Handshake

Information Technology • Information Technology • San Francisco, California, USA • Website

Handshake is a leading career network and recruitment platform that connects college students and recent graduates with employers, career centers, and educational institutions. It facilitates job and internship discovery, offering virtual career fairs, direct messaging with recruiters, and personalized job recommendations. The company has recently expanded into AI-driven data labeling services, leveraging its network of academic experts to provide human feedback for AI model training.

Layoff History

96 (3 sources) employees (15.0%)

Oct 15, 2025

3 sources

Reason

Handshake, legally known as Stryder Corp., underwent a strategic 'refounding' to aggressively pivot towards the AI economy. This involved laying off 96 employees, representing 15% of its U.S. workforce of 650, to re-orient the entire business around its AI prospects. The company is launching 'Handshake AI,' a new division designed to connect academic experts and graduate-level professionals with AI labs that require human feedback for model training and validation. CEO Garrett Lord emphasized this move as essential for the company to compete and lead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, stating that not going 'all-in' on AI would be a significant mistake and risk being 'lapped' by competitors. The layoffs are part of a broader mission to help job seekers, universities, and employers thrive in the AI economy.

Affected Departments

Software engineersRecruitersMarketersSenior managersRoles across its recruiting business vertical

Affected Locations

San FranciscoCA (headquarters at 225 Bush St.)

Source: Refounding Handshake for the AI era | Handshake View Source →

Disclaimer

Data aggregated from public sources including WARN notices, SEC filings, press releases, and market data. While we strive for accuracy, information is provided "as-is" for informational purposes only. Always verify critical information with official company sources.

This information does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or career advice. See our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and About page for more information.

Found an error? Report it here.