I would move forward. But i would be really skeptical and ask a lot of questions. It’s super confusing to see their job postings when they are ACTIVELY letting ppl go
Exactly my thoughts: I would dig into why these layoffs are happening, are more coming in the future, was this in sales or other departments, how do I know you're not overhiring now for churn/burn, etc.
Holding the feet to the fire, just like you'd expect going the other way.
No. Always ask questions, make sure they GOOD questions that when you know the answer they will help you make a decision. But never NOT ask questions. You need to feel really confident in what you are getting yourself into.
TY! An assumption is they recreated roles, where multiple solutions(if not all) are sold under one role... I remember with salesforce their solutions seemed to be sold by separate departments, but this does help a lot! I feared ruining chances by asking to transparent questions, but a simple how new is this role, might give me the insight im looking for haha TY
They hired like crazy thinking the demand would continue across multiple products and there simply are too many mouths to feed, to be honest it sounds like the layoffs are a nicer way of firing many underperforming reps in the organization. Benioff said that many salespeople were underperforming. So they are likely looking to cut "dead weight" and are able to bring other reps on. Don't forget the announced layoffs bumped the stock price and this move is likely to appease shareholders, bump the stock, while other software companies may look more risky SFDC has the ability to say "we are immune to the economy"... Bunch of asshats if you ask me though.
I think it comes down to the strategy Salesforce has been using to grow. They have been using M&A to grow their balance sheet. Making massive purchases like Mulesoft and Slack have left them over extended when interest rates increased. They are likely letting go of a lot of redundant workers and under performers. I would still be cautious and ask a lot of questions, but there will always be gaps that need to be filled in companies that large.
I would move forward with the interview but understand the risk associated with them at this current time.
Have a list of questions or items you want discussed during the interview and make sure they cover them with you. The interview is just as much a time for them to understand you and like you as much as it is you interviewing them and their business.
I’m at SFDC. Curious what role you are interviewing for? The last several months have definitely been tense, and they still are. I think most sales folks will be holding their breath through much of February.
In the wake of recent departures of a lot of the cloud CEO’s (Slack, Tableau, Bret Taylor,) and activist investors coming in, I would be VERY hesitant to hitch my wagon to any departments other than the core products. I don’t think anyone is “safe” at SFDC necessarily, but my gut tells me that core reps are SAFER than co-prime cloud reps.
I also really doubt that they are interviewing for redundant positions given all the press recently. My guess is that anyone being considered is being considered in SAFER parts of the business that are less likely to be impacted by cuts.
Just my opinion though. I’d be lying if I told you you’d be joining the company at the peak of its morale. The last year has almost certainly been the most turbulent in the company’s history.
They're opening question was "we'd love to chat with you about an opportunity, if you are open to it" haha they probably are getting push back? another good question to ask !
May be company restructuring and better than people having to unlearn something hiring a new talent makes sense ? I don’t know but I will take it positively and move forward. Of course I’ll be skeptical but I will think about that after the offer.
Know what you mean but we all know that replacement cost of sales talent (especially at the top firms) is in excess of multi-6 figures. SF would know this too
because these layoffs are just a way to move FTE budget around while still jerking off off the shareholders and wall street. It's a three card monte - don't bother looking for the card. Just take the job with salesforce and start dealing!
I would perhaps not move forward at this point. There are rumours that there's another round of layoff coming along and mostly for sales folks. So I wouldn't walk into those waters just yet.
would be weary about Tabelau or Slack / companies brought in from an acquisition are typically the ones that have their roles labeled as "redundant" at the top brass.
I never pay attention to what the company is offering, my focus is on what the job entails and I name my price if I’m able to fulfill the role. All major companies are laying off for the new year but they’re still growing in other areas. Salesforce remains a financially sound and innovative company.
What the? I'd ask if any of the(allegedly)thousands of staff let go this month could've been considered for the role.
No. Don't ask that question but be aware that this is a companies culture on display. It's the elephant in the room and worth getting their perspective on the redudancies.
It's also not wild to hear of companies interviewing the right candidates even when they have no positions available to build a bench of people already vetted for when positions/budgets come back. I've seen it done internally at my own org before.
They are right sizing and setting up for the future. Some people needed to be cut, and it could just be that they were in a bad region, or covered a difficult vertical. It could be performance. But these companies need to grow every year, and it makes sense to reload from time to time.
My initial question around the layoffs would be along the lines of:
"I'm sure Salesforce wants to bring in the best of the best. As I've been researching and educating myself for this role, I'd love to understand how the recent layoffs within Salesforce may impact this position. Can you speak into that?"
Frankly, they probably won't have a good answer, but I'd be looking for something that's at least articulated well and backed up by some sort of direction and not a cookie cutter answer.
If this is an open sales role… just know that the territory your walking into someone was is or is going to get fired from. You always start with a shit territory at Sfdc and work your way up. Might be a helluva a lot tougher to work your way to better accounts in this tough seller market. Budgets are getting tight out there.
Your skepticism is on point though. I'd say docus on getting the offer first. And maybe, you can negotiate for a severance too?