[Updated at 9 a.m. ET to clarify maximum number of openings.]
Three months after Gannett laid off 700 U.S. newspaper workers, the company is advertising hundreds of job openings across 40 categories on its careers webpage -- a figure that could total close to 1,000. The actual number is difficult to gauge, however, because in several spot checks, I found some jobs were listed under more than one category.
GCI had 32,600 workers worldwide on Dec. 31 -- 7% fewer than in 2009, according to the most recent published data.
Following are the top 10 categories in terms of maximum number of openings. (Spreadsheet lists all categories and openings.)
Note: This is the first time I've counted openings. I plan to update these figures periodically.
Three months after Gannett laid off 700 U.S. newspaper workers, the company is advertising hundreds of job openings across 40 categories on its careers webpage -- a figure that could total close to 1,000. The actual number is difficult to gauge, however, because in several spot checks, I found some jobs were listed under more than one category.
Following are the top 10 categories in terms of maximum number of openings. (Spreadsheet lists all categories and openings.)
It's interesting that the jobs in Arizona included one at the AZ Daily Star, the Lee property in Tucson.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thought is: are they hiring people over age 40?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see we're hiring again. Does this mean we're done with furloughs and layoffs? To echo and expand on 9:13's comment, are they hiring people with experience (i.e. older) or just straight out of college kids? Can this hiring binge be used to bolster an age discrimination complaint by one of the older people laid off in June?
ReplyDeleteThis is merely a rearranging of the deck chairs. They layoff costly older employees to only hire in cheaper younger employees. It's just plain wrong.
ReplyDeleteGannett once valued decision-making at the local level. It once valued loyalty among employees. Now, both of those statements are untrue. It's only a matter of time until this company lacks any uniqueness and is constantly chasing the hottest idea on the web to only come up short.
Should GCI hang out a sign: we're only hiring right out of college? I'm rarely hearing about 40-50-60 year olds being hired in this company.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crock.
ReplyDeleteI'm sending this thread to my employment lawyer.
Signed,
A 40 to 50-something ex-employee.
Why doesn't Jim just ask the company if they are hiring folks over 40? Better yet- are they reaching out to ANYBODY they let go?
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious! I left Gannett when I was 37, along with a number of people who (at the time) were younger than me. We all knew Gannett was destroying our local papers, if only for the reason they eliminated all local control over the products. I currently work with a number of young adults in their twenties. I asked them if they would ever work at a company like Gannett. All of them said this: "No, it's a newspaper company. Print is dead." Unless Gannett becomes a high-tech leader that values outside-the-box thinking, they are doomed.
ReplyDeleteI think 12:57 is right on the money. Is the company reaching out to any of the hundreds laid off this year? I'd take it a step further. Are they hiring people over 35?
ReplyDeleteJim, you could ask readers at the various sites if their locations are hiring and what type of people they are bringing in?
1:18, this is no laughing matter. Do you have any clue, since 2008, how many people have been let go who were loyal and dedicated with years of service to GCI, who are over age 45, had lives and careers ruined, and were and still are unable to find work?
ReplyDeleteYou don't break out Digital specific jobs. That would tell a clearer story. Print has incurred the majority of layoffs. Please differentiate
ReplyDelete@1:18 p.m. - Lots of freshly-minted J-school grads like to talk that shit until they get out into the cruel, dark, cold, heartless world and they realize there aren't any jobs out there if you want to be an actual reporter. Maybe they get lucky and land a Patch gig, but it's hard to turn down a Gannett job when the alternative is...what, exactly? This country is so fucked right now that I don't even think WalMart is hiring.
ReplyDeleteOnly reason Gannett is hiring is to replace the people who've had enough of this company and have voluntarily left.
ReplyDeleteOh, 3:20 p.m., the Wal-Mart in my neighborhood is hiring.
I'm sorry...if you're a reader of this blog and apply for a job with Gannett, you need to have your head professionally examined.
