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Downsizing in 2023: Transformation into an era of job stability

In a world increasingly dominated by technology, tech companies have faced financial challenges on a number of times.

Microsoft.

Everybody knows it, right?

It has again made the headlines due to its decision to downsize, adding a new wave of layoffs to the approximately 10,000 employees who were terminated earlier in the year.

While sales department layoffs are common when companies are looking to reduce their costs, it’s not the only department affected:

Hiring, marketing, and customer service functions also often bear the brunt when the revenue becomes uncertain.

A clear example of this trend was evidenced in Crunchbase, a business data platform.

After announcing its recent downsizing, it was possible to see in a spreadsheet the departments in which the startup considered that they could cut some expenses:

  • Sales
  • Customer service
  • Marketing
  • Hiring
  • Even Crunchbase News, a team that encouraged the dissemination of relevant news, was affected by this decision

It is worth mentioning that the situation is personal for some, such as those who participated in the construction of the team while working in the company and still retain shares of the company.

*We will call them “Martyrs”.

Despite this seemingly ingrained trend, the landscape of tech layoffs is showing signs of change.

A detailed analysis of Layoffs.fyi, a database that tracks downsizing in the tech sector, reveals an interesting trend in the making.

Since the peak of layoffs in January 2023, the number of tech workers affected by them has been steadily decreasing.

This suggests that companies are finding new approaches to maintaining financial stability while retaining the talent that drives innovation in the sector.

*Good thing someone cares, right?

As we move into this era of constant technological transformation, the future of tech layoffs looks uncertain.

Will companies be able to find a balance between the need to adjust expenses and talent preservation?

Will layoffs become a less frequent measure?

These questions will remain at the heart of the debate as companies seek to adapt to an ever-changing environment and strive to ensure a sustainable future for both their businesses and their employees.

Impact of layoffs in the technology sector during 2023

As we get through the year 2023, the tech sector has witnessed a significant trend when it comes to the number of workers laid off.

Analyzing the figures collected on Layoffs.fyi, it is clear that the beginning of the year was gloomy for many employees in the industry.

During the month of January, a staggering total of 89,554 workers were unemployed due to adjustments made by different companies.

However, the figures began to show signs of change in February, when the number of layoffs dropped noticeably to 40,011.

This decrease continued in March, with a total of 37,823 employees affected by the downsizes in that month.

The month of April brought with it a new decrease in layoffs, standing at 19,864 workers.

As we moved towards the end of the year, the downward curve continued, reaching 14,858 layoffs in May and falling further to 10,524 in June.

These figures reflect a positive change in the trend of technology layoffs throughout the year.

It seems that companies have been looking for other alternatives to keep their operations in the midst of economic difficulties.

*Minipoint for companies.

The steady decline in layoffs suggests that companies are adopting a more cautious and strategic approach to adjust their costs, rather than resorting to mass layoffs as a first option.

This outlook could be a sign that tech companies are adapting to an ever-changing environment, finding more sustainable ways to manage their human resources.

In addition, the reduction in layoffs may be a response to the growing awareness of the importance of talent and innovation in the development of the technology sector.

As we head into the second half of the year, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves.

Will the decrease in technological layoffs continue, or will there be unforeseen factors that can reverse this positive trend?

The future remains uncertain, but data suggests that the tech sector has learned its lessons from the past and is seeking a more stable and balanced future for its employees and their sustainable growth.

Conclusions: New management era. Reduction of layoffs in the technological field

The era of technological layoffs has undergone a significant transformation over the course of the year 2023.

Although the beginning of the year was characterized by a worrying number of dismissed workers, the figures have shown a constant decrease in the subsequent months.

This change in trend suggests that tech companies are rethinking their approach to reducing costs and managing their human resources.

Traditionally, layoffs in the tech sector have impacted departments such as sales, marketing, hiring, and customer support.

*Wow, always marketing, ALWAYS! KEEP IT UP, COMRADES!
**I’m marketing 🙁

However, this practice seems to be giving way to a mindset more focused on retaining talent and preserving innovation.

Companies may be recognizing the strategic value of having highly skilled and engaged employees in a highly competitive environment.

Layoffs.fyi’s analysis has provided valuable insights into the evolution of the employment situation in the technology sector.

The sustained decline in layoffs from January to June has been encouraging and has raised the question of whether companies are taking more balanced and responsible approaches to addressing economic challenges.

The new era of job stability in the technology sector represents not only a change in management practices, but also an opportunity for companies to redesign their vision for the future.

