Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

Twice yesterday, I heard, “Management has put a new hiring freeze in place.” I was dumbfounded. Where does this stuff come from? Not from me, I can assure you.

Yes, we are trying to be very careful about adding expenses. Yes, we are scrutinizing every new position request. And, yes, we are even asking managers to justify replacement positions. But we have not put a hiring freeze into place—and we don’t plan to.

Rest assured, our company is healthier than it has ever been. If you haven’t already, take a look at our operating results through the December 31 quarter (our fiscal third quarter and our most recent reporting period). Revenues are up 8% over the prior year; profits are up 18%. This is healthy by any standard, and I want to keep it that way.

When the company is healthy—and growing—it creates security and opportunity for everyone. This doesn’t mean we can’t hire the people we need to get the work done. But it does mean we have to be careful and deliberate about it. We have to make sure that we continue growing revenues faster than expenses. This is in everyone’s best interest.

Note: If you have heard anything else that you suspect may be a rumor, e-mail me. I will keep your name confidential and clarify the issue here on my blog.

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