More Microsoft job cuts could hit non-coding staff and middle managers

[midian182]

In brief: Microsoft is considering making more job cuts this year, adding to the performance-based layoffs and other terminations it has implemented in 2025 so far. The latest round could come as soon as May and will reportedly target managers and non-coding staff.

Some Microsoft organizations are looking to increase their span of control, defined as the number of direct reports or subordinates a manager or supervisor oversees. It also wants to increase the number of coders compared to non-coders on projects.

According to anonymous people familiar with the matter who spoke to Business Insider, Microsoft has yet to decide how many jobs will be cut, though one person said it could be a significant portion of their team.

Other companies such as Amazon and Google are also reducing the number of managers and executives in their drive for efficiency.

Microsoft wants to decrease the ratio of product/program managers (PMs) to engineers. Microsoft security boss Charlie Bell's division has a ratio of around 5.5 engineers to one PM, but he wants that to reach 10:1.

News that Microsoft is targeting non-coders in these cuts is in contrast to the many stories about generative AI replacing the need for programmers. Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott made the startling prediction last week that 95% of all code will be generated by AI by 2030. He added that humans would still be involved in the process, though it's easy to imagine that there will be fewer of them.

At the start of the year, Microsoft confirmed it was implementing performance-based layoffs, though it said those let go would be replaced with new hires. Microsoft rates employees on a scale of 0 to 200 and bases their stock awards and bonuses on this rating. Anyone in the 60 to 80 range – 100 is average – is rated as a low performer.

Soon after those performance cuts were revealed, the company said it was making more job cuts across its business, impacting employees in the gaming, experience & devices, sales, and security divisions.

In other Microsoft news, the company this week terminated the employment of two engineers who protested against its AI-related contracts with the Israeli government.

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More Microsoft job cuts could hit non-coding staff and middle managers

 

[maxxcool7421]

Gee.. they announce this right after saying all current employees no longer get severance packages.. what a coincidence.

guess they really only want to hire the worst support staff possible

 

[Thatsdisgusting]

Is it cyberpunk already - or not, yet?

 

[NumberNine]

That's brutal. People who value money over ethics... That's the Microsoft way.

Disclaimer: No managers were harmed during the production of this comment.

 

[toooooot]

That is why they are so excited to allow more visa holders in, they will pay for less, won't ask for bonuses, won't have the same rights as Americans. Twitter was really angry when Musk praised work visas, I do not think he even understood why.
They give the jobs to the foreigners, then they compete with small local businesses that much more likely to hire Americans.
Our corporations more and more are becoming the new villains of our age. Final hit in the coffin is that they are more than happy to finance parasitic ideology that breaks society from within, cutting the very delicate ties and connections that make us a nation. No surprise that those ideology spreaders love their corporations so much. One parasite feed another.