ReplyDeleteThis message is from 1:18. I do find it funny that posters on this blog think only older workers are leaving Gannett. Lots of young adults were laid off or quit. And my group was not a "journalism" bunch. We were graphic and/or page designers -- and marketing professionals. I now work with a group of web-savvy individuals who would not be caught dead working at Gannett. They see it as a dying company headed by a bunch of mindless robots. My advice to anyone aged 40-60 years: get out there and reinvent yourself. In this economy you can no longer get a job based on a diploma and x-years of experience. You need to offer proven results and potential results to a future employer. Only those who are willing to fight for a job will get offered a job. Trust me on this: I survived 22 months of unemployment.
ReplyDelete2:02 do you know?
ReplyDeleteTwo things are happening. They are letting long-term, highly paid employees go and replacing them with cheaper newbies.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as already mentioned, they are watching a lot of their best people (those who can find other work in this economy) walk. So, they are forced to hire just to get the papers out.
It doesn't bode well for the company.
7:22 - you must not know - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on.
ReplyDeleteHow about the scumbag practice of laying off someone and then a few weeks later offering them about a fifth of their previous salary to work 10-20 hours a week, no benefits. Then you still get high quality and don't have to train. Economy is so bad that people have not been been to land other jobs. So they swallow their pride to put food on the table while they keep looking for ft work elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThey could call me tomorrow, offer more money and I still wouldn't go back. Gannett is the most toxic employer on the planet. The best day of my life was the day I was laid off.
ReplyDelete10:22 - I've seen that tactic, too. Trouble is that's a practice that will only work in the short term. If the economy bounces back, more quality people will be able to leave and Gannett will be fucked. The company is a terrible place to work and it has cemented its reputation as such, both with current employees and those who might consider jumping ship.
ReplyDeleteThere only hope is folks coming out of college. So, they're looking at a very green workforce as they supposedly transition into this brave new media world. In some ways the youth could help them, but I don't expect they will capitalize on it. Why? The young work force will be led by aging dinosaurs like Dubow who don't even understand the environment they're working in. Smart young people like working for other smart people. Gannett doesn't have them in the right positions.
10:56 - I know where you're coming from. I left the company and have a job now where I am far busier and have to work way harder than I did for Gannett. It's not ideal but, oddly, I still feel like I'm under less stress.
ReplyDeleteThere's just something about the Gannett work environment that makes you feel like you're dying inside.
When I was laid off, I was told in urgent sincerity that should ANYTHING change, that if this upper-level manager had anything to say about it, I would be among the first to be asked back.
ReplyDelete"We don't want to lose you, but at this point we have no choice," etc., went the wail. Well, that was touching.
Except for the added caveat that it would likely be for no-experience starting pay and no insurance. "At least that's 'something.' "
You know... after have been reamed from a life-time of experience they didn't "want to lose." Something hilarious, all right, if it weren't so... dysfunctionally sick.
Plus, I don't hear my wireless ringing, either. Had to get rid of the wireline (same number for 30 years) and practically every other expense to pay for COBRA insurance. Good thing I like brown rice.
Now before someone says "go reinvent yerself," I'm not one of those who has just sat around in the meantime. In fact, I think very few people do that. I'm still looking for work in my field (and decidedly in several others), every week. For a year now. I'm trying not to let it get to me. The job situation varies by geography, and, yes, I would move from my life-long hometown in a heartbeat.
Due to an old back injury, though, I can't take any position that requires any length of standing, however, so I guess Wal-Mart greeter is out, huh.
4:41 -- I had a friend who was promised the same thing. She was eventually hired back ... at substantially less money and she still doesn't make what she did five years ago.
ReplyDeleteGannett is the worst!
What is amazing to me is the Gannett papers sent sales staff packing in layoffs and turn around and fill the spaces. It is simply amazing. I hope someone like a really good lawyer can figure out how to nail Gannett to the wall. I can't believe the crap Gannett gets away with.
ReplyDelete