such process.

Fears about an increase in offensive and aggressive language on Twitter aren’t unfounded. One study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that shortly after Musk’s takeover, use of homophobic and racist slang rapidly spiked.

Google’s reign as the last major tech firm not to make major layoffs could be coming to an end, as the company launches a ‘performance management system’ that could result in 10,000 workers being terminated.

According to The Information, managers in the company have been asked to place 6% of employees on the review, as the company grapples with the same issues that are plaguing the rest of the tech industry.

And as Google prepares to send a large proportion of its workforce packing, it’s turning to an unlikely tool to solve its productivity problems —  generative AI. Here’s what we know about Google’s strategy change so far:

Google Plans to Axe 10,000 Workers Under New Productivity System

As layoff season continues, it appears that Google may be following in the footsteps of other major firms like Meta and Twitter, by preparing to let go of 6% of its workforce, roughly equating to around 10,000 employees.

These cuts would be carried out under the guise of a new performance management system, that the Silicon Valley company is launching to recover costs and solve its productivity issues.

According to The Information, under this new system, managers have been asked to categorize 6% of employees that they deem to be underperforming. Sources close to the company reveal that these selected employees could see their jobs being lost as a result, with layoffs expected to take place at the beginning of 2023.

Aside from politely showing ‘underperforming’ workers the door, this scheme also reduces the percentage of employees that can achieve a high rating, meaning a large number of workers might miss out on incentive bonuses and stock grants in the company.

This new management system, which was announced by Google way back in May, is a lot more comprehensive than the previous model, which only placed 2% of employees under review.

Why is Google Resorting to Job Cuts?

While this is the closest the software company has come to announcing widespread job losses, Google’s gripes with productivity are nothing new.

Back in September, leaked audio messages revealed that Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, admitted the company had become “slower” after its headcount ballooned throughout the pandemic. In response, Pichai unveiled a plan to “simplify the company” to make it “20% more efficient”.

But what exactly did this plan entail? Well, as it transpired, Pichai’s vision involved making pretty major cuts to its research and development Area 120, and subsequently, laying off employees who were working on canceled research projects.

And unfortunately for Google’s workforce, Alphabet’s forecast is looking even more somber since Pichai’s plan was first announced. The company’s profits dropped 27% in the third quarter of this year, due to weaker-than-expected earnings and revenue.

So, as Google continues to face the same issues as the rest of big tech, it’s hardly surprising that their workforce is, once again, taking the brunt. But as Google looks to reduce its headcount, looking elsewhere to resolve its productivity issues.

Is the “Future of Software Engineering” Generative AI?

As Google continues to ramp up its investment in AI, the company is rolling out a clandestine program that leverages machine learning to create code, according to sources cited in The Insider.

The project, which is being dubbed “Pitchfork” by company insiders, is part of a wider effort to embrace “generative AI”, an advanced technique that uses algorithms to create images, videos, and code.

But these tools aren’t just being used to build code. According to anonymous Google employees, the technology being used has been designed to learn programming styles, before generating new code based on these learnings, with the ultimate goal of  “teaching code to write and rewrite itself”.

“The idea (for project Pitchfork) was: how do we go from one version to the next without hiring all these software engineers?” – Anonymous Google employee

For software engineers that are already being squeezed out by widespread hiring freezes, Google’s adoption of self-writing code technology could sound pretty worrying.

Yet, with most major tech companies cutting costs ahead of a potential downturn, and Twitter’s new CEO and “chief Twit” Elon Musk publicly struggling to find “anyone who actually writes software” after firing 2,000 staffers, its likely that generative AI could be the answer to big tech’s productivity problems.

Despite the pandemic feeling like an increasingly distant memory for many in the US and Europe, one in four workers are worried about catching the virus at work.

Thanks to video conferencing software, millions were able to collaborate from the safety of their homes as Covid raged on – but now, more and more companies are demanding employees be in the office at least one day a week.

Businesses should be aware that staff anxieties may persist well into the future, even as case numbers continue to fall.

Gallup Poll Showcases Staff Concerns

Despite few to no restrictions remaining across the country, a recent Gallup poll shows that one in four employed adults in the US still say they are “very” (6%) or “moderately” (20%) concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus at work.

A third of people are currently “not too concerned” about Covid in the workplace, while 41% are “not concerned at all.”

