Is CNET suffering a full-fledged brain drain?
September 7, 2006I was on an email thread last night with a couple friends, one former and one current CNET employee. Seems the company recently decided to emulate something from Google, giving engineers a half-day each week where they get to work on their own pet projects. One the one hand I think it sounds like a great idea, but I think it’s also something of a sign of desperation. A desperation born of the fact that a steady stream of engineers have been leaving the company.
It’s amazing to learn how many folks have left the engineering staff in the few months since my own departure. It’s not a trickle, it’s a definite steady stream. People leaving to join start-ups, or Google, or Yahoo, or whatever. I would guess the exodus has become so large it’s received notice from the HR department. I assume that’s why they managed to get approval for this “pet projects” notion, as a way to improve the workplace environment and hopefully retain some good people.
But I suspect the damage has been done. Ted Cahall did a lot to damage the morale and effectiveness of the IT organization. After his departure over a year ago, the group never really has recovered its footing. Too many of the cronies who climbed the ladder under Ted were still around, his ugly scent still lingered if you will. Speaking of lingering, they even have his bio page still up even though he’s been gone over a year. [UPDATE: Looks like somebody finally removed Ted’s bio from the site]
So now as the Bay Area economy grows and tech opportunities open up, people are leaving CNET behind. It’s quite a group of ex-CNET folks, includes some really senior folks like the VP who was in charge of data center operations (which is a critical position for a Web-based company).
I suspect the damage has become too great. They need some kind of big shake-up or housecleaning or something to reverse the trend. Otherwise this brain drain will cut too deep into their ability to innovate and keep up with the competition.
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Is CNET suffering a full-fledged brain drain?
YES. Although one could argue that many of them didn’t get the opportunity to use their brains to start with.
Actually I think if they react properly, this brain drain is an opportunity. Too many people got burned too badly by the Cahall years, it’s inevitable that they want to leave even with the new leadership in place.
If CNET manages the influx of new people properly, doesn’t scar them the way the old guard was scarred, then the new blood could reinvigorate the organization.
Hey Rex
You’re right: there has been an amazing number of people leaving CNET in all areas. And most of the departures are from outside the IT area. There have been a huge number of executive level people exiting and a great number of mid-level management positions from all over.
Whatever you think of Ted, it’s a mistake to lay this at his feet. Most of the people who have left CNET had little to do with either IT or Ted. And if Ted messed up the IT culture, CNET has had a year and a half to fix that problem … why haven’t they? Because CNET leadership doesn’t think there is a problem to fix. I think they are wrong: there is a problem but it goes much deeper than Ted and IT.
Why is there such an exodus from the entire organization? I think it has far more to do with poor corporate performance and the stock options issues which clearly shook the trust people had in the individual leaders. A lack of a meaningful direction and the relentless “spin” put on everything has left people feeling adrift.
I personally left a year after Ted left. When Ted left, CNET made the decision that they didn’t need a CIO / CTO because the other executive leadership felt they were very technically savvy. I felt my profession was mildly disrespected at that time and as I worked through the year, the “mild” turned to “greatly”. I’ve had a number of jobs and worked in a number of different organizational structures but none of them were as frustrating as my last year at CNET.
hi there rex,
what do you think of the most recent exodus.
i hear that the engineering director took his entire team to yahoo.
is this correct? why do you think there is still a problem? is it connected with a possible take over? the rumors are flying.
khrizma — I’m unfortunately very out of the loop nowadays on CNET. I know precious few of the remaining engineering staff.
Would not surprise me if some kind of sale is in the works. I don’t see how they survive as an independent.
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