Google cuts jobs at cloud-computing group (wsj.com)

Article summary

Google is cutting jobs at its cloud-computing unit as part of a reorganization aimed at improving operations. A small number of employees have been notified that their roles have been eliminated, but the company is working with them to find new positions within the company. The exact number of roles being cut has not been specified. Google's cloud-computing business has become increasingly central to parent company Alphabet Inc.

Main themes

• Google's reorganization
• inefficiencies in large bureaucracies
• productivity and output
• job elimination and reassignment
• company culture and identity
• technological innovation and progress

What commenters say

• Some argue that adding more people to a project does not always increase output, and can even lead to inefficiencies.
• Others believe that companies often use the excuse of 'business reasons' to eliminate unwanted positions.
• It is suggested that in large bureaucracies, some roles may be unnecessary and only exist to justify the employee's existence.
• The idea that more people can complete a task faster is often debunked, citing the example that nine women cannot have a baby in one month.
• Some commenters have personal experience with Google's reorganization process, which involves finding new roles within the company.
• There is disagreement over whether having more people in a project always leads to more output, with some arguing that it can lead to increased throughput.
• Others point out that people in first-world countries may feel pressure to appear busy, even if they are not doing valuable work.
• The practice of giving employees time to find new roles within the company is seen as a common practice in some industries.