Recruit Holdings Cuts 1,300 Jobs at Indeed, Glassdoor in AI Shift

Indeed and Glassdoor are laying off approximately 1,300 employees, primarily in the U.S., as their parent company, Japan's Recruit Holdings, restructures to focus on artificial intelligence-driven hiring solutions. The layoffs, affecting about 6% of the combined workforce, mainly target research and development, people operations, and sustainability teams, with some leadership changes including Glassdoor CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong stepping down. Recruit Holdings CEO Hisayuki "Deko" Idekoba emphasized that AI is transforming the hiring landscape and the company must adapt by simplifying and personalizing the job search and recruitment experience. Glassdoor's operations will be integrated into Indeed to streamline hiring for job seekers and employers. This move reflects a broader industry trend where AI adoption is prompting workforce reductions, with executives like Ford's CEO warning of significant job displacement in white-collar sectors. Idekoba highlighted that AI already writes a substantial portion of the company's programming code, expecting it to increase further as part of their strategic shift.