More Microsoft Layoffs As Vendor Starts 2024 Fiscal Year
The layoffs appeared to hit solutions associates, direct sales associates, program managers and success managers.
Microsoft has begun another round of job cuts less than two weeks after the end of its 2023 fiscal year and just before its annual Inspire partner-focused conference.
This week’s layoffs were in addition to the 10,000 layoffs the Redmond, Wash.-based vendor previously said it would cut, an announcement made in January. Microsoft’s fiscal year ended June 30.
The job cuts hit an unknown number of employees in customer service, support and sales.
“Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business,” a Microsoft spokesperson e-mailed to CRN. “We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners.”
News of the layoffs was first reported by GeekWire.
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Microsoft Layoffs July 2023
The layoffs come as multiple technology vendors slash headcount amid concerns for an economic recession in the United States, high inflation and tempered demand by business for technology spending since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent layoff announcements have come from ClickUp, New Relic, Anaplan and HashiCorp.
A review of LinkedIn posts by Microsoft workers who said they were caught up in the layoffs reveals that some of the eliminated jobs include solutions associates, direct sales associates, program managers and success managers.
“How quickly things can change,” one Microsoft employee in digital cloud acquisition for modern work wrote on LinkedIn. “After 3 Short years I was impacted by layoffs at Microsoft Today, alongside many of my talented coworkers. This was honestly a major shock, and I was excited to continue growing with the company. On the bright side, I’m excited about the prospect of taking my skills and expertise to a new company, and hopefully finding another incredible team to work with.”
Another Microsoft employee who worked as an enterprise solutions associate for Surface commercial sales and the Surface acquisition team wrote on LinkedIn: “I am sad to announce that I have received news that my position at Microsoft was impacted during layoffs.”
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have worn many hats over the duration of my 8 year run,” the employee said. “I am blessed to have worked alongside such amazing talent and the amount of knowledge gained is astounding. With that being said, I am looking forward to my new journey career wise and I am excited to see what the world has in store for me. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any offers or recommendations. They will be greatly appreciated !!”
Other LinkedIn users who posted about Microsoft laying them off include:
*A senior direct sales and support professional with the company for more than four years
*A sales and success associate with Microsoft six years on and off
*A senior enterprise solutions associate for Surface commercial sales and enterprise with the company for more than a year
*A senior program manager with the company for about a year
*An education solutions associate with Microsoft for more than nine years
*A customer success manager with Microsoft for more than 10 years
*A senior program manager with Microsoft for about a year
*A digital direct sales associate with Microsoft for about six years
*A commercial sales professional with Microsoft for about six years
*A senior direct sales associate for education with Microsoft for more than seven years on and off
*A senior customer success manager with Microsoft for about eight years
Microsoft is about a week away from its annual Inspire partner conference, held virtually July 18 to 19.
And Microsoft is expected to reveal earnings later this month for its 2023 fiscal year and the fourth fiscal quarter. The vendor has not yet announced a date for earnings.
The opportunity for Microsoft and its partners in generative artificial intelligence – a technology that has received much investment from the vendor this year – is expected to come up at both events.