In December 2024, Workday's CEO Carl Eschenbach and his leadership team decided to restructure for AI investment, resulting in 1,750 layoffs—8.5% of the workforce. This decision marked the largest layoffs in the company's history and was made with deep consideration for employee welfare. Before finalizing the plan, Eschenbach sought approval from co-founder Dave Duffield, who supported the decision, stressing the importance of caring for departing employees. This situation reflects broader trends in tech, where companies like Salesforce and Microsoft are making similar workforce reductions amid shifting market conditions.
Even though the plan was finalized, Eschenbach says he was "not at peace" because he had not had a chance to share his thinking in person with Dave Duffield.
Dave said, 'Carl, I support you. We brought you in to scale the company and we're supporting you 100% in this very difficult decision,'...
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