Indeed, Glassdoor to face AI-inspired job cuts

The HR technology arm of global firm Recruit Holdings has announced that 1,300 roles – around 6 per cent of the segment’s total workforce – will be cut.

In a statement issued late last week, the human resources technology segment of Recruit Holdings Co, which is based in Japan and operates both Indeed and Glassdoor, announced a reduction of approximately 1,300 employees, accounting for around 6 per cent of that segment’s total headcount (as of April).

Recruit Holdings acquired Indeed (which has 610 million jobseeker profiles) in 2012, and later acquired Glassdoor (featuring 235 million reviews, salaries, and insights) in 2018.

“The financial impacts of the workforce reduction has already been largely incorporated into the outlook for the [company’s] HR technology segment on a US dollar-basis, which is an important component of the company’s consolidated financial guidance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 disclosed on May 9, 2025,” the company noted in the statement.

“Accordingly, the company has determined that its FY2025 Consolidated Financial Guidance remains unchanged at this time.”

In an email to all employees, viewed by HR Leader, Indeed’s chief executive, Hisayuki Idekoba, said: “AI is changing the world, and we must adapt by ensuring our product delivers truly great experiences for jobseekers and employers. Delivering on this ambition requires us to move faster, try new things, and fix what’s broken.”

The job cuts, Idekoba outlined, are mostly US-based, and within the company’s R&D, GRO, and sustainability teams, “but span all functions and several countries”.

When asked about the total number of Australia-based roles set to be impacted, a spokesperson for Recruit Holdings noted that the company is not disclosing the breakdown of job cuts by location.

The news follows multiple instances of redundancies at large companies or organisations operating in Australia, including Telstra’s cutting of 550 jobs earlier this month (which it stressed was “not a result of our adoption of AI”, despite earlier reports), while Microsoft recently slashed roles for Australia-based workers as it moves to invest more heavily in AI, as reported at the start of this month.

It also follows the undertaking of redundancies at energy giant Origin for offshoring reasons last month, planned redundancies at Macquarie University on the back of cuts to certain courses in June, job cuts in the Australian arm of global law firm Dentons following the loss of a major client in May, and the cutting of nearly 800 jobs in the past year at CBA despite “swollen” profits, as reported in the same month.

“We will integrate Glassdoor operations into Indeed, working toward a simpler hiring experience for jobseekers and employers,” Idekoba continued, noting that Glassdoor chief executive Christian Sutherland-Wong and Indeed chief people and sustainability officer LaFawn Davis have both decided to leave the company.

Idekoba’s email concluded: “Next week, your team’s leaders will meet with you to discuss what’s next, our updated organisational structure, and how we will build an even stronger culture. For those who will be departing, thank you for all you have brought to Indeed and for the support you have given to jobseekers and employers around the world.”