Prioritizing talent investment and fostering a business culture that values creativity and collaboration can be the key to maintaining a competitive edge in an ever-changing tech world.

However, the future remains uncertain, and it is possible that economic conditions and other unforeseen factors could alter this positive trend.

It is critical that companies continue to be agile and flexible in their approach to adapting to changing circumstances.

*Please, tech companies, don’t be so cold towards your employees.

El equipo de redacción de Pandora FMS está formado por un conjunto de escritores y profesionales de las TI con una cosa en común: su pasión por la monitorización de sistemas informáticos.

Pandora FMS’s editorial team is made up of a group of writers and IT professionals with one thing in common: their passion for computer system monitoring.

About Version 2
Version 2 is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About PandoraFMS
Pandora FMS is a flexible monitoring system, capable of monitoring devices, infrastructures, applications, services and business processes.
Of course, one of the things that Pandora FMS can control is the hard disks of your computers.

Keepit Recognized for Risk Management Innovation in 2023 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards Program

Prestigious International Awards Program Honors Outstanding Information Security Products and Companies 

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 5, 2023 – CyberSecurity Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global information security market, today announced that Keepit, the market leader in cloud data protection and management, has been selected as winner of the “Overall Risk Management Solution Provider of the Year” award in the 7th annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program. 

 

Keepit’s breakthrough cloud protection for Azure AD helps businesses back up and recover critical identity and application objects in the cloud that are not protected by Microsoft. Coverage of Azure AD cloud objects include: Users, Groups, Roles, App Registrations, Enterprise apps, BitLocker Recovery Keys, Sign-In Logs and more. 

 

Keepit keeps customer data in a separate, dedicated infrastructure, with the backed-up stored data fully isolated from the SaaS vendor’s cloud. Customer data is held in two separate physical data centers across six regions worldwide. 

 

 Utilizing the Keepit platform, it takes only moments to backup Azure AD and requires virtually no training or administration to operate. Recovery of data is fast, precise, and granular. Keepit provides the highest security standards as the platform is built on unique architecture which keeps data and metadata immutable and ensures compliance. In anticipation of future cyber resilience standards and requirements, Keepit is evolving into a comprehensive platform to support all SaaS application data types. 

 

“Azure AD is the brain to the Microsoft 365 body, but it also sees 50 million password attacks per day. Our protection helps users access and recover business-critical identity and access management objects when they need it,” said Frederik Schouboe, co-CEO and co-founder of Keepit. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition from CyberSecurity Breakthrough. We’re committed to providing fine-grained, incremental coverage that protects against any size incident with unmatched ease of use, minimizing downtime and serving as a solution that organizations rely on to protect their cloud-based data.” 

 

The mission of the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of information security categories, including Cloud Security, Threat Detection, Risk Management, Fraud Prevention, Mobile Security, Email Security and many more. This year’s program attracted thousands of nominations from over 20 different countries throughout the world.  

 

“Azure AD is the heart of an organization’s IT, serving as one place for managing user identities and permissions – making it a prime target for hackers,” said Steve Johansson, managing director, CyberSecurity Breakthrough. “Keepit addressing this head-on with a breakthrough solution that allows companies to close critical gaps in their cloud security strategy that they haven’t been able to close properly up until now. We extend our sincere congratulations to Keepit for bringing home the 2023 CyberSecurity Award for “Overall Risk Management Solution Provider of the Year!’” 

 

In addition to Azure AD, Keepit offers unrivaled backup and recovery for Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Power Platform, Azure DevOps, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Zendesk. 

About CyberSecurity Breakthrough

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in information security and cybersecurity technology companies, products and people. The CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards provide a platform for public recognition around the achievements of breakthrough information security companies and products in categories including Cloud Security, Threat Detection, Risk Management, Fraud Prevention, Mobile Security, Web and Email Security, UTM, Firewall and more. For more information visit CyberSecurityBreakthrough.com

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Version 2
Version 2 is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About Keepit
At Keepit, we believe in a digital future where all software is delivered as a service. Keepit’s mission is to protect data in the cloud Keepit is a software company specializing in Cloud-to-Cloud data backup and recovery. Deriving from +20 year experience in building best-in-class data protection and hosting services, Keepit is pioneering the way to secure and protect cloud data at scale.

Essential ingredients for a successful first round interview

With so many companies having wildly different recruitment processes, preparing for the first interview can be tricky. What to expect? What should you talk about? In this article, my aim is to help you prepare for your first interview with Nord Security.

Purpose of the first round interview 

The whole recruitment process at Nord Security is a two way street. It’s never just the company that selects a person. It’s also you, as a candidate, selecting us. Therefore, each recruitment process should aim for an equal exchange of information, and the first interview is where that begins.

