Does MSFT do layoffs after acquisitions?
Has Microsoft done any layoffs of employees of the companies it acquired? LinkedIn, Github, Skype, Nokia etc. were acquired by it. Were employees let go post-acquisition? #microsoft #github #linkedin #nokia #layoffs Yoe: 6 TC: 305
I was laid off from msft/Xbox after the nokia acquisition
As a general rule, mergers almost always involve layoffs. Whether they're called that and/or publicized is a different story.
That’s the whole point of business consolidation. The bet they are making is that they can generate more profit with the combined entity than the two independent entities. Most of the time layoffs are not immediate as both businesses still need to function. However, eventually they will need to show the street that the combination works to the benefit of the company and bottom line.
That was all to say that if your role is duplicative then eventually the pencil pushers will come knocking asking for reductions. Sometimes attrition is so high after an acquisition that layoffs might not be needed.
Cool. Has MSFT done any such reductions in redundancies in the past?
Is called “Nightmare before Christmas “
Please elaborate
They fire all people from the old company that don’t align with the Msft vision , whatever that happens to be
No layoffs at GitHub. The intent has always been to keep us fairly separate, to varying degrees of success. We’ve more than doubled headcount since the acquisition.
That’s fair. In acquisitions where the smaller company is profitable and unique, I suspect the goal is to get data/IP from the acquired company and push growth with a bigger purse.
No, 15k people still work at Nokia...
Yes but a lot has to do with how many redundant roles there are from the acquisition, the more different the business the fewer redundancies, means fewer layoffs. But any acquisition there should be assumption that there’s a likelihood for layoffs.
What you said is true, but it’s true in general. I am particularly interested in MSFT’s historical decisions.
This has been the historical pattern at Microsoft. So LinkedIn was fine but Nokia was hit hard because Microsoft had a phone business at the time (among other reasons but that was a part of it). There’s no blanket position we’ve taken. And it’s usually not immediately after acquisition
Always
Did it? Good for the people who got promoted. Was it immediate?