The figure of 26% of workers being concerned about Covid released just this week is actually slightly down on the 33% figure Gallup recorded in July 2022.

A year ago, this figure was 36%. The highest recorded rate Gallup ever recorded was in July 2020, when 51% of employees responded that they were concerned.

Some Groups are More Concerned Than Others

Gallup says that concerns about catching Covid at work continue “to be more pronounced among women, Democrats, education workers, and healthcare workers, than it is among their counterparts”, despite an overall decline in all groups.

However, Democrat concern has plummeted since July, falling 13 percentage points to just 38%, as it has among those working in the education sector, with concern dropping from 53% to 40%.

There was no change among employees that consider themselves politically independent (which has stayed constant at 26%), while there has been a small change among republicans, with only 9% concerned (down 5 points).

Give Employees a Say When Working Out Arrangements

It can be tempting, especially if your company’s employees have nestled nicely into a groove of flexible working, to just let employees come in whenever they want, or not at all for that matter.

However, it can be pretty frustrating commuting all the way into the office, only to find that the colleagues you wanted to spend time and collaborate with have decided to stay at home – even if you can still contact them on Zoom or another video conferencing service.

There can be benefits to instituting a “team day” or a minimum amount of days employees are expected to be in the office. The poll results show, however, that it’s likely some staff may have Covid-related concerns with coming in.

It’s crucial to involve your staff in the planning of such “team days” and delegate it to department or team managers if you’re part of a larger business.

Many staff worried about Covid will have very genuine concerns, many of which will likely be based on medical issues – but there is an array of other working arrangement worries they may want to voice – and they’ll appreciate you giving them the time to do so.

There’s a way to create a system that works for everyone, and ensure staff are benefitting from your office space while feeling safe and happy.

To say Elon Musk’s initial weeks at Twitter have been nothing short of tumultuous would be to understate the seismic turmoil the social media platform is going through.

Since October 28th, the day the acquisition was made official, thousands of dismayed Twitter users have been searching in droves for alternatives to Twitter. Meanwhile, the news has been awash with stories about Mastodon and other rival networks.

The reality is, however, that at present there is no true Twitter alternative – while at the same time, Twitter as we know it seems to be morphing into something much uglier than it used to be.

Twitter Will Never Be The Same Again

The very nature of what makes Twitter unique is highly likely to change in the coming months, due to leadership, staffing, and new features. Moderating 230 million users is hard, not least when you’ve axed half your staff and disenfranchised others working for you.

Former Head of Trust and Safety, Yoel Roth, has left the company along with a string of other top executives. Some commentators are already predicting that major personnel changes like this could instigate degeneration, as a lot hangs on their replacement.

Self-professed free speech absolutist Elon Musk already allowed Kanye West back to Twitter after the rapper’s account was suspended for anti-Semitism – and marked his return with a friendly tweet.

Don’t kill what ye hate
Save what ye love

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2022

At the same time, reinstating Donald Trump’s account is a huge risk. The lifting of his suspension signals a dramatic shift in approach to content moderation, platform standards, rules, and perhaps the type of person who will benefit from Musk at the helm.

There are various other sub-plots that almost pale in comparison to that news but will contribute to the rapid – and worrying – evolution of Twitter into something quite different from what we’ve come to expect.

A good example of this is Musk’s introduction of the paid verification program, which has led to the feature being abused and hundreds of businesses and celebrities being impersonated – and, importantly, the fact he was warned that this would happen before doing it.

The Hunt for Twitter Alternatives Begins

With all this in mind, it’s no surprise people are looking for Twitter alternatives. When Musk officially took over Twitter, the number of people searching for other social media options increased exponentially (source: Google Trends):

Mastodon, a decentralized platform for creating self-hosted social media platforms, was perhaps the biggest winner from Musk’s chaotic acquisition and attracted considerable media attention after its user base increased by 6,000%.

Other sites like Hive, which Vanity Fair describes as a combination of “Instagram and Twitter with a hint of nostalgia from Myspace” has also seen a huge surge in sign-ups, hitting one million total users this week.

Countersocial also received some initial traction, with installs skyrocketing 2,300% in the 12 days following the acquisition.

On top of this, there is also an existing ecosystem of Twitter alternatives frequented by those on the far right – collectively dubbed “alt-tech” – whose creators were spurred on by the stricter rules on sites like Twitter.

