Alibaba clarifies the rumor of layoffs again.
On the evening of November 19th, Alibaba (NYSE: BABA, 09988. HK) clarified a rumor that "Alibaba is about to lay off 25000 employees". False! This is a rumor from May, and it was refuted at that time. "Yan Qiao, the head of public relations at Alibaba Group, refuted the rumor in his Moments.
An Alibaba source said, "Rumors of layoffs have been circulating one after another, but what is fake is fake
It is understood that Alibaba has reported this rumor to the police.
In response to the news of layoffs, including the above post, Alibaba refuted the rumor in May this year, stating, "Recently, rumors about layoffs in various businesses such as Taobao, Tmall, Alibaba Cloud, Cainiao, and local life have been circulating very strongly, but the rumors are just rumors. Our recruitment is currently in full swing
On May 25th, Alibaba Group announced on its official WeChat account that the six major business groups will need to recruit a total of 15000 new employees in 2023, of which over 3000 will be recruited from schools.
The reporter noticed that due to the spread of "Alibaba is about to lay off employees! The scale is as high as 20%, and there may be 25000 or more people. The plan has been submitted for approval layer by layer, and the specific approach is 1+6+N..." In September of this year, online giants have publicly apologized to Ali on multiple platforms such as Sina Weibo, Today's Headlines, and Moments. While actively clarifying and apologizing, Network Big V also called on the media and self media accounts involved in the rumor to actively delete relevant content and eliminate the impact of the rumor. Subsequently, several KOLs who have recently promoted the dissemination of this information have clarified and apologized one after another.
On November 16th, Alibaba released its financial report for the second quarter of the 2024 fiscal year (as of September 30th). In that quarter, Alibaba's revenue was 224.79 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9%, and the market expected 224.096 billion yuan. The net profit of Non GAAP was 40.188 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19%.
According to the financial report, Alibaba's employees decreased by 3720 in the quarter, with a total of 224955 employees as of September 30, 2023. In the first three quarters ended September 30th, Alibaba's employees decreased by a total of 14785.
The reporter from Pengpai News reviewed the personnel turnover data of Alibaba employees from 2021, early 2022 to the end of the year, and found that Alibaba had reduced 19576 employees in 2022; In 2021, there will be a reduction of 7232 personnel. Compared to the data as of the end of September this year and December 31, 2020, Alibaba has a decrease of 27129 employees.
It is reported that on March 28th, Alibaba launched a 1+6+N organizational transformation, establishing six major business groups and multiple (N) business companies, including Cloud Intelligence Group, Taotian Group, Local Life Group, Cainiao Group, International Digital Business Group, and Da Wen Yu Group, with the aim of making the organization agile, shortening decision-making links, and making responses faster.
On May 23rd, Pengpai News reported that Alibaba Cloud began optimizing organizational positions and personnel, with an overall proportion of about 7% and a compensation standard of N+1+1. Every year, the company conducts normal organizational position and personnel optimization. The personnel adjustment is scheduled for May and was initiated after the year-end bonus was distributed at the end of April. The overall optimization ratio is about 7%, and the compensation standard is N+1+1. Any unused annual leave, companionship leave, etc. can be discounted, "an Alibaba Cloud insider told Pengpai News at the time.
In fact, not only Alibaba Cloud, but also other business lines of the Alibaba Group have undergone job and personnel optimization, such as some employees who originally belonged to the middle of the group resigning or transferring positions.
From the latest progress in organizational change, Alibaba has revealed that due to various uncertain factors, it will no longer promote the complete separation of the Cloud Intelligence Group. Hema Fresh's initial public offering plan has been postponed. Alibaba International Digital Business Group, led by Jiang Fan, is preparing for external financing. This is Alibaba's fastest-growing business group in the quarter, but it is still in a loss making state.
It is reported that the title of "first independent listed subsidiary" is likely to fall on Cainiao, who submitted a prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in September. Taotian Group was the first to complete organizational design. In April of this year, with the overall or partial transfer of customer service, technology, human resources, finance, and other original Alibaba Group's middle-level teams, the group has a complete and independent system of human and financial affairs, achieving the comprehensive and independent operation and management of Taotian Group. There has been no news of an IPO in the Alibaba entertainment sector or Alibaba's local lifestyle, and these two sectors are not the businesses that Alibaba planned to go public in the early stages.