There's no reason to be apologetic. The fact of the matter is that there are two types of employees, those who work and those who have a job. Employees who work are creating value, whereas employees who have a job are trading time for money.
When a company becomes a certain size, it's inevitable that you will hire people looking for a job.
Firing people sucks. Yes, it affects their livelihood, but having warm bodies on your roster affects your business.
The problem with people who have a job is that they affect company culture as they set the tone for acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the workplace. It spreads like a disease and the effect can cripple those who show up to work.
Sometimes, this can lead to confusion as people who have a job might think, "I was doing what I was told. I don't understand why." Creating value is much more than simply following orders.
I have seen nothing to suggest that the people who have lost their jobs weren't working hard enough or creating enough value. The comment above merely says the jobs they were doing are no longer considered strategically valuable, and that's no fault of their own.
I interpreted it differently, like it was saying "some people are lazy, and you need to get rid of them". If I were one of the people who'd just been made redundant because a layer of management above me changed strategy, I'd find that comment really hurtful.
Many, many years ago I worked at a small company, mostly on a single project for a single client.
Out of the blue, one day the boss summoned me and told me I wasn't delivering enough value so I would be leaving. I knew he was lying (I had the numbers), and it still made me feel terrible.
If someone here is on a similar situation, let me tell you this: if you do your best and yet they tell you "you don't deliver enough value", it is the company's fault, not yours.
Really, just shrug it off and move on. Keep working hard and things will eventually work out.
PS: Four months later they wanted to hire me again, paying 50% more than before. I already had a better job ;)
When a company becomes a certain size, it's inevitable that you will hire people looking for a job.
Firing people sucks. Yes, it affects their livelihood, but having warm bodies on your roster affects your business.
The problem with people who have a job is that they affect company culture as they set the tone for acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the workplace. It spreads like a disease and the effect can cripple those who show up to work.
Sometimes, this can lead to confusion as people who have a job might think, "I was doing what I was told. I don't understand why." Creating value is much more than simply following orders.