This cohort includes Parler, Gab, and more recently, Truth Social, Donald Trump’s network.

Why There is No True Twitter Alternative

Despite initial surges, it’s highly doubtful that any of the above options will provide a genuinely viable alternative to Twitter. The fact is, there is no actual Twitter alternative.

Twitter is completely and utterly unique as a product on the internet. It is the place online where an unmatched amount of mainstream, global news materializes at a hellishly rapid rate.

Elon Musk has not bought Twitter for its technical stack or advertising capabilities – that is not the product here. It is the platform that sits at the fingertips of world leaders, celebrities, and other powerful people, who use it as a tool like very few other sites. That is the product.

It makes sense that out of all of the social media platforms out there, the way people use Twitter is perhaps the most simplistic. You create an account, you post your opinions, and read other people’s thoughts.

On Twitter, you are effectively participating in one, massive, centralized conversation. You might have your account on private, or you might tweet very rarely – the point is, you can, and you can tweet pretty much anyone you like.

It’s a gimmick-free platform, where features and function are very much a secondary consideration. Facebook, another “political” platform has conversely proliferated into a place to game, sell items and organize events.

This is also why content moderation plays more of an outsized importance – the standard of conversation on Twitter is linked to its value in a way it isn’t on other platforms, from networks to games.

Few people use it for much else. It is Twitter, not another platform, that closed its “fleets” feature last year, while virtually analogous features on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have been roaring successes.

A large tech entity won’t replace Twitter. From LinkedIn to YouTube, they all do something “else” and provide an experience that isn’t focused intensely on the swapping of opinions.

Mastodon, Hive and Post Aren’t a Twitter Substitute

Similarly, smaller, novel “alternatives” like Mastodon and Hive won’t replace Twitter either – even if they have similar functionalities, add useful features, or try and remedy problems with Twitter by enforcing things like ultra-strict content moderation. Oft-touted “alternatives” sometimes offer segmented networks designed to target people with specific “interests” or make you use an “avatar”.

The most powerful people in the world do not have time for the bells and whistles – they care about influence, not a fulfilling user experience.

The likelihood that celebrities will give up the influence and power Twitter hands to them – a personal soapbox at their fingertips – is vastly unlikely.

Everyone – journalists, activists, and citizens that want to remain informed – will follow the people with power. We all want to participate in a living, breathing – and often screaming – dialogue. This just isn’t an option on other platforms.

This is why, despite all of the turmoil and people leaving the platform, Twitter still hit its record daily user figure after Musk’s acquisition.

Other smaller platforms simply don’t have the huge reach of Twitter. Nobody is aware of this more than Trump. He has stated that he won’t return to Twitter despite his ban being lifted, but it must irk him to think of the 88 million followers he has left behind on that platform, compared to the just over 4 million he has on Truth Social.

The forecast for those passionate about public debate and participation in politics, as well as those who thought better, more dynamic content moderation could have actually made Twitter a better place, is decidedly bleak.

Tragically, there is no true, Twitter alternative – and that includes Twitter under Musk.

On Thursday, Twitter’s employees passed a deadline set by new owner and CEO, Elon Musk: They would have to agree to work according to his shared vision.

Internal estimates show that around 1,200 employees opted for the other choice — three months of severance — and have now left a company that has already seen half its workforce quit or laid off in recent weeks.

Worse, Twitter is about to face one of its busiest weekends of the year, as the much-tweeted FIFA World Cup begins.

Is Twitter on the Edge?

Many Twitter users have predicted the platform’s full-on collapse, though sporadic outages and security breaches seem more likely.

Twitter’s own staff doesn’t have faith in the company’s future, either, according to a survey of more than 400 Twitter employees that found 89% of verified staff had no confidence in Elon Musk’s leadership.

Twitter’s traffic is higher than ever before, even while users add new accounts on replacement websites such as Mastadon or Tumblr. Granted, that higher traffic may not be a good sign.

banks in 1929: well look at how many people want to visit our banks right now pic.twitter.com/cn0TSM5Nom

— Ken Cheng (@kenchengcomedy) November 18, 2022

Still, there’s plenty of profit tied to the social media platform, even despite millions of dollars’ worth of gun-shy advertisers leaving due to a rash of impersonations.

