(MENAFN- Live Mint) Dan Springer, the former chief executive of electronic signature company DocuSign, has shared some reasonable grounds that can help employees lower their risks of being laid off. His advice comes at a time when tech and IT companies worldwide are cutting jobs amid the rise of artificial intelligence. Speaking to Business Insider , Springer said: "The macro piece is, you need to invest in your capabilities, and as new technologies come along, you have to embrace them."

Learning from the iPhone revolution

Illustrating the rise of Apple's iPhon -which was launched in 2007 when Blackberry had a monopoly-he added:“When the iPhone came out and mobility became part of business, there were some people who said, 'I'm just staying with my Blackberry. I'm using it for emails, and I don't care about apps.' Five years later, they're a dinosaur.”

Springer explained that the micro factor measures how engaged employees are with their company's work. According to him, those aiming to be the "most employable" must "really commit to the company and constantly just apply yourself to make your company successful.

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"Companies aren't perfect, but for the most part, companies figure out who the best employees are. They want employees that are culture builders, the ones that are working hard to serve our customers, doing all the right things," Springer said.

"If you really apply yourself and don't become cynical about that, then I think you become really valuable to the company, and you're always going to be needed," he added.

Who is Springer

The Harvard Business School graduate served as DocuSign's CEO from 2017 to 2022 and stepped down from the company's board in April. During his tenure, the company's stock skyrocketed during the pandemic but fell roughly 80% from its summer 2021 peak by the time Springer left a year later. In April, Springer became CEO of Ironclad, a contract management software company backed by Franklin Templeton.

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How did DocuSign grow under Springer?

Under his leadership, DocuSign expanded rapidly, increasing its workforce from 2,255 employees in January 2018 to 7,461 in January 2022.

What happened after Springer stepped down?

Following his departure in June 2022, DocuSign went through multiple layoffs:

September 2022: Nearly 700 employees, or 9% of the workforce.

February 2023: Around 700 employees, or 10% of the workforce.

February 2024: 440 employees, or 6% of the workforce.

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As of January 31, 2025, DocuSign reported having 6,838 employees in an SEC filing.

Meanwhile, in July, Microsoft announced cuts affecting roughly 9,000 employees (about 4% of its workforce), after laying off around 6,000 workers in May. Similarly, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called 2023 a "year of efficiency," letting go of 10,000 employees in March, following 11,000 layoffs in November 2022.

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