New Delhi: After spending more than two decades at Microsoft, 62-year-old Joe Friend found himself facing an unexpected twist in his career — a layoff in May that upended his retirement plans. Nearly six months later, Joe is still figuring out his next move. One thing he’s certain about, though, is that his journey in Big Tech has come to an end, according to a Business Insider report.
Earlier this year, Joe Friend — who worked as a director of product management leading a team of nine — started hearing whispers about a possible restructuring that might affect mid-level managers. Still, he never imagined that his own role would be among those on the chopping block.
When the layoffs hit in May, Joe Friend and 14 others from his team — including four managers — lost their jobs. “I wasn’t entirely surprised by the layoffs. I was surprised to get caught up in them,” said Friend, who lives in Washington.
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Joe Friend is among thousands of Microsoft employees affected by job cuts over the past year. After slashing around 6,000 positions in May, Microsoft went on to eliminate another 9,000 jobs in July. A company spokesperson told Business Insider that the goal was to reduce management layers and improve efficiency.
It’s not just Microsoft — Google, Intel, and Amazon have also begun trimming managerial roles. While overall layoffs remain lower than previous years, the impact on tech workers has been noticeable. Many are struggling to find new roles amid a slowdown in white-collar hiring, the report added.
After the layoff, Joe Friend continued to receive paychecks until mid-July, along with what he described as a “very comfortable” severance package, nearly equal to his annual salary. “It feels like a betrayal, and it impacts me financially, but it’s not going to hurt,” he said.
Rather than rushing to find a new job, Friend met with a financial advisor to explore early retirement options. Although he looked into several job opportunities, none worked out. Today, he considers himself “semi-retired” and spends his time mentoring a young entrepreneur. “It’s not about making money,” he said. “It’s about supporting somebody who wants to transform their life.”
While he and his wife are financially stable, Friend admits he’s not entirely ready to leave the workforce. Reflecting on his career, he shared that he once believed hard work guaranteed reward and job security at Microsoft — a belief he no longer holds true.
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