LinkedIn that helps people find jobs is now laying off over 700 employees

VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned platform focused on helping others find jobs, will cut 716 jobs as demand wavers.

The latest round of layoffs will reportedly affect the sales, operations and support teams as the company is streamlining its operations to mitigate excess costs.

Voice Air Media reports that LinkedIn announced the first round of layoffs in February which mainly affected the recruiting team.

The Microsoft-owned jobs platform has roughly 20,000 employees.

Notably, the company decided to lay off workers despite increasing revenue for the last two quarters.

In a letter to employees obtained by global news agency Reuters, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said the move to cut roles was aimed at streamlining the company’s operations and removing layers to help make quicker decisions. The letter also highlights that the company would create new jobs, and affected workers are free to apply.

Roslansky writes, “With the market and customer demand fluctuating more, and to serve emerging and growth markets more effectively, we are expanding the use of vendors.”

While the opportunity to apply for the new role may motivate some workers, LinkedIn could also receive flak for laying them off in the first place. Back in February, the company received heat from some employees for the abrupt layoffs. An impacted employee, Melanie Quandt, said that the company offered her “small benefits and severance” that made her feel awful. In a post on LinkedIn, she wrote that it would take a lot of effort to “trust an employer again.”

The Reuters report notes LinkedIn would shut down the China-focused app called InCareers. LinkedIn has also updated its page and confirmed that the app would function till August 9, 2023.

The website reads, “Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service.”

The Microsoft-owned company states that it would continue to have a presence in China to focus on “assisting companies” amid the challenging economic conditions.

LinkedIn advises users to download “InCareer account data” before the deadline. LinkedIn introduced InCareer in December 2021 to help Chinese mainland professionals find jobs and companies discover great talent in China. It was available for free on iOS and Android.

Not only LinkedIn but other Microsoft verticals and businesses are also affected by this overhaul. The software giant has shut down some divisions, such as the VR/AR division HoloLens. Other popular verticals like Xbos also laid off workers as a part of the broader restructuring plans.