It seems likely that the platform will continue on in one form or another. Some cogent commenters hold the position that Musk’s decisions are driven by an inaccurate information bubble that could presumably be popped at some point in the future.

But this weekend might reveal just how well the platform is currently performing.

The World Cup Starts on Sunday

One of the biggest events in the world kicks off in Qatar this Sunday: The FIFA World Cup. It’s also one of the biggest events for Twitter, given the millions of fans who take to the service to express their minute-by-minute reactions to anything happening on the soccer field.

Twitter went through irregular outages back during a World Cup in June 2010, and that was without suffering a massive staff exodus in the weeks leading up to it. The extremely high traffic this weekend will be the company’s first big test since the Musk takeover and may shape investors’ expectations moving forward.

Just don’t count on finding out the results of that test on the microblogging platform itself. Have we mentioned our tech headlines newsletter?

Amazon will cut more jobs in early 2023, company CEO Andy Jassy stated in an internal memo.

The details haven’t yet been settled, so we don’t know how large the layoffs will be or which specific roles will be reduced. But the news may be tough to hear for all the Amazon workers who have or will survive this week’s round of layoffs at the ecommerce giant, which affected departments including HR, retail, and devices.

Google hasn’t joined the fray to the same extent, but that seems set to change in 2023 as well, at least according to one analyst. Here’s the latest on the tech industry’s gloomy near future.

Amazon’s 2023 Layoffs

Jassy’s memo noted that future layoffs are due to Amazon’s annual planning process, which continues into 2023. The only clarity on which departments are in danger? The role reductions will likely impact “our Stores and [People, Experience, and Technology] organizations,” The Verge reports on Jassy’s statement.

The memo mostly discusses Amazon’s much more relevant 2022 reductions. It explains that these role reductions don’t necessarily translate to layoffs, as Amazon will try to find another internal role for those who are impacted and offer severance packages to those who won’t be able to stay on.

“As has been the case this week, we will prioritize communicating directly with impacted employees before making broad public or internal announcements.” – Jassy

According to the New York Times, Amazon plans to lay off around 10,000 employees, and the company appears to be extending into 2023 before they’ll hit that number.

Will Google Cut Jobs in 2023?

Analysts think Google’s parent company Alphabet will roll out the chopping block as well in the new year. Or, more precisely, they think that Google can’t not cut jobs.

Bernstein analyst Mark Shmulik recently sent a client note saying as much. Shmulik’s summary:

“Google is likely going to find it difficult to reduce head count growth below revenue growth without more drastic actions.”

That head count growth adds up to 12,000 new employees in just the third quarter of this year. Sure, Google’s a massive company, but this growth makes it 24% more massive than the same time last year. Revenues only grew 6% across the same time period, so it’s no wonder that Shmulik isn’t the only one calling for big layoffs: A big Alphabet investor, TCI Fund Management, wants them as well.

So far Google has simply said it will slow its hiring growth but hasn’t announced job cuts in this year or the next.

The Tech Slowdown Is Industry-Wide

Facebook owner Meta announced this month that they’re cutting 10% of its company workforce, which is around 11,000 positions. Companies including Salesforce, Zendesk, and RingCentral all cut hundreds of staffers this month, too. And you may have heard something about the 1,000s of workers cut loose from Twitter in recent weeks.

In many cases, the reasons cited are a looming recession, although reducing the strength of labor amid rising interest in unions may also factor in. Whatever the case, the tech industry is tightening its belt, and it’ll keep getting a little tighter in the next year, too.

Not all the news out of a Twitter has to be chaotic, as the social media platform is reportedly looking to launch end-to-end encryption for direct messages.

Let’s be honest, Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has been a bit of a mess. From the fired employees that were asked to come back to the blue check mark fiasco that cost some businesses billions of dollars, there’s been no short supply of headlines to follow the controversial CEO and his new social media platform.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Musk is reportedly planning to add one of the platform’s most sought-after features to Twitter at some point in the future.

Wong shared the discovery on Twitter, naturally, and wouldn’t you know it, Elon Musk responded with a winky face emoji, all but confirming that end-to-end encryption is indeed on the way. At least, that’s the plan.

😉

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2022

Twitter has tried to roll out end-to-end encryption for direct messages in the past, although the feature — dubbed Secret Conversations at the time — was eventually scrapped.

