Comments on: Vurv Trims Staff; Acquires People Business Network

By: Meril Johnstone

Meril Johnstone — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 04:27:00 +0000

From a close contact that was recently ‘offboarded’ from vurv, it wasn’t 20 people let go, it was over 60 people, only a few were management. Sounds kinda crazy considering their poor reputation for service, support and implementation that they would layoff so many quality assurance personnel, implentation consultants and developers. The PBN offboarding software was apparently not used and not easily integrated as they claim. Formal offboarding techniques from “workforce optimization software” vendors such as exit interviews or outplacement support for employees were not offered either I’m told. That seems hard to believe considering vurv is a major player in this space selling software to companies for exactly this reason. To me, it sounds like marketing smoke and mirrors rather than core competence or quality. We shall see, but it sounds like there is much work to be done in the face of increasing competition.

By: Coach Pella

Coach Pella — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:15:00 +0000

What is most interesting to me about the layoffs at Vurv is how they were handled compared to the recent layoffs at Jobster. Jason took a lot of heat for the move and being so public about it in his blog, but business is business, and at the end of the day, both Jobster and Vurv have to trim fat to become profitable and attractive for a takeover or eventual IPO. The human element on how employees were ?off boarded? is very ironic. Jobster?s very public layoff, at first viewed as a gaff, in hindsight, may now be viewed as a mild stroke of genius. Jason and his team continue to blog the industry to support and outplace ex-Jobster employees via social networking. Many ex-Jobster employees scored numerous interview offers and networking opportunities as a result of these collective efforts. Jobster even left the email connected for the former employees so that they could benefit from such communication. In the long run, these former employees will be supporters of Jobster and speak well of them. On the other hand, Vurv, puts out and announcement that the 20 people let go, were, to paraphrase, ?non essential and redundant?. Gee whiz, that should help out the ex-Vurv-ette?s in a job interview and social networking. Also, what opinion do the former employees have of Vurv moving forward? (One must wonder if Vurv used the off boarding software from PBN to off-board it?s own employees?) Finally, it would appear that the Jobster team (which Jason invited everyone to just try and poach from his company) will stick around to rebuild the company. Will Vurv now experience ?brain drain? ( the same that struck at Brass Ring and Restrac when much of the remaining talent ran for the door soon after the initial post merger lay off?s) or will they emerge leaner and stronger? I guess we will find out at the annual boondoggle in Las Vegas!

By: Coach Pella

Coach Pella — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:14:00 +0000