CEO Gracia Martore has sent the following memo to employees today:
Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to share with you the news that Roxanne V. Horning, senior vice president of Gannett Human Resources, has made the decision to retire at the end of May.
Roxanne joined our company in 1984 as manager/Employee Benefits and rose through the Human Resources department to become the vice president of Employee Benefits in 1995 and vice president/ Compensation and Benefits in 2003. In 2005 she was named vice president of Human Resources and in 2006 she was appointed senior vice president of Human Resources. Roxanne was named Gannett’s Corporate Staffer of the Year in 1997.
During her more than 28-year tenure at Gannett, Roxanne has been a crucial part of our Human Resources team, and since 2005 has led the department. In 1990, Roxanne, under the guidance of senior management, implemented the Gannett 401(k) plan, which continues to be a cornerstone of the Gannett Total Rewards program. Over the years, Roxanne has created programs such as the Gannett Leadership Program to deliver training and development to employees across the company.
During her time at Gannett, Roxanne has been instrumental in helping Gannett recruit and retain top-notch, best-in-class talent. Roxanne’s enthusiasm and passion for attracting, developing and retaining our most important asset, our employees, has been a tremendous resource to our organization.
Over the past few months, we have worked closely with Roxanne to develop a plan for the continued success of the Gannett Human Resources team following her retirement and we are conducting an internal and external search for her replacement.
Roxanne has contributed much to Gannett’s success. When she begins her next chapter, she plans to spend more time with her husband, Wayne, and two children, Alexandra and Erich. She is also looking forward to spending some time enjoying such hobbies as golf, piano, traveling and doing volunteer work.
Please join me in wishing Roxanne all the best. I know I speak for many when I say she will be greatly missed.
Best regards,
Gracia
Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to share with you the news that Roxanne V. Horning, senior vice president of Gannett Human Resources, has made the decision to retire at the end of May.
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| Horning |
During her more than 28-year tenure at Gannett, Roxanne has been a crucial part of our Human Resources team, and since 2005 has led the department. In 1990, Roxanne, under the guidance of senior management, implemented the Gannett 401(k) plan, which continues to be a cornerstone of the Gannett Total Rewards program. Over the years, Roxanne has created programs such as the Gannett Leadership Program to deliver training and development to employees across the company.
During her time at Gannett, Roxanne has been instrumental in helping Gannett recruit and retain top-notch, best-in-class talent. Roxanne’s enthusiasm and passion for attracting, developing and retaining our most important asset, our employees, has been a tremendous resource to our organization.
Over the past few months, we have worked closely with Roxanne to develop a plan for the continued success of the Gannett Human Resources team following her retirement and we are conducting an internal and external search for her replacement.
Roxanne has contributed much to Gannett’s success. When she begins her next chapter, she plans to spend more time with her husband, Wayne, and two children, Alexandra and Erich. She is also looking forward to spending some time enjoying such hobbies as golf, piano, traveling and doing volunteer work.
Please join me in wishing Roxanne all the best. I know I speak for many when I say she will be greatly missed.
Best regards,
Gracia
“During her time at Gannett, Roxanne has been instrumental in helping Gannett recruit and retain top-notch, best-in-class talent. Roxanne’s enthusiasm and passion for attracting, developing and retaining our most important asset, our employees, has been a tremendous resource to our organization.” Matore
ReplyDeleteSeriously? LOL. Horning’s retirement is long overdue as the egregious behaviors this company tolerated from too many of its managers (and routinely) under her watch is key to why it struggles today.
Roxanne thanks for your constant support over the years. You will be missed. Enjoy your retirement.
ReplyDeleteShe lost her conscience long ago and happily took the money, but the blood will never wash off her hands.
ReplyDeletethe top seem to dropping like flies and taking there money and running. After doing all the firing that would do mmmmmmm . Funny how that works
ReplyDeleteWhat a bunch of sad sacks. This woman started from an entry level position and worked her way up in a male dominated environment for the better part of 30 years. Sure she had to oversee the HR function during challenging times. She is a terrific person and trust me, she will be missed.
