> Isn't the solution to just shuffle people to more useful projects instead of firing them? Yes. However how do you find those less useful positions? And ident

> Isn't the solution to just shuffle people to more useful projects instead of firing them? Yes. However how do you find those less useful positions? And identify whether it's the developer who is less productive or the position? For top management the easiest way is to fire people broadly and assign it all over equally by pushing the decision down the management chain. Medium managers know their teams a tiny bit (but often not much ...) than too management and identify the least troublesome positions. And then you let them bring up cases to keep their headcount or hiring new. Works, after a short bump in productivity, if it's just (human) resources and numbers in a sheet. (Similar to other budget cuts, where you give a Mandate to reduce cost by X% everywhere and then see who cries the loudest and who adapts) Of course has impact on trust etc. which has an invisible cost.