overhired
Excess staff hired
Overhired describes a company or organization that has hired more employees than it needs, usually discovered when business slows or priorities shift.
Tech companies that expanded aggressively during boom periods often find themselves overhired when growth stalls: We were overhired by about 20 percent and had to do layoffs.
The term gained currency in the 2020s amid waves of corporate downsizing.
Having surplus employees
- bloatedSwelled from excess
- surplusAmount exceeding requirement
- excessSurplus beyond need
- redundantExceeding what's needed
superfluous · inflated · swollen · oversaturated · headcount · payroll · bench strength · underutilized
Mass job eliminations
- downsizingReducing workforce or scale
- terminationAct of ending something
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
- furloughGranted absence from work
redundancy · firings · workforce reduction · restructuring · cost cutting · streamlining · pink slip · outplacement
Extremely rapid expansion
- tech boomRapid technology industry expansion
- overexpansionExcessive increase in scope
- overoptimismUnwarranted belief things will work
- venture fundingCapital for early-stage companies
overstaffed
Having surplus employees
redundant · superfluous · inflated · swollen · oversaturated · headcount · payroll · bench strength · underutilized · overcapacity
layoffs
Mass job eliminations
- downsizingReducing workforce or scale
- terminationAct of ending something
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
furlough · redundancy · firings · workforce reduction · restructuring · cost cutting · streamlining · pink slip · outplacement · retrenchment
hypergrowth
Extremely rapid expansion
- tech boomRapid technology industry expansion
- overexpansionExcessive increase in scope
- overoptimismUnwarranted belief things will work
overhiredunderstaffed
Insufficient employees for workload
short-staffed · shorthanded · undermanned · skeleton crew · stretched thin