Recruiting and job search platform Indeed is laying off 92 employees from its Seattle office as part of broader cutbacks impacting 1,300 workers globally at both Indeed and its sister company Glassdoor.
The Washington State Employment Security Department today issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) regarding the layoffs, which include remote employees. The workers are scheduled to be let go on Sept. 9.
Japanese parent company Recruit Holdings Co. plans to integrate Glassdoor into Indeed’s operations while preserving Glassdoor’s brand and platform. The move will see Glassdoor CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong step down from the job review and salary information site.
Recruit Holdings and Indeed CEO Hisayuki “Deko” Idekoba referenced the impact of AI in a message to employees about the cuts.
“AI is changing the world, and we must adapt by ensuring our product delivers truly great experiences for job seekers and employers,” Idekoba wrote. “Delivering on this ambition requires us to move faster, try new things, and fix what’s broken. To achieve our company priorities it requires creating a structure and culture to support them.”
Indeed, based in Austin, was acquired by Recruit Holdings in 2012.
The company opened a Seattle office in 2011. By 2018, Indeed ranked among the fastest growing tech companies in the Seattle region, swelling from 80 workers in 2016 to more than 400 within two years. That year the company made headlines for grabbing the top 10 floors of 2+U, a 38-story downtown tower still under construction at the time.
Data compiled by LinkedIn indicates that Indeed had about 370 Seattle-area employees prior to the cutbacks.
A Recruit Holdings representative confirmed the layoffs via email. The reductions will primarily affect U.S. roles in R&D, human resources and sustainability.
Indeed’s Seattle office historically focused on product management, marketing and engineering.
The company has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years.
Editor’s note: Story updated to clarify that Glassdoor’s brand and platform will remain intact.
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