Carvana’s ‘Chaotic’ Zoom Firing Caps Company’s Struggles Amid Market Downturn

Carvana’s ‘Chaotic’ Zoom Firing Caps Company’s Struggles Amid Market Downturn

On Friday, May 6, Michelle, a recruiter at online used car retailer Carvana, was told her job was safe, despite the company's recent freeze on new hiring, which had put her team "on pins and needles." Four days later, on Tuesday, May 10, Carvana CEO Ernie Garcia III sent a company-wide email blast at 7:08 a. m Pacific Time, announcing that 2, 500 people – 12% of the staff – would be let go. Shortly after, staff got invitations to a number of different meetings, many on Zoom. Whether they were in or out of their jobs wasn't clear until those meetings. Michelle found out on Zoom, despite earlier assurances, that she was let go. "Obviously, it left a sour taste in my mouth," says Michelle (who asked that Forbes only publish her middle name). Others weren't so lucky. Some say they were informed via pre-recorded messages. (The company denies it). Either way there were plenty of snafus. "Many people experienced extensive tech glitches with the Zoom, so they weren't let into the meeting until the end. People were so lost and had to reach out to leadership to confirm if they were fired or not," another laid-off employee told