The aim of this initial interview is for you to learn more about the company, our work processes, our goals, etc. Hopefully you will come out with a clearer understanding of the role, the team, the challenges, the opportunities, and everything else the position entails.

At the same time, the recruiter will want to get to know you, your professional experience, your expectations, and see if there’s a mutual match.

This exchange of information allows both sides to better evaluate a potential match, then make a conscious decision on proceeding to further steps or not.

Recruiters should:

It’s the recruiter’s responsibility to properly prepare for the first interview by reviewing your profile or CV. The recruiter should be aware of your professional experience to make the conversation effective and informative.

You should expect the recruiter to present the company for you as well as answer relevant questions. This ensures that you have “the big picture” of life at Nord Security. The recruiter can tell you more about our:

Expect the recruiter to provide you with additional information about the position. We can tell you more about the team’s responsibilities, what challenges or roadmaps they have, and where you would fit in. The recruiter can outline the team structure and how work is organized between them, what methodologies or technologies they’re using, and how tasks are prioritized. While we can’t give you a very in-depth view of the team, it should be sufficient enough to give you an idea of where you’re getting yourself into. Lastly, if the recruiter isn’t sure about something, we’ll make a note and obtain this information directly from the team.

You’re encouraged to ask questions. We want to make sure that you have sufficient information about the position and have a strong initial impression of what to expect if you do end up joining us (which I hope you do). 🙂

Candidates should:

In most cases, the recruiter will be interested to learn more about your current responsibilities and contributions. When introducing yourself, we highly encourage you to focus on 1-2 past workplaces. Development and technologies change quite a bit, so there’s no need to go through your whole career in detail. Focusing on the most recent or meaningful achievements makes it easier for us to understand your level of competence and knowledge.

Describing your previous workplace allows the recruiter to better understand what you’re actually focusing on these days, your level of ownership and contributions. Your current workplace experience showcases your most up-to-date skills, knowledge, and expertise and is the clearest indicator to us about your suitability for the role.

Another important aspect to remember is your personal contributions. Company achievements can be useful, but they are mostly interested in you specifically. Emphasizing your personal contributions provides a more comprehensive understanding of your abilities, soft skills, and impact. It helps you stand out as an individual candidate with unique skills and achievements.

Highlighting your individual contributions allows us to identify your impact on the team and how much it relates to the position at hand. Also, talking through your personal experiences gives an indication on your soft skills which are equally (if not more so) important. At Nord Security, we emphasize teamwork. Providing examples and talking about how you dealt with certain situations in a team context is invaluable for your recruiter.

Examples of concrete situations enhance your credibility, demonstrate your skills and problem-solving abilities, leave a lasting impression, support your claims with tangible results, facilitate storytelling and engagement, and promote clarity and understanding. Including examples throughout the interview can really increase your chances of standing out.

Information provided by recruiter & candidate

Tips for maximizing your interview impact

A few points to be mindful of before the interview.

Keep it brief: Being concise and to the point in your responses ensures that your message is clear and focused. Being concise allows for a balanced conversation where the interviewer can ask all the questions they have within the allotted time. It ensures that both parties have a fair chance to contribute and engage in a meaningful discussion.

Prioritize key points: Identify the most important aspects of your experience, skills, and qualifications that align with the role, and focus on those during the interview.

Technical issues: If you encounter issues like poor internet connection, background noise, or other factors that affect the interview quality, reach out to the interviewer and ask for the call to be rescheduled. We understand the importance of a smooth interview experience and will be accommodating in rescheduling the call.

Conclusion

In essence, the first interview with Nord Security is a holistic process where information exchange, effective communication, and alignment of values and skills converge. Approached with authenticity and readiness, this interview serves as the foundation for a potential partnership built on mutual understanding and shared goals.

You, as a candidate, should use this interview as an opportunity to gain insights into the company’s culture, objectives, and the role itself. By focusing on recent and relevant experiences, you can showcase your individual contributions and skills. Sharing specific examples of achievements, problem-solving abilities, and soft skills can create a lasting impression on recruiters.

Recruiters, on the other hand, are tasked with thorough preparation. They should be equipped to present the company comprehensively, address your queries, and provide detailed information about the role, team dynamics, challenges, and methodologies. Encouraging open dialogue and offering a platform for you to ask questions fosters transparency and helps you make informed decisions.

And remember, at the end of the day – it’s just a conversation.

Good luck!

About Version 2
Version 2 is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About NordLayer
NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses – from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

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