Empty Nast Syndrome: Condé's New Hiring Chill
Condé Nast CEO Chuck Townsend informed a group of his publishers yesterday morning that if their magazines can avoid hiring someone, they should.
"If you have an open position on your team, they're going to make you stand on your head until you're blue in the face before you fill it," said one attendee at the meeting.
Mr. Townsend gathered publishers for a quarterly breakfast meeting on the fourth floor at 4 Times Square. It lasted from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Scrambled eggs, potatoes and fruit were served.
The language from Mr. Townsend wasn't entirely clear, but with more bad news released yesterday about ad revenues in the industry, Mr. Townsend and Si Newhouse have notified the publishers of each Condé Nast book to say that it's time to reevaluate things on both the editorial and business sides before swinging into 2009.
It's not quite a hiring freeze! It's a hiring chill of sorts.
"My interpretation of it is that it's not cast in stone or that the doors are locked," said the source. "But it's a request that however you're running your business now, you should continue to do that for the foreseeable future."
What else is new? I did the job of three people for almost minimum wage when I was an assistant at a magazine. As long as the EIC's and Publishers make their million.
I did the job of 2 assistants + 2 bosses (40 if you count each personality). An assistant at Conde has all the upper-level responsibility minus the expense account plus the little box cubicale "office." Ralph made great omelets though.
I did the job of 2 assistants + 2 bosses (with 40 personalities). An assistant at Conde has all the upper-level responsibility minus the expense account plus the litter box cubical "office." Ralph made great omelets though.
seriously, what else is new? underpaid and overworked, nothing new there. i'm an assistant now and i do the work of the whole department! assistants are directors without the expense accounts, blackberries, event invites, and hoity toity friends.
looks like i'm stuck here till the new year anyway, i heard hearst has a freeze (oops, i mean, "chill") too.
A boss with 40 personalities.... I can definitely relate. No new hires is not the biggest issue at this Conde mag for sure.