Former Microsoft employee tells wife he was lucky to be fired from tech sector in 2022. What is he doing now?

Microsoft's decision to offer voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees has raised concerns about the future of jobs as technology companies invest heavily in artificial intelligence. Former Microsoft Surface Computing Category Lead Ian Yong Hoe Tan has shared why the development feels unsettling, even though he left the company years ago. Tan, who says he was retrenched from the tech sector in late 2022, believes AI-driven job losses could extend beyond technology. He now works as a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Ex- Microsoft employee feels lucky to have been retrenched

Taking to LinkedIn, Tan reacted to news of Microsoft's voluntary buyout offer, which Reuters reported would cover around 60,000 employees, or more than a quarter of its global workforce. Tan highlighted the scale of the move and warned that other companies and industries could follow.

He said the announcement had left him “feeling shaken”, despite having left Microsoft 11 years ago and being out of the tech industry for nearly four years.


Tan also wrote that he often tells his wife he is thankful for being retrenched in late 2022. At the time, he believed he was part of the “early wave of retrenchments” and expected more job losses to follow. However, he admitted he could not have imagined a company like Microsoft asking such a large share of its workforce to leave.

What does he say about AI and job losses?

Tan argued that AI-related layoffs and corporate cost-cutting can happen at the same time. He cautioned against dismissing the role of AI in workforce reductions, pointing out that companies are always looking to “minimise costs, maximise profits”.

He also said generative AI tools can now help people build productivity apps, reverse-engineer proprietary applications, modify television software and automate repetitive tasks. However, he believes many people are not keeping up with these developments because they lack the time or motivation to learn.

Tan added that his AI workshops bring him into contact with retrenched workers, giving him a perspective he believes some AI sceptics may lack.

What is Ian Yong Hoe Tan doing now?

According to his LinkedIn bio, Tan is currently a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He studied Communication Studies at the same university from 1997 to 2001, graduating with first-class honours and being named valedictorian.

He also pursued a Master of Science in Knowledge Management at the university from August 2024 to June 2026.

Microsoft's recent decision

Recently, Microsoft offered about 27% of its global workforce, or 60,000 employees, volunatry buyouts. The offer was available to eligible employees in the Unites States of America, the United Kingdom, India and Canada. The company's Chief People Officer Amy Coleman wrote in a blog post on Monday about how new the "Voluntary Exit Offer" is and how the company will learn from it. She shared that the company will keep "helping people focus on work" that matters the most, help build them new skills and find new opportunities across Microsoft.

As per reports by AP, in May, the tech giant planned to offer buyouts to 7% of its USA's work force. In July, the company said it was cutting 4,800 jobs of its global workforce, which included employees at Xbox video game business.