When Amazon and Others Cut Back, Hiring Teams Can Move Forward: How to Win Amid AI-Driven Layoffs

Ocean Exec Talent
2 days ago
3 min read

The headlines are everywhere: tech layoffs are accelerating, and artificial intelligence is increasingly cited as both a disruptor and a catalyst for workforce change. While many organizations are trimming headcount or freezing hiring, companies that aren’t laying off have a rare opportunity to strengthen their teams if they move strategically.

Below, we break down what’s happening, what it means for hiring teams, and how you can succeed during this pivotal moment.

What’s Happening

The tech sector continues to see major job cuts and restructuring.

Over 100,000 tech jobs have been eliminated across major companies in 2025 alone, according to multiple industry trackers.
AI and automation are increasingly cited as reasons for reductions, particularly in roles focused on coding, data entry, customer support, and operations.
Amazon made global headlines this fall after reports suggested it could avoid hiring more than 600,000 U.S. workers by 2033 as automation and robotics handle up to 75% of its warehouse operations (The Verge, Interesting Engineering).
Amazon emphasized that these figures do not reflect formal layoff plans, but the signal is clear: AI is fundamentally reshaping labor needs, not just at Amazon but across the global economy.

At the same time, roles that blend human judgment with AI capabilities, data-driven decision making, human-machine collaboration, and leadership through transformation are becoming more valuable than ever.

Why Hiring Teams Not Cutting Back Should Care

If your company is maintaining or expanding hiring right now, you are in a powerful position, but only if you understand the new dynamics.

Talent availability is shifting. Layoffs have put exceptional talent on the market, including individuals who were not available a year ago.
Skills requirements are evolving. As AI tools take on routine tasks, demand is rising for professionals with adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership-in-change skills.
Employer perception matters. While others announce job cuts, continuing to hire and communicating why, signals confidence and stability, strengthening your employer brand.
Competition for AI-literate talent is tightening. Even with layoffs, candidates who can apply AI strategically to their domain (sales, marketing, operations) are being hired quickly.

How to Succeed During This Time

1. Reframe Your Talent Value Proposition

Lead with stability, innovation, and growth.
Make clear that your organization is investing in people, not replacing them.
Communicate how your teams use AI to enhance performance, not eliminate roles.

2. Hire for Adaptability, Not Just Experience

Evaluate candidates on learning agility, cross-functional collaboration, and comfort with change.
In leadership roles, prioritize individuals who can translate AI and automation into team productivity and customer value.
Update job descriptions to emphasize continuous learning and digital fluency.

3. Accelerate, But Stay Disciplined

Speed counts. With more candidates available, being first to engage top talent matters.
Maintain rigor in cultural and leadership assessments. Your process should balance velocity and precision.
Be empathetic. Many candidates are emerging from uncertain environments, and transparency builds trust.

4. Strengthen Evaluation Around Change Readiness

Integrate scenario-based or behavioral questions that surface adaptability. Example: “How would you restructure your sales approach if half your team’s lead generation became AI-automated?”
Assess emotional intelligence and humility, traits that sustain leaders through disruption.
Incorporate frameworks like S.P.L.A.S.H. (Skillset, Personality, Leadership, Adaptability, Success, Humility) to ensure a holistic evaluation.

5. Reinvest in Candidate and Employee Experience

Candidates are more sensitive than ever to how companies treat people.
Communicate your vision clearly during the hiring process: where AI fits, how employees grow, and what success looks like in a changing landscape.
Post-hire, focus on onboarding for continuous learning and adaptability.

Amazon’s Automation Blueprint: A Cautionary Signal

Amazon’s projected avoidance of 600,000 hires by 2033 is not an isolated event. It signals that automation is scaling faster than most companies’ workforce strategies. While that shift may reduce some manual or repetitive roles, it also creates new demand for leaders who can bridge automation with human judgment.

For hiring teams, the lesson is clear:

Hire people who can work with AI, not compete against it.
Prioritize creative problem-solvers, cross-functional thinkers, and emotionally intelligent leaders.
Strengthen your employer brand as a destination for humans who thrive in the age of automation.

Final Thoughts

AI and automation are redefining work, but they are also redefining opportunity.For hiring teams not facing layoffs, this is the time to act boldly:

Access talent that is newly available.
Update your evaluation frameworks for adaptability and future-readiness.
Showcase your company as a place where people and technology grow together.

At Ocean Executive Talent, we believe this shift rewards organizations that see hiring not as a reaction to disruption, but as a strategy for resilience.

The companies that win will not be the ones that hire the fastest. They will be the ones that hire the right people for what comes next.