
Ask HN: How will the coronavirus affect the tech industry? - _davebennett
How do you think it will affect the tech industry?
======
thisistheend123
It depends. Most of the tech industry facilitates real world business and real
world tangibles.

If Coronavirus is here to stay and as a result World enters a long drawn
economic slump, the tech industry is going to be hit hard as well.

Big tech companies will survive, but the disruption at human level may affect
smaller companies or upcoming start ups adversely.

Stock markets crash may spook VCs and big investors enough for them to tighten
their wallets.

Finding good talent will become harder because engineers with stable jobs will
think twice before making a jump in such uncertain times.

~~~
csomar
> Finding good talent will become harder because engineers with stable jobs
> will think twice before making a jump in such uncertain times.

I don't think so. If there is a recession, there will be _massive_ layoffs.
Though they'll be targeted at the least productive, the most talented will
certainly be affected.

Also a weak job market will mean that talented people will accept lower
offers.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
Further, layoffs rarely are selective. Its not so much about the skill of the
people being let go; its about keeping a sustainable subset of the business
alive. A talented group may all be let go, and a less capable one preserved,
because they are still cost effective.

~~~
saluki
Lots of companies didn't care about skills and talent in 2008, they laid off
engineers making the highest salaries at my company, pretty much top to bottom
in order. Except for one who was good friends with the CEO but even he was let
go a few rounds later.

------
avocadosword
I suppose it will popularise remote work in medium and large software
companies. I hear that many companies advise their employees to switch to home
office, in order to reduce the chance of infection by physical contact. I
think we will see more and more employers who will be more accepting of remote
work