ReplyDeleteSo dish coporate folks. Who is going to replace her? Start a list
ReplyDeleteList:
ReplyDeleteJulie Lusk
Working her way up through the ranks 2:42 is very commendable as is her likability, but that doesn’t mean she was qualified to lead Gannett’s HR function and there’s a wealth of data to support why.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, Gannett can talk all it wants about how employees are its most important asset, but its actions over the years has resulted in a culture that reflects anything but, exactly Horning’s replacement should come from outside Gannett. Preferably, someone who’s been recruited from a company that actually has a record of valuing its employees.
3:10 I have no argument with anything you wrote. But here is a question: When candidates are running for President they promise you the world. Then they get to Washington and discover how things work ans many of those promises go out the window. What makes you believe that the HR person from Google or Facebook would have any more sway than Roxanne once they get here and learn about our culture and fiscal management approach? Different doesn't equal better.
ReplyDeleteCarol Pierce
ReplyDeleteWow. I worked for Gannett for just about as long. I never got an e-mail.
ReplyDelete3:41 – I didn’t suggest hunting Google or Facebook for a replacement, in fact, it’s doubtful Gannett could attract anyone from new media – at least anyone those entities don’t already want to lose.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, the rest of your argument seems little more than excuses for more of the same too. And, that’s exactly what would result if Gannett reaches from within a group that frankly has long tolerated what most companies would not and in many cases more than demonstrated it doesn’t know what they don’t know - often, including at least one VP who could be on the short list.
Truth is an outsider with the right experience, knowledge and backing from Gannett’s board (remember, strong candidates would be vetting the company too) – which could be easier to find than you think, could be far more effective over an insider in unleashing the wealth of human capital this company has for too long squandered and held back.
Gannett would be more appreciated by its employees if the HR bots actually looked out for them, instead of looking out for the company by concocting reasons to dump older employees under false pretenses.
ReplyDeleteI say GOOD RIDDANCE, and don;t forget your blood money.
Who cares?
ReplyDeleteI don't care how nice the person is, HR's function top to bottom is to protect the company from its own employees -- not to mediate, let alone advocate, for them. Ever.
ReplyDeleteMaybe too many years have passed for some to note the change having never seen it, but it used to be what was then termed the Personnel Department was in liaison between the two, not a fanatic cheerleader for the latter.
As soon as it was re-defined as "Human Resources," as if to differentiate between animate and inanimate objects, the dehumanization of those human resources started.
Sorry, 2:42, HR is mostly a female and/or diversity ghetto. 4:40 and 4:48 got it right.
ReplyDeleteA woman who had some great years and inspired work. Her effectiveness eroded in the battle to squeeze everything we could legally squeeze out of the operation, forgetting that humans were on the end of the receiving end.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that we worked for a company that cared about what we had done and our passion to excel as journalists was ultimately lost in the mist, teaching us that it's just business - and nothing else.
Steve "I take my craft so seriously" Hyatt. Guffaw!
ReplyDelete4:48 here, 7:14.
ReplyDeleteYou got it right too.
I remember when I got into the biz in the '80s that if we had a problem with management, we had an advocate. About a decade later, that completely flipped. I found that out the hard way. But I never forgot, from then on.
Employees would be better off if there were ZERO HR bots at Gannett.
FORMER GANNETT "HR DIRECTOR" says goodbye to Roxanne. Just a little while back all HR employees at the local sites received an "email" that our jobs were gone. Senior Executives were hand picked and the rest of us "dogs" had to fetch the scraps. If we did not want to fight for the scraps we were told to leave (RIF). There were no face to face conversations regarding our old jobs and no job descriptions for the new jobs. We received very little specifics on what the future of Gannett HR held. Very degrading to those of us that had made it to director level with over 30 years of service. I did not want to fight for the scraps and was showed the door through my RIF.
ReplyDeleteRoxanne had the majority decision to split HR and destroy what was an employee resource. The majority of HR employees fighting for the newly created jobs needed the money or used it as a bridge to their next opportunity. The HR teams that I continue to read about on this blog are merely puppets without the strings. They have no authority to make decisions. Hires, terminations, promotions and any other HR decisions have to be sent to Corporate Executives. Their is totally 100% control from Corporate.
