Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Bending Spoons Lays Off a “Large Part” of Airtable’s Workforce
Bending Spoons, the Italian tech conglomerate that announced in August it was acquiring Airtable for $1.28 billion, said Monday it is laying off a “large part” of the software company as it reshapes the business around smaller teams and AI features. Federico Simionato, Bending Spoons’ product leader, said in an X post that the cuts were not a reflection of employees’ work but of the company’s “deep belief that small teams ship more and better.” A spokesperson said the company was not able to share the number of people affected. Airtable product lead Alessandro Savarese said departing employees will leave by the end of the week with “substantial separation packages.”
Sources: Business Insider (via Yahoo Finance)
Workday’s Returning CEO Aneel Bhusri Is Due a $138.8 Million Pay Package
Workday’s Aneel Bhusri handed the reins to co-chief Carl Eschenbach in January 2024 after 15 years leading the company and “boomeranged back into the hot seat” in February 2026, Fortune reported. Revenue in Workday’s most recent fiscal year grew 13%, and the company laid off about 500 product and technology staffers in September, bringing the year’s total to 900. Bhusri is due a $138.8 million compensation package, with $75 million paying out if he hits undisclosed stock price targets over five years. Sana founder-CEO Joel Hellermark is now Workday’s Chief AI Officer. “I didn’t come back to sell the company. I came back for the long run,” Bhusri said.
Infosys Expects Little Impact From U.S. PERM Program Suspension
Infosys said it does not anticipate a significant effect from the October 7 announcement barring it and seven other firms from a US immigration program, Staffing Industry Analysts reported. The suspended firms include Microsoft, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL, Wipro, Capgemini, Cognizant and Adobe. US Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said no new PERM applications will be processed from the eight firms and work on existing applications will stop. The US government said the suspensions were due to potential fraudulent use of the H-1B program. Microsoft defended its pay as among the highest of all H-1B visa filers, and TCS said it would comply but did not expect a major impact.
Sources: Staffing Industry Analysts
Telia to Cut 900 Positions and Move 220 Technology Roles to Country Units
Telia plans to reduce its workforce by 900 positions across all units as part of a restructuring through which it looks to make SEK 1 billion in annual gross savings, Telecoms.com reported. The cuts will cover both employees and resource consultants. Telia also aims to transfer around 220 positions, primarily from its common Technology unit, to its country units. The common Technology unit would retain resources and expertise in domains with clear scale and synergies, including security and TV services. “We’re building the future Telia,” said Patrik Hofbauer, Telia President and CEO. The proposed localization and reduction in positions is expected to be completed by December 31.
Sources: Telecoms.com
LinkedIn Pilots a Degree-Free Academy to Teach Workers to Build Businesses
LinkedIn started the Academy of Economic Opportunity in September, enrolling 30 LinkedIn employees in a free 14-week training program, Fortune reported. Students meet three times a week to learn things like handling PR crises, making hiring decisions and pitching investors through simulations. Chief product officer Hari Srinivasan wrote that the number of people putting “Founder” in their LinkedIn profiles rose nearly 23% over the past year. He hopes to scale the Academy internationally at an affordable price, though the company has not announced when enrollment will open to the public. LinkedIn’s 2026 labor market report showed U.S. job postings requiring AI literacy skills rose 70% year over year.
HR Path Acquires Paris AI Start-Up SnapAI to Help Clients Comply with EU AI Act
France-based HR services firm HR Path has acquired SnapAI, a Paris-based AI start-up, to help clients comply with the EU AI Act, Staffing Industry Analysts reported. The AI Act is being rolled out in phases through 2028 and classifies AI used in recruitment, assessment and employee management as high-risk. Terms were not disclosed, and HR Path declined to comment on the price. HR Path said SnapAI’s governance and compliance expertise will let it support clients in deploying AI “in a way that is both ambitious and controlled.” SnapAI was co-founded by Ahmed Salama and Pierre Soulier, and Soulier is joining HR Path.
Sources: Staffing Industry Analysts
Spectrum’s Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer to Exit in Restructuring
Spectrum’s Chief Commercial Officer Adam Ray and Chief Marketing Officer Sharon Peters will exit the company at the end of the year as part of a restructuring, TheWrap reported. COO Nick Jeffery said the “simpler, flatter, operating structure” would let the company “move faster with fewer layers,” focusing on “returning to core Internet growth and improving customer service.” Parent company Charter is looking to exceed $1 billion in cost savings after closing its $34.5 billion merger with Cox in August. Ray has spent over 20 years at Spectrum, and Peters joined Spectrum in 2016. Simon Cassels will serve as Interim Chief Marketing Officer, and Ray’s role will not be filled.
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