Microsoft freezes hiring in cloud, sales teams; managers asked to not hire candidates who don’t already have a… | – The Times of India

Microsoft has told managers across its cloud unit and North American sales teams to stop hiring anyone who doesn’t already have a job offer in hand, The Information reported, citing three employees with direct knowledge. The move comes as the company scrambles to rein in costs and shore up margins before its fiscal year closes in June—a period during which it’s also burning through billions on AI infrastructure.

The AI teams get a pass, everyone else, not so much

The freeze isn’t company-wide. Teams building Microsoft’s Copilot AI tools are still actively hiring, which tells you where the company’s priorities…