X All-Hands Meeting Leaves Employees With Few Answers on Delayed Promotions
TL;DR intro
- All-Hands Meeting:X CEO Linda Yaccarino addressed employees in a rare all-hands meeting after several turbulent months.
- Delayed Promotions and Revenue Concerns:Promotions have been delayed without explanation, and the sales team doesn't expect to meet its revenue targets for the quarter.
- Lack of Clarity:Despite assurances, employees were left with few answers regarding HR, promotions, and raises.
In a rare all-hands meeting on Wednesday, X CEO Linda Yaccarino attempted to address the concerns of employees who have faced months of uncertainty. The meeting came amidst delayed promotions and the company's struggle to meet its revenue targets under Elon Musk's ownership.
Background and Context
Sources within X, formerly known as Twitter, revealed that a promotions process had been inexplicably delayed. The company's sales team also expressed doubts about meeting their revenue targets for the quarter. Given the tumultuous period since Elon Musk took ownership, employees have been anticipating further layoffs.
One notable presence at X's San Francisco headquarters over the past few weeks was Steve Davis, CEO of The Boring Company and a key lieutenant of Musk. Davis, referred to by employees as “the grim reaper,” is known for showing up during challenging times. According to a source, there have been several layoffs recently, including the unexpected departure of Yaccarino's right-hand man, Joe Benarroch.
The All-Hands Meeting
The all-hands meeting began with a montage of viral tweets, followed by Yaccarino speaking from a conference room aptly named “eXtraordinary.” She tried to generate excitement around live events on the platform, such as the Super Bowl and March Madness, and encouraged employees to promote Musk's x.AI chatbot Grok to advertisers. Yaccarino also noted that the company's focus on video content was driving advertising, though she did not provide specific details.
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Employee Concerns and Responses
Walter Gilbert, X's head of HR, addressed the employees, stating that the company plans to implement a broader and more robust promotion process, which will include “lighter-weight check-ins throughout the year.” However, many employees' questions about HR, promotions, raises, and equity were left unanswered during the meeting.
Despite Yaccarino's efforts, Musk was notably absent from the meeting, even though he was in San Francisco at the time. Other directors present included Monique Pintarelli, head of advertising for the Americas; Nick Pickles, head of policy; Kylie McRoberts, the new head of trust and safety; and Haofei Wang, director of engineering.
Future Plans and Reassurances
While the meeting did not provide many answers regarding the company's performance and employee concerns, Pintarelli mentioned that X now attributes over “50% of our revenue to performance objectives,” marking a significant shift from previous years.
Yaccarino concluded by emphasizing that the company will conduct all-hands meetings quarterly and assured employees that they would soon hear from both her and Musk.
