Any excitement among Twitter employees about the appointment of Jack Dorsey as the company’s permanent CEO looks set to quickly dissipate this weekend following reports of imminent layoffs.
News of the apparent company-wide job cuts came on Friday via the usually reliable Re/code site. Citing “multiple sources,” it said the cull will affect “most, if not all, departments,” with the engineering unit likely to be hardest hit in a bid to make it “leaner and more efficient.” It’s not clear how many jobs are set to go.
Engineers currently make up around half of Twitter’s 4,100-strong workforce. Located in some 35 offices around the world, the Twitter team has more than doubled in the last two years while the company has struggled with slow user growth. However, with concern among investors rising, the move to streamline its operation should be seen as a positive step toward cutting costs and boosting profits.
The first indication that Twitter was making moves to regroup came earlier this week when it emerged that the company had ditched plans to take on more office space located a short walk from its headquarters in San Francisco.
Moving forward, Dorsey, who co-founded the platform with three others in 2006, is looking to simplify the Twitter experience in an effort to encourage new users to join, while at the same time rolling out more products and features for the service.
The first to appear under his leadership was Moments, launched initially for U.S.-based Twitter users on Tuesday. The new feature offers users a way to easily follow tweets linked to specific unfolding events.
The expected restructuring would be Jack Dorsey’s first major move since being installed as the company’s permanent CEO on October 5 following several months as its interim chief.
