Layoffs

Cuts In London Banking Jobs

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OK, it’s not exactly geeky on the surface, but man are there some cuts coming in the banking jobs in London.

I bring this up for a few reasons:

  • Holy cr@p that’s a lot of jobs.
  • It’s a reminder banking cuts aren’t just in New York.
  • It’s a reminder the UK is not as isolated as we often treat it.
  • It’s a reminder financial problems are not just, well . . . Greece.

– Steven Savage

Dismal Yahoo News Of The Day and The Power Of A Name

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The Layoffs have Started.  Meanwhile, Yahoo is countersuing.

Honestly, I can’t see any reason for Yahoo to continue as anything else.  Their refocusing doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, I don’t see a plan, and I can imagine they’ve annoyed the bejezus out of people with the lawsuit.  What’s left?

However I’d add this – even if Yahoo does have a plan, a winning strategy, something that will work, there’s one barrier that really is holding them back.

The name.

Yahoo used to be cool.  It used to be a big thing.  Then they slipped, and everyone else came in and, well . . . you know the rest.  Yahoo is now laying people off and suing other successful companies, and people are just feeling sort of angry/sorry for them.

The name Yahoo now means “failure” (and a rather drawn-out, lashing-out failure at that).  There’s little chance Yahoo can get over that.

So, oddly, I think Yahoo’s best chance, whatever their other plan, is to acquire/partner up with some others and form a newly-named business to get the hell away from their name.  That may be enough psychological boost – and a good branding exercise – to help good plans be realized.

That requires good plans, but even they will have to overcome the name problem . . .

– Steven Savage

(Oh, and I maintain my “only apply with the utmost caution to Yahoo” stance.)

 

Yahoo Continues To Commit Suicie

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Apparently they’re laying off a research team that others want to snatch up.

Now I could go on a usual rant, but let me just note the takeaways here:

  • Don’t send a resume to Yahoo, it’s clear they’re not a good choice.
  • If Yahoo keeps shedding/loosing people it may make employment slightly harder as people snatch up their talent.
  • This tells me they’re giving up on innovation for now – paired with their lawsuit it makes me honestly suspicious they’re looking at some kind of litigation/licensing model.
  • When Yahoo finally implodes one way or another, watch for the reaction.

– Steven Savage