artificial intelligence is now taking over roles from career coaches and recruiters
In a twist that’s hard to ignore, Indeed and Glassdoor — two platforms designed to help people find jobs and evaluate workplaces — are cutting over 1,300 positions . The layoffs come after their parent company, Recruit Holdings , announced a strategic shift toward AI-driven solutions .
The irony? These companies were built to support job seekers — and now their own employees are being replaced by the very technology meant to assist them.
What Happened?
According to an internal memo obtained by Reuters , the cuts are affecting teams across departments, including R&D and tech , with Glassdoor’s operations now being fully integrated into Indeed . This consolidation marks a major restructuring of how the company operates in the job search and employer review space.
A New Focus on Automation
In explaining the move, CEO Hisayuki Idekoba stated, “AI is changing the world, and we must adapt.” The company proudly highlighted that its AI systems are now helping place someone in a job every 2.2 seconds — a figure meant to underline the efficiency gains from automation.
This situation echoes what happened at Duolingo earlier this year, where the company laid off several contractors shortly after announcing it had used AI to create 150 new language courses in just one year — a sharp contrast to the previous pace of about 100 courses over 12 years .
Leadership Changes Amid Restructuring
The reshuffling isn’t limited to staff reductions. Top executives are also exiting the scene: Glassdoor’s current CEO will step down on October 1 , and Indeed’s Chief People Officer has also announced her departure .
These moves signal a broader transformation within the company as it pivots toward a more streamlined, AI-first approach to recruitment and career services.
AI Replacing Human Roles — Not Just Here
While the news may seem shocking, AI replacing human roles isn’t new — especially in the tech sector.
At Microsoft , for example, layoffs have become increasingly common alongside AI investments. Recently, the company announced another round of 9,000 job cuts , even as leadership insists that AI is not meant to replace workers , but rather assist them.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy made things clearer during a CNBC interview , stating that as AI becomes more central to business operations, fewer employees will be needed. In a June 17 memo to his team, he wrote that the corporate workforce is expected to shrink in the coming years due to “efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company .”
The Future of Work Is Changing — Fast
What’s happening at Indeed and Glassdoor shows how quickly AI is reshaping industries — including those that exist to help people find work. Whether this leads to long-term benefits or deeper job market instability remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear: the rise of AI is no longer a future possibility — it’s already here, and it’s making decisions for us.