One of the splits was the Employee Services Team and the other was the Business Partner Team. Both teams have no authority to make decisions. They were simply put in place to carry out messages from the Corporate Executives. The Gannett Benefits Center was put in place and is being staffed outside the USA. It is mandated to the HR teams that EVERY employee-retiree benefits issues be resolved from this team. Not following this "rule" could cost the HR employee their job. This was top priority.
With the excessive HR RIF remaining HR employees are now required to work at multiple properties. This is all at the expense of the HR employee (upfront). They are required to drive over multiple states with nothing more than mere "car mileage". Reliable transportation is required for the position.
I said all this to say you do not have the HR teams that CAN support employees. They risk losing their jobs if they do not dance the puppet dance. They are as frustrated and angry as you are about the directions the company continues to take. If their is another round of voluntary RIF under the HR umbrella they will loose more HR employees than they want to. I have friends at numerous sites and we built lasting friendships.
Keep your heads up HR!
12:25 Current employee can only say you are right on the money. I just accepted a position outside Gannett and will be giving notice Friday that I resign and leaving the same day. They deserve this.
ReplyDeleteHey HR, think about this.
ReplyDeleteSoy based Ink, and all the links.
Is PEEEEPUL.
We aren't coal, or oil, or iron ore, Those are resources.
We're people, just like you used to be.
And 10:07, Stevie "Wonder" Hyatt, yes! You never wonder what he is talking, or thinking about. It's all Hyatt, all the time.
"our most important assets, our employees." yea, right.
ReplyDeleteBest regards to you, too, Gracia.
I remember the day my old paper was sold to Gannett. Roxanne looked me in the eye and told of all the wonderful opportunities the "new owners" would be able to provide for us. That was in 2002. I believed her. I now know she was a very good actress. I'm now working for a better company with better pay, better benefits and people who are sincere in their personal and professional endeavors. Goodbye Gannett and goodbye Roxanne!
ReplyDelete12:27 why do you "better company with better pay, better benefits and people" never identify the great new company? Funny how that never happens.
ReplyDeleteIt's Sodexo. In Issy-les-Moulineaux.
ReplyDeleteDoes that help?
This is from 12:27: I don't want to name my new employer for several reasons. The first is that I'm no longer in the publishing industry. The name of my new (small) employer would be completely unknown to those in publishing/media. It took me almost five years to land this job, and I'm currently transitioning from a contract to permanent position. The offer is not official yet, but it will be soon. By the way, I left Gannett on my own. I accepted no program or offer from them to leave. I saw what was happening to the industry, and I had a plan in place to leave. I suggest to all readers of this blog to start working on a plan to leave. Future employers will appreciate that you took some initiative in your change of careers. Good luck!
ReplyDelete5:28 at least he says it to your face. Unlike you who hides behind the blog.
ReplyDeletewho gives a fuck
ReplyDelete12:25 Good words. I was part of the shuffle out last year as well. I told them I wasn't moving and got tossed even though my publisher and I both tried to tell them that our site DID need an HR presence. Well, a few months after I left and the regional person in place, they figured out we were right. Asked the new regional person if she wanted to move AGAIN (at her own expense AGAIN) to this location. She just said no. There are a lot of things that we as HR people tried to do for our colleagues, but weren't able because we didn't have the discretion to do so. I landed on my feet quickly.
ReplyDeleteSaw the e-mail and immediately deleted it. Don't care a lick.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said... "5:28 at least he says it to your face. Unlike you who hides behind the blog."
ReplyDeleteThus spake... Anonymous.
5:08 yes but I did not critique the coward. He/she did so behind hte protection of the blog. There is a difference. If you want to call someone an idiot, identify yourself.
ReplyDelete3:56 what site was that?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteBig HR conference call today with you know who. Roxanne on her way out the door and still creating havoc. After today's call-more HR consolidation in the very near future. More RIF for HR and it's just what some of us want!
ReplyDelete4:13 is full of it. A blatant liar. The call was about recruiting, wait for it, MORE people!
ReplyDelete7:13 I heard the same message and we are on our way out the door. Ride the wave to the end/do very little.
ReplyDelete7:13 BS!
ReplyDelete7:13 You are correct and I'm sad
ReplyDelete7:31 and 9:34 STOP drinking the Kool-Aid
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