Hootsuite cutting 7% of workers, names new CEO

For the third time in less than a year, Hootsuite is scaling back its staffing levels.

News outlets, including Global News, reported on Jan. 18 that the Vancouver-based social media company is laying off 70 employees, or seven per cent of its workforce, in an effort to position the business for the long term.

The latest round of cuts comes after the company reduced its headcount by five per cent in November and 30 per cent in August.

Prior to the August layoffs, reports claim that Hootsuite employed a global workforce of approximately 1,400 people.

New CEO named

In addition to job cuts, Hootsuite announced in a news release on Jan. 18 that it has chosen Irina Novoselsky, who recently headed Career Builder Inc., to succeed Tom Keiser as the company’s CEO.

“Irina is a proven, results-driven leader with deep experience leading high-velocity, high-scale businesses, delivering customer-focused innovation and building operationally excellent teams,” Board Chair Julie Herendeen said in the release.

“Her experience, together with her drive and passion for the business, make Irina the ideal candidate to lead Hootsuite in their next chapter of profitable growth at scale.”

Major tech layoffs continue

Hootsuite joins the growing list of major North American tech companies that are kicking off 2023 with significant layoffs.

Benevity, Lightspeed, Clutch, Microsoft, Thinkific, Cloud Software Group, Amazon, and Salesforce are scaling back their staffing levels as they continue to monitor market conditions.

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• Female Twitter staff ‘targeted’ during mass layoffs, lawsuit alleges
• Employment lawyer on mass layoffs in the tech industry
• Layoffs in Canada

Termination agreements for Hootsuite employees

In Canada, non-unionized employees and senior executives at Hootsuite are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing or corporate restructuring.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for technology industry employees
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains why you are still owed severance if you have been downsized on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before you accept any severance offer, have an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP review it and your employment contract.

We can tell you if what you have been provided is fair and how to get proper compensation if it falls short of what you are actually owed.

If you aren’t given the full amount, which happens often, you have been wrongfully dismissed and are entitled to compensation.