E-Paper
Microsoft layoffs: ‘My entire team was eliminated,’ says sacked Indian techie
An Indian techie, who had been with Microsoft for eight years, was fired along with his team in the latest round of Microsoft layoffs this week. Companies are resorting to various cost-cutting measures, including harsh measure of implementing mass layoffs.
Layoffs have made the job market volatile, with over 1.2 lakh employees fired only this year as nearly 480 tech companies implemented cost-cutting measures. Indians living in foreign countries on work visas are particularly hard hit; H1B visa holders must find work within 60 days of termination or leave the country. In a rush to find new work, fired employees are searching job portals. One such professional, Vandan Kaushik, who worked at Microsoft as a senior product manager before being laid off, shared his experience on LinkedIn while looking for newer possibilities.
ALSO READ: Meta gearing up for more layoffs, likely to match last year's tally: Report
Kaushik, who had been with Microsoft for eight years, was fired along with his team in the latest round of layoffs by Microsoft this week. "Like many of my colleagues, me and my team had a tough start to the week. My entire team was eliminated as part of Microsoft's layoffs this week. Although I had prepared for the possibility, hearing the news was still difficult," Kaushik recounted in a LinkedIn post.
The Indian techie worked on multiple positions at Microsoft, which included launching new ad types on Bing!, supporting international customers on Azure, and launching a new language for the company's customers in Indonesia. Kaushik writes that he has been working on diversifying Microsoft’s supply chain, reducing the onboarding cost, and increasing efficiency.
ALSO READ: Laid off by Meta, HR staffer lands new job in 3 months. She explains how
Recalling the moment when he got the news of being laid off, he tells how the immediate leadership did not rush to complete the transition but checked on each other and ensured that everyone was fine. “It was heartening to see that even those who were not directly affected showered us with respect, empathy, and support. In my two decades of working, I have rarely seen such a positive and supportive attitude from colleagues and the leadership team. And for this I’m truly grateful and thankful !”
Kaushik is seeking help from LinkedIn network to get another employment opportunities. “I am excited to see where this new turn in my journey will take me,” his post adds.
The tech industry has been experiencing a financial downturn since the demand boom associated with the Covid pandemic has subsided. Companies are resorting to various cost-cutting measures like divesting from aligned business to focusing on core, launching paid subscription plan and also including harsh measure of implementing mass layoffs.
