Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Monday, August 3, 2026
Chime Cuts 10% of Staff, Citing AI Efficiency Gains
Consumer fintech company Chime announced July 31, 2026 that it is laying off approximately 150 employees — roughly 10 percent of its 1,500-person workforce. The San Francisco-based company cited artificial intelligence efficiency gains as the primary reason for the workforce reduction. Chime provides mobile banking services to consumers, including no-fee checking accounts, savings accounts, and related financial products. The company said AI-driven productivity improvements allowed it to operate effectively with a smaller headcount. The announcement makes Chime one of the more prominent consumer fintech firms to publicly attribute a significant workforce reduction to AI efficiency.
ServiceNow to Cut 1,000 Jobs in Planned Rightsizing
Enterprise software company ServiceNow announced on July 30, 2026 that it is cutting approximately 1,000 employees — about 3 percent of its global workforce — describing the action as a planned rightsizing. ServiceNow develops cloud-based workflow automation, IT service management, and enterprise platform software used by large corporations and government organizations worldwide. The reductions are expected to affect workers across the company’s global operations. ServiceNow’s workforce reduction is among the largest announced by any major enterprise software provider this summer, removing roughly one in thirty-three of the company’s total employees.
Sources: TrueUp Layoffs Tracker
Survey: 59% of Managers Use AI to Decide Who Gets Laid Off
A survey of 1,000 U.S. managers by ResumeTemplates.com found that 59 percent use artificial intelligence tools to help decide which employees to lay off, while 58 percent use AI to determine who to fire, HR Dive reported July 31, 2026. The survey found that 43 percent of managers allow AI to operate unsupervised in HR decisions at least occasionally, and 17 percent do so often or all the time. AI factors most commonly applied include performance scores (80 percent), attendance (57 percent), salary and cost data (42 percent), and tenure (32 percent). Thirty-eight percent of respondents had never received training on ethical AI use in HR.
Only 1 in 3 Workers Got Employer AI Training in the Past Six Months
Despite more than half of workers reporting they regularly use artificial intelligence tools on the job, only one in three participated in employer-provided AI training in the past six months, according to a Conference Board report covered by HR Dive on July 31, 2026. The survey of approximately 1,300 workers found that 55 percent use AI at work regularly. Employers’ training programs tend to focus on foundational skills such as AI literacy and basic prompt writing, while leaving more advanced competencies — including managing AI agents — largely untaught. Business leaders said effective AI workforce preparation requires dedicated time, hands-on practice, and consistent managerial support.
HR Leadership Moves: Kroger, Yum Brands, and Visier Announce New Chief People Officers
Several companies named new human resources leaders in July 2026, HR Dive reported July 31. Kroger appointed Emilee De Martino as executive vice president and chief people officer, succeeding retiring Tim Massa; De Martino previously served as senior vice president and chief people officer for McDonald’s international operated markets division. At Yum Brands, Nai De Leon — who joined the company in August 2025 from Bain Capital — was promoted to chief people and culture officer, succeeding Tracy Skeans, who is retiring in November. Visier named Pramukh Jeyathilak, formerly CEO and co-founder of AI human capital firm TalentLign and a veteran of Amazon, Microsoft, and Accenture, as chief people officer.
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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