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Google has eliminated 35% of managers overseeing small teams in past year

(www.cnbc.com)
574 points frays | 3 comments | 27 Aug 25 21:16 UTC | HN request time: 0.721s | source
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mikestew ◴[27 Aug 25 21:52 UTC] No.45045782[source]▶
The 35% reduction refers to the number of managers who oversee fewer than three people, according to a person familiar with the matter.

If you oversee 0-2 people, in most cases that’s probably not an efficient ratio. How did Google get so many folks in that position in the first place? And I assume the other 65% take up the slack to fluff their teams? Or what? Leave the other 65% managing 0-2 people?

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deltaburnt ◴[27 Aug 25 23:07 UTC] No.45046408[source]▶
When I started, I was told that one of the easier ways to get promo at L5 was to become a manager. I don't know how true that was at the time, but I think this could be a consequence of that sort of local optimizing. I think now they don't even allow you to be a manager at L5 unless you're grandfathered in?
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1. pfannkuchen ◴[28 Aug 25 03:07 UTC] No.45047918[source]▶
Search and ads, at least, had the L6 requirement for manager going back as long as I’m aware. I was under the impression that the requirement was relaxed at some point in some of the less revenue critical orgs, but that the L6 restriction actually goes back a long way.
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2. aix1 ◴[28 Aug 25 04:14 UTC] No.45048319[source]▶
FWIW I was L5 manager (on the SWE ladder) in two PAs. The L6 requirement did exist but in my experience was quite soft. All that my management had to do was justify to the VP that I was capable of doing the job and would soon be ready for promo to L6 (though the first org got nuked and the promo took a long time).
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3. pfannkuchen ◴[28 Aug 25 06:38 UTC] No.45049132[source]▶
Interesting. Where I was I never saw an exception to the L6 rule.