There’s no timeline for when this feature might come out, nor any mention from Musk about end-to-end encryption beyond the cryptic emoji, but it’s safe to say there’s at least a chance users will have more secure messaging on Twitter in the future. But do you need it?

Is End-to-End Encryption Important?

In so many words, yes, end-to-end encryption is important. It allows only the users to see the messages in question, essentially blocking any third party, even the platform on which the messaging occurs, from viewing them. As far as businesses are concerned, this level of security is always recommended when it comes to even the most basic kinds of communication between coworkers.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other platforms that offer this level of security, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams. These tools are designed for communication between coworkers, which means that that end-to-end encryption is key to secure company data. Even WhatsApp added end-to-end encryption last year, leading the way for a more secure messaging standard across the social spectrum.

Admittedly, adding Twitter to the pile won’t be as necessary for businesses, but it will allow for a generally more secure experience for users. And considering Elon Musk has been concerning tweeters by firing security professional on the team, it’s safe to say adding end-to-end encryption to direct messages on the platform will assuage a lot of users.

Icebreakers are coming to remote workers, as Microsoft Teams has launched a new feature that will add a little fun to your day called “Games for Work.”

Gaming has become increasingly popular, particularly since the start of the pandemic. This progressive albeit unique approach to connecting remote employees with their coworkers by Microsoft Teams could bridge the company culture gap that so many managers have been concerned about since the hybrid work model became so common.

Sure, there are only four games, but Microsoft Teams gets updates so frequently, we wouldn’t be surprised if more games showed up along the way.

Microsoft Teams Adds Games for Work App

Announced in a company blog post, Microsoft Teams will be adding a new app to the collaboration platform called “Games for Work.” The app will allow up to 250 participants to join one of four games within the actual platform, bringing some fun to the workday.

“Over 3 billion people around the world play games, serving a crucial role in bringing people together – especially during these last few years. Games promote creativity, collaboration and communication in powerful and unique ways, and we can’t wait to see the how the Games for Work app on Microsoft Teams inspires productivity and helps foster connections in the workplace.” – Jill Braff, General Manager of Integrations and Casual Games at Microsoft.

Which games will be available in Microsoft Teams? They’ve definitely got classics that you’ll recognize and hopefully love, including Solitaire and Minesweeper, as well as an IceBreaker game and Wordament, a word challenge game that’s sure to stretch your team’s imagination.

Given Microsoft’s success in the gaming industry with the Xbox, it’s safe to say the company is well equipped to provide a comprehensive gaming experience through the Teams platform. But do employees really need to be having fun at work?

The Importance of Play at Work

While lots of companies are laying off employees, it’s safe to say the majority of businesses want to retain top talent, and the best way to do that is to keep your employees happy. While company culture remains difficult to establish in a hybrid work setting, you can’t discount the importance of having fun through your job.

In fact, according to the Association for Psychological Science, play at work can lead to “less fatigue, boredom, stress, and burnout in individual workers,” which alone is a good enough reason to make an effort when it comes to having a little fun.

“Studies show that when a participant receives a task that is presented playfully, they are more involved and spend more time on the task.”

Sure, playing a few rounds of Solitaire in between meetings isn’t going to entirely revamp your productivity numbers, but it could create a better sense of community within your team, and that’s always good for business.

After conducting a cost-cutting review last week, Amazon has already started laying off corporate workers — with HR, retail, and devices employees among the first to face the chopping block.

The ecommerce giant plans to axe around 3% of its workforce in total, equating to 10,000 workers, potentially marking the biggest round of sackings in the retailer’s 28-year history.

Staff affected have already taken to social media to share their news, and search for new tech opportunities. However, with mass layoffs trending, and Meta, Microsoft, and Twitter also making similar cuts, finding another job in big tech may prove to be no easy feat.

Amazon’s Layoffs Have Officially Begun

In a dark week for the tech industry, the world’s largest online retailer has begun cutting a considerable chunk of its US workforce. The layoffs, which kicked off just yesterday, could mark the beginning of a cull that could affect around 10,000 staffers, according to The Washington Post.

Amazon insiders claim that they were called into mandatory meetings on Tuesday, before being told that they had two months to find another job in the company. Workers who are unable to find work in this time frame will be offered severance packages, but it is unclear how comprehensive these packages will be.

