Qualtrics has begun a round of global layoffs just three months after completing its $6.75 billion acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta, marking the latest step in the company's effort to integrate the two businesses into a single organisation.
According to reporting by GeekWire, the workforce reductions affect employees across Qualtrics' operations, including its dual headquarters in Seattle and Provo, Utah, as well as international offices. The company has not disclosed the total number of roles affected or provided a regional or functional breakdown.
The move comes as Qualtrics seeks to eliminate duplication created by the merger of two independently built organisations.
Integration efforts trigger workforce reductions
Employees learned about the layoffs through email notifications sent on Wednesday morning, according to GeekWire.
In a memo obtained by the publication, CEO Jason Maynard described the acquisition as a "defining milestone" for Qualtrics but said the integration process required difficult decisions around organisational structure.
Maynard said the company had reviewed operations "function by function" and "team by team" since the acquisition closed, identifying areas of overlap and determining how the combined organisation should operate going forward.
According to the memo, decisions were based on:
- The structure of the combined organisation
- Future capability requirements
- Areas of role duplication
- Long-term operational needs
The company said the reductions reflect overlap between Qualtrics and Press Ganey Forsta rather than a broader shift in business strategy.
Seattle WARN notices point to significant local impact
Although Qualtrics has not disclosed the scale of the layoffs, GeekWire reported that affected employees in Seattle received notices under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
The notice covered workers at Qualtrics Tower, the company's Seattle headquarters.
Under Washington state law, WARN requirements generally apply when 50 or more employees at a single site are affected by layoffs. Based on the notice reviewed by GeekWire, at least that number of positions appear to have been impacted at the Seattle location.
At the time of publication, the company had not yet appeared in Washington or Utah WARN databases, although public filings can sometimes lag employee notifications.
Cuts span legacy businesses
Public posts from current and former employees on LinkedIn and other online forums suggest the layoffs affected multiple teams, offices and functions.
According to GeekWire's reporting, reductions were not limited to one side of the business. Employees from both the legacy Qualtrics organisation and the newly acquired Press Ganey Forsta operations reported being affected.
The acquisition, announced in October and completed in May, significantly expanded Qualtrics' presence in healthcare experience management.
Press Ganey Forsta, headquartered in Indiana, had itself been formed through previous mergers. Its Forsta survey and feedback products competed directly with Qualtrics before the deal.
Qualtrics said the acquisition added the largest healthcare experience dataset in the industry to its portfolio.
Workforce changes follow broader restructuring
The layoffs come months after a leadership shake-up led by Maynard.
According to earlier reporting by GeekWire, the CEO removed five senior executives in April and launched a broader reorganisation across:
- Marketing
- Customer operations
- Information technology
- Corporate development
Maynard joined Qualtrics from Oracle and took over as CEO in February.
The latest workforce reductions continue a pattern of restructuring under the company's private equity ownership.
In 2023, Qualtrics cut approximately 780 jobs, representing about 14% of its workforce at the time. Earlier in the same year, the company eliminated roughly 270 positions.
A company that has changed hands repeatedly
Qualtrics has undergone significant ownership changes over the past several years.
Key milestones include:
- 2019: Acquired by SAP for $8 billion
- 2021: Returned to public markets through an IPO
- 2023: Acquired by Silver Lake and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in a $12.5 billion deal
- 2026: Completed the $6.75 billion acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta
The latest layoffs highlight the challenges that often accompany large-scale integrations, particularly when businesses with overlapping products, functions and talent structures are brought together.
As Qualtrics continues integrating Press Ganey Forsta, attention is likely to shift towards how the combined company reshapes its workforce, leadership structure and operating model while pursuing growth across customer and employee experience markets.