News Intel Could Be Preparing For Massive Layoffs as Demand for PCs Plunge

[Admin]

Intel is apparently set to reduce headcount by thousands to cope with plummeting PC sales.

Intel Could Be Preparing For Massive Layoffs as Demand for PCs Plunge : Read more

 

[InvalidError]

I hope the layoffs focus on the marketing department - too much money being wasted in over-hyping stuff instead of making sure stuff actually works before hyping it.

 

[cyrusfox]

I hope the layoffs focus on the marketing department

Marketing sells, market is in a down cycle and marketing is critical to move silicon out of warehouses . Doesn't seem like the right choice.

Jim Keller talked a bit about this (Apple's refocusing and AMD cuts) in his long form chat with Jordan Peterson. Still trying to digest what he said about anytime he had to fire someone he he never did it fast enough.

Regardless sad time for those impacted if true, hoping for a brighter future where they are more appreciated and compensated.

 

[wbfox]

Could have told you this was coming. Same thing that always happens:
Step 1 Tax revenue shakedown.
Step 2 Fire the people you just stole from.
Step 3 Repeat.

 

[bit_user]

Marketing sells, market is in a down cycle and marketing is critical to move silicon out of warehouses . Doesn't seem like the right choice.

It's a balance, but the focus needs to be on RoI. Basically, every $1 spent on marketing needs to bring in at least $1 in profit. That's true when times are lean, at least.

When you're in a position of greater strength, then perhaps you can focus more on long-term ,strategic goals with a longer payoff (e.g. "building the brand", etc.).

Jim Keller talked a bit about this (Apple's refocusing and AMD cuts) in his long form chat with Jordan Peterson. Still trying to digest what he said about anytime he had to fire someone he he never did it fast enough.

Didn't watch, but I can see the point about making cuts quickly. It's brutal, but if it makes economic sense, then the sooner you swing the axe the more losses you can stop.

As for firing individuals, it depends. Sometimes, people can adjust and adapt with appropriate guidance. I'm a fan of diagnosing the problem and making fine adjustments, rather than shooting first and asking questions later. However, if someone is way out of line, you sometimes can't afford to wait and let them do more damage. That's not necessarily inconsistent with the statement you quoted (i.e. maybe Jim only fired people who really needed to go).

Regardless sad time for those impacted if true, hoping for a brighter future where they are more appreciated and compensated.

Yeah, though Intel is historically a fickle employer. For a long time, they had a policy of "up or out", where people who didn't get promotions got let go. That, or they'd cut 10% of their workforce pretty much annually, with the idea being to cut low-performers and thereby gradually end up with a top-tier workforce.

However, such practices have been shown to have serious downsides. They tend to create a paranoid, CYA (cover-your-ass) culture with poor teamwork, lots risk-averse decision-making, and short-term thinking. Short-termism indeed might have played a role in Intel's fab failures and their seemingly endless litany of security flaws.

I think another downside is that, in order to attract talent to such a company, they probably need to pay more than average.

 

[watzupken]

I hope the layoffs focus on the marketing department - too much money being wasted in over-hyping stuff instead of making sure stuff actually works before hyping it.

Sales team will take the brunt for sure. Marketing, less so because you need more aggressive marketing to get people interested to buy. That's assuming these 2 are separate teams. Sometimes marketing also refers to sales.