Layoffs have already taken place in Amazon’s device divisions including its Alexa unit — the division which works on the company’s personal assistant, Luna — Amazon’s cloud gaming platform, and Lab126 — the operation behind Amazon’s Kindle device.

The dismissals, which also impacted HR and retail teams, took place in a number of North American locations including in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver.

Many employees, like Chase Franz, a former software developer in Amazon’s Alexa unit, have turned to LinkedIn to share their experiences. In his post, Franz writes “my team in the Alexa AI machine learning platform was impacted by the layoffs” before appealing for new job opportunities.

Other displaced workers, like Maddy Dean, claim their contract expired in September, even though they were on track to go full-time.

Big Tech’s Wave of Layoffs  is Surging

While the scale of these cuts is unprecedented for a company like Amazon, they reflect similar measures that are currently taking place within the industry.

Most notably, Meta let go of 11,000 workers last week, as the social media and virtual reality leader suffers from a decline in ad revenue and faces growing competition from apps like TikTok. Twitter also very publicly decided to axe 50% of its workforce earlier this month, leaving around 3,700 of its former employees high and dry in the wake of Musk’s takeover.

As tech stocks crash to record lows, companies are making cuts to salvage revenue where they can. Microsoft, Salesforce, and Peloton are some other examples of companies that have been forced to sacrifice employees to remain buoyant. But these really only scrape the surface, so read our up-to-date tech layoff summary to keep track of the latest redundancies taking place within the industry.

Could Amazon’s U-Turn Mark a Pending Recession?

While Amazon’s decision to sack 3% of its workforce may not seem out of step with current trends in the industry, some experts fear it’s a worrying indicator for the future of the economy.

Josh White, an assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University, believes the company’s recent marching orders could be indicative of an upcoming economic recession. Speaking to The Washington Post, White explains “they have technology” and are able to predict a “potential slowdown in consumer spending”, which could, in turn, signal a wider contraction in the economy.

“They have technology, and they have the ability to see trends or maybe a potential slowdown in consumer spending, and that starts pushing us into that potential recession.” – Josh White, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University

Whether Amazon’s current challenges and drop in consumer spending is evidence of a wider economic decline remains to be seen, but what we can say is that big tech’s boom days may just be behind us.

The platform, which boasts over seven million users, also revealed that just 2% of staff would recommend Twitter as a workplace to their friends and family following the mistreatment on staff during mass layoffs.

“1% of respondents believed that employees had been treated ‘with dignity and empathy during the layoffs,’ and 63% believed that ‘steps could have been taken’ to avoid mass firings, including business restructures or leadership decisions.” – Sunguk Moon, co-founder and CEO of Blind

Comparing employee reviews of Twitter from October to November, Blind reports a huge shift in employee perspective, citing ‘unreasonable working hours’ and the ‘lack of internal communications’ as being the main cause of complaint since the self-proclaimed “edgelord” took over Twitter.

October Twitter reviews focused on great benefits, good work-life balance, and an open culture. In November, the reviews highlighted poor compensation, a lack of internal communications, and unreasonable working hours.

This isn’t the first time Twitter employees have expressed their discontent. Just this week, Musk publicly went to war with (now) former engineer, Eric Fronhnhoefer on Twitter, who claimed that the reason employee’s didn’t trust the new management was because it didn’t trust its employees. The spat resulted in Frohnhoefer’s firing.

In contrast, the response to Meta’s mass layoffs were significantly more positive ,with 55% of people believing laid-off employees to have been treated with ‘dignity and empathy’ and 31% still willing to recommend the company as a place to work to their friends and family.

Can Twitter Survive With Musk as Leader?

Musk has always been a controversial figure, and the shake up of Twitter in the past few weeks proves that he has no intention of slowing down. Despite the mass Twitter exodus, Elon Musk continues to invoke more demands, putting further pressure on staff who no longer believe that the company can survive under his reign.

With the company haemorrhaging staff, and reportedly losing $4 million a day, even with the (paused) monetization of the blue tick and the supposed $13 million saved by cutting back on lunches, its fair to question whether the social media giant can survive.

Talks of Twitter bankruptcy have been dismissed as premature, however growing employee discontent could see Twitter losing more than the 7,500 staff it initially gambled for, especially given the change in its work from home policy. Still, whether Musk can turn things around for the company remains to be seen. Employee opinion, however, suggests otherwise.