©Israel Andrade via Unsplash
On Monday, May 11, Bird's ceo Vis informed all employees that the European workforce is shrinking by 20 percent. He also posted the internal message on LinkedIn. In it, he indicates that the "employee base" is moving closer to customers in the United States. According to Vis, Bird's customer base is increasingly no longer in the Amsterdam time zone. And in addition, AI also plays a big role in this drastic decision. The company made the decision to lay off many employees to adapt to the changing technological landscape.
Dutch tech company Bird (formerly MessageBird) is laying off 20 percent of its staff, partly because of the advance of AI and partly because of its focus on U.S. customers. Director Robert Vis explains that AI is taking over tasks that a few years ago required human work: "The way we work is changing fundamentally. What used to require specialized forces now works with smart technology." Which tasks exactly, he does not specify, but he published his internal email online.
In addition, the time difference with Amsterdam also throws a spanner in the works. 75 percent of sales today come from the United States. Structural layoffs at the tech company previously took place in 2022 and 2024. Bird develops software for customer contact via text message, WhatsApp and e-mail. The layoffs primarily affect Europe; on the contrary, the company continues to hire in the U.S. Bird is shifting its focus to the U.S. with hubs in New York, San Francisco and Austin (Texas). There, it continues to recruit staff, while elsewhere (Singapore, Dubai, Lithuania, Istanbul) offices are opening for 'back office"'. Headquarters will remain Dutch for now.
©Israel Andrade via Unsplash