Since Twitter’s Board of Directors accepted Elon Musk’s offer to buy the social media platform, interest in employment opportunities at the tech firm has accelerated, new data shows.
In the week of Apr. 24, interest in Twitter job openings on Glassdoor surged 263 percent, according to Daniel Zhao, a senior economist and data scientist at the job insights website.
Zhao noted the 263 percent number is based on average daily clicks on Twitter job openings on the platform compared to all of March. Although this might not relate to job applications, the notable jump reflects curiosity about work opportunities at the business.
The figures were posted after it was confirmed that Musk would serve as a temporary CEO of the social media outlet for a few months.
“Well, the above data is made more relevant by today’s news. Say what you will about Elon, he does have a large fanbase of ppl excited to work for him. He’s much more likely to capitalize on that attraction as CEO than owner,” Zhao said in a tweet.
Musk shared a Fortune article that reported on the news, tweeting that the “company will be super focused on hardcore software engineering, design, infosec & server hardware.”
“I strongly believe that all managers in a technical area must be technically excellent. Managers in software must write great software or it’s like being a cavalry captain who can’t ride a horse!” Musk stated.
At the same time, he is not too concerned about the current crop of Twitter personnel quitting.
Speaking to reporters at the Met Gala on Monday, he purported that he is “fine” with a supposed mass resignation effort at the San Francisco-based tech firm.
“It’s a free country,” Musk said. “Certainly if anyone doesn’t feel comfortable with that, they will on their own accord go somewhere else. That’s fine.”
Indeed, there is an appetite to work for the billionaire CEO. In 2021, Tesla Motors received nearly 3 million job applications. Moreover, the electric-vehicle maker recently announced that it created close to 100,000 direct new jobs in one decade “and are planning to grow for years to come.”
Blind, an anonymous community app for the workplace, shows that tech workers are split on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.
“Some hate him and are loud about it,” a Twitter engineer wrote. “The company has a strong woke culture and a lot are afraid to speak out against that.”
“If Elon’s Twitter actually embraces free speech and open sources the algorithms, it would become the first social media company I would actually consider working for,” a Microsoft employee stated on the website.
“Musk is known to not pay well. So company might do well but there will be exodus of engineers,” an Amazon staff member said.
Moreover, a former Twitter employee told Business Insider that “any sense that an exodus is building is correct.”
Employees planning to quit have been mocked by some on social media.
In April, when Musk’s stake was revealed, Substack, an online publishing platform for writers, had a message for these individuals:
“Substack is hiring!” Lulu Cheng Meservey, vice president of communications at Substack, posted on Twitter. “If you’re a Twitter employee who’s considering resigning because you’re worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech … please do not come work here.”
Last month, executives held a virtual all-hands meeting to discuss what Musk’s acquisition will mean for Twitter and its policies.
Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of legal, policy, and trust, also met virtually with employees she supervises in the legal and policy departments to talk about the purchase. Twitter’s top lawyer reportedly explained that there are plenty of uncertainties as to what the tech giant would look like under Musk.
Musk has been open about his plans for Twitter to embrace free speech, championing many different proposals, such as open-sourcing its algorithm, eradicating spam bots, and loosening content moderation policies. He suggested that Twitter should only remove content if it is mandated by local laws, adding that users should not be permanently banned from the platform. Instead, the outlet could install “time outs” for individuals violating terms of service.
Musk revealed earlier this week that Twitter would remain free for “casual users,” but businesses and governments might pay a “slight cost” to utilize the website.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Musk informed investors that he might return Twitter to the New York Stock Exchange in three years.