15 votes

SpaceX to lay off over 10% of its workforce

8 comments

  1. [7]
    Deimos
    (edited )
    Link
    According to some comments from employees, the company had an all-hands meeting where everyone was sent home and told to check their email over the weekend to find out if they're being laid off or...

    According to some comments from employees, the company had an all-hands meeting where everyone was sent home and told to check their email over the weekend to find out if they're being laid off or not.

    10 votes
    1. [5]
      Algernon_Asimov
      Link Parent
      That's a bit cruel. They could at least have the decency to do it face-to-face.

      That's a bit cruel.

      They could at least have the decency to do it face-to-face.

      9 votes
      1. [4]
        unknown user
        Link Parent
        Welcome to the business and ethical practices of Elon Musk. He cares about the missions he’s committed himself to, to the point where employee well being and happiness is secondary.

        Welcome to the business and ethical practices of Elon Musk. He cares about the missions he’s committed himself to, to the point where employee well being and happiness is secondary.

        11 votes
        1. [3]
          Neverland
          Link Parent
          Yeah, I keep hearing that but look at the SpaceX Glassdoor rating.

          Yeah, I keep hearing that but look at the SpaceX Glassdoor rating.

          2 votes
          1. [2]
            clerical_terrors
            Link Parent
            Glassdoor is very easy to AstroTurf, it's not uncommon, especially for these kinds of 'younger' companies to invest some time and money into upping their scores or pressuring employees to leave...

            Glassdoor is very easy to AstroTurf, it's not uncommon, especially for these kinds of 'younger' companies to invest some time and money into upping their scores or pressuring employees to leave good reviews.

            Not saying the opposite of the reviews in question is true or that it proves SpaceX is a terrible company, but basing one's perception on it I feel is not really a solid underpinning for an argument.

            6 votes
            1. Cosmos
              (edited )
              Link Parent
              I am far from a Musk fanboy, but I know a friend of a friend who works for SpaceX in LA and I got to take a tour of it about a year ago. Everyone I met was pretty happy and excited about their...

              I am far from a Musk fanboy, but I know a friend of a friend who works for SpaceX in LA and I got to take a tour of it about a year ago. Everyone I met was pretty happy and excited about their job. And it is a pretty incredible facility. So I believe the high glassdoor rating.

              The thing is, the company is incredibly demanding. You have to devote your entire life to it. The only people willing to do that, are the ones absolutely in love with what they are doing.

              And the difference between SpaceX and demanding companies like Amazon is that SpaceX employees are putting up with the work by choice. Everyone there (even the laborers and technicians) are highly skilled and can work anywhere they want. They choose SpaceX because they feel the effort they put in is worth it. Amazon employees are doing it because they can't find any other option.

              8 votes
    2. Flargus
      Link Parent
      im sure that's not at all an indicator of how much they value their workers! surely an isolated incident and not belying a deeper more systemic problem!

      im sure that's not at all an indicator of how much they value their workers! surely an isolated incident and not belying a deeper more systemic problem!

      4 votes
  2. Neverland
    (edited )
    Link
    I thought this was pretty inevitable at this point. SpaceX now only needs 2 major areas of R&D and production teams, BFR and Starlink. They used to have a lot more buns in the oven it seems. Also,...

    I thought this was pretty inevitable at this point. SpaceX now only needs 2 major areas of R&D and production teams, BFR and Starlink. They used to have a lot more buns in the oven it seems. Also, I bet a lot of composite workers had to go with the decision to work with stainless. I would think that they hire a bunch soon in those new areas.

    Edit: https://www.spacex.com/careers/list - I’m on mobile, but that’s like 100-200 open positions, right?

    Update: I tried to count rows using excel on mobile and I got over 340 open positions, which is enough open positions that it should have been mentioned in the article.

    8 votes