Salesforce Layoffs Amid AI Hiring Stint Spark ConcernsSalesforce Layoffs Amid AI Hiring Stint Spark Concerns

CRM giant Salesforce will reportedly lay off 1,000 employees, amounting to 1.5% of its total workforce. At the same time, the company is in the middle of an artificial intelligence (AI) sales position hiring spree.

Salesforce is focusing on hiring salespeople to get its AI-fueled agent assist offering into the hands of more contact centers, according to Bloomberg. The company has seen a reported 9,000 applications for the 2,000 positions it wants to fill.

The latest round of Salesforce layoffs come after CEO Marc Benioff said it would stop engaging software engineers in 2025 due to gains in productivity made by deploying AI internally.

Salesforce says it will allow those laid off to apply for other internal positions, "suggesting a transition rather than a wholesale replacement of the workforce," according to Anurag Agrawal, founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle.

He said this approach highlights the significance of adaptability and constant education as technology shows no signs of slowing down.

A Harsh Reality: AI Will Replace Some Humans

Still, this might prompt some developers to worry about being replaced by AI in the not-too-distant future.

"Anyone who says that AI isn’t going to take away jobs is kidding themselves," COMMfusion president and principal analyst Blair Pleasant told Channel Futures.

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Pleasant believes, whether it’s contact center agents, programmers, coders, or any other area, "there will be significant layoffs down the road related to AI."

"While some companies say they’re not laying off workers and instead simply won’t replace workers who leave through natural attrition, I think that’s only in the short term. The more effective AI becomes, the more layoffs we’ll see," Pleasant said.

COMMfusion's Blair Pleasant

Irwin Lazar, president and principal analyst at research firm Metrigy, said that AI will likely result in a shift where some jobs are replaced by it, but others are created by it.

"I agree with the view that others have stated" 'Those who best know how to use AI will succeed.'"

Salesforce Layoffs Mean Fresh Skills for Workers

Agrawal told us that while Salesforce layoffs amounting to 1,000 employees are significant, AI hiring balances the scales.

"This move indicates that while some traditional roles may be at risk, Salesforce is also creating new opportunities that leverage AI technology," Agrawal told Channel Futures.

"It's true that AI is enhancing efficiency, which could reduce the need for certain types of workers. However, it's not just about job elimination; it's also about job transformation, and this situation at Salesforce mirrors broader trends in the tech industry, where AI is reshaping workforce needs," Agrawal said.

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He believes it underscores what he calls the "critical" need for employees to stay adaptable and continuously upgrade their skills to remain relevant in the rapidly changing unified communications, contact center and customer experience (CX) landscape.

As employees in nearly every industry continue to adapt to their newfound AI reality, others remain cautiously optimistic about the status of their jobs in the future.