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xyahoo | 14 years ago

Yahoo has over 18,000 employees (and not 14,000). The extra 4,000+ are contractors. This is a scheme that the bureaucrats at Yahoo figured out pretty early: announce layoffs, and then bring the employees back as contractors. "win-win for everyone", they joke.

I really, really hate to see people get laid off; But this was a long time coming. As an ex-Yahoo, I hope they cut out the thick layer of bureacracy thats sucking the oxygen out of that place. Ever seen the algae that suffocates a pond? The middle managers there are like that algae. And then there the VPs: at last count Yahoo had over 200 VPs. Really, What do these fuckers do!?

If Yahoo can become more engineering-centric, it has a chance. If the middle managers (and VPs) win out, stick a fork in it; theres no hope.

discuss

MrFoof|14 years ago

>And then there the VPs: at last count Yahoo had over 200 VPs. Really, What do these fuckers do!?

These folks simply have goofy titles.

I used to have one of the world's largest banks (by AUM) as a client. They had over 200 "Vice Presidents" in one building, as it basically was their preferred title for "manager".

jrockway|14 years ago

At Bank of America, VP was one title below most managers. VP basically meant "didn't get completely fucked in the offer negotiation process".

lambersley|14 years ago

"The only thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history." -Hegel

See Research In Motion (RIM).

gruseom|14 years ago

That's got to be bogus. How likely is it that Hegel said anything so succinct?

danso|14 years ago

Was there a culture at Yahoo that indicates that it would do the unusual: fire middle managers before firing the rank-and-file engineers?

xyahoo|14 years ago

The managers always survived layoffs; the engineers, not so much. Has that changed now? probably current Yahoos can tell, but I imagine there a bit busy right now to post on HN.

freehunter|14 years ago

During college I worked at a Midwestern regional supermarket, and they were employing similar tactics. No more full-time employees. Full-time implies benefits. Part-time employees will work the same amount for possibly even the same wage, but it costs the company a lot less.

spoiledtechie|14 years ago

I completely agree with you. Long time coming. I could see this from a mile away.

veguss|14 years ago

Microsoft has almost 90k contractors, yes, really.