It depends on the perspective. The company has invested quite a bit in its organization over the last few years. The question, of course, is whether this was catch-up investment or a push for future growth. If the market is stagnant and growth is not being achieved, then additional recruitment might not necessarily be a sensible allocation target.
This share buyback was hardly significant enough in scale to rule out acquisitions; rather, it is more of a signal to the market. While the dividend was cut, this is a sign that management has more in its toolbox than just the dividend syringe and the M&A hammer.