The rest of the financial and web community also took their stand. Just after a few hours of the announcement, Yahoo’s stock jumped to more than 6 percent from $12.91, which interestingly remained almost unchanged since Bartz took over the leadership. Pundits believed that firing Bartz was an excellent decision made by Yahoo. To quote Matt Rosoff of Business Insider, “The company’s stock is up more than 6% after hours on the news, validating the fact that Wall Street was placing a huge ‘Bartz discount’ on the company.”

Her ouster, however, brought another issue, which should never be overlooked by business owners, whether big or small. Is it really right to kick out someone, even as huge as a CEO, by telephone?

The Possible Reasons Why
No one really knows for sure why Yahoo did that. All we heard after Bartz herself broke the news was a series of obligatory well-wishes and apologies for a 30-month job cut short. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop people from speculating.

Topping the list is practicality. If your mind is made up, why should you go through the lengthy explanations? The bottom line is she’s fired, and no amount of reasons from Bartz would probably save herself.

Many also think that Bartz herself scared them off. After all, she was known to be very. To make the saga even more interesting, she broke the “surprising” news to her employees through iPad. Surely, those who hold on to this theory believe Bartz has more guts than the guys currently controlling Yahoo. Besides, she wouldn’t be called “Hurricane Carol” (in reference to one of the most disastrous cyclones of New England) for nothing.

Yet There’s Still the Question of Ethics
But what do we really think about that? We still firmly regard that each management can adopt its own style of managing its employees, including terminating or dismissing someone in the top position. No law considers firing over the telephone is illegal. Nevertheless, we don’t necessarily agree to the process.

Bartz may have made decisions that didn’t sit well with the rest of the Yahoo board or didn’t bring back the glorious status of the search engine company, but one should be able to give credit wherever it is due. After all, she wouldn’t be considered as a CEO if her resume doesn’t speak volumes. On the other hand, the Letting People Go: The People-centered Approach to Firing and Laying Off Employees author, Matt Shlosberg, thinks that firing through telephone is inappropriate and, in turn, may only be risky for companies like Yahoo, who could already be viewed as unethical and unprofessional.

Termination is hard, even for ultra-large and well-known companies. The grim news, especially in these times, is a hard pill to swallow. But for respect’s sake, it’s best if both camps act like true professionals – especially on the part of Yahoo.

Wide spectrum of jobs is available at our CAREER section!

Sandwich degrees are so much better.
It is already a given fact that having a degree or a certificate of completion gives you an edge over those who never made it to college or vocational school. However, those with sandwich degrees will fare much better. A sandwich degree is a course that provides at least a year of on-the-job training for students.

This is preferred by many employees since OJT training can already be counted as a working experience. They usually hire those who already know the ins and outs of their jobs and those who demand less training and less company expenses.

People skills are highly demanded.
Take a look at all the job ads. You will notice that virtually all of them need people who know how to speak, write, and listen effectively. Even if you are working behind the desk from 9 to 5, you still have to interact with your boss, colleagues, and even clients. You have to convey the right attitude and people-skill to everyone.

All it takes is initiative.
Companies do train their employees to do the job better. They will also provide troubleshooting tips when the going gets tough. Nevertheless, you cannot expect business owners to be always reminding their workers about a certain issue. Initiatives then come in. Those who show such trait on the job are often those who get promoted. This is because majority of employees with initiative also develop leadership and interpersonal skills. These workers also have a high grade for communication skills.

You have to be an IT-educated person.
Brick-and-mortar businesses are already adapting technologies to speed up productivity and improve accurate data. Every business maintains at least one computer. Thus, if you are computer illiterate, it will be very difficult for you to land a job. On the other hand, you are on a good head-start if you have intermediate or advanced IT skills. Therefore, it is best to pick colleges and universities that incorporate IT in their curriculum.

If you’re applying on a job that does not primarily revolves around IT (such as being an accountant, office clerk, HR manager, sales representative, teacher, and the likes), your computer experience does not need to be topnotch. As long as you know how to operate the machine, then you’re good to go.

Work ethics still matter.
In spite of the many changes in the workplace, certain things still remain. It is essential for would-be employees to honor working schedules, to show respect to their heads and fellow workers, to offer support to their subordinates, to follow the rules, and to never engage in office politics and gossip.

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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But how do you exactly retain employees? Does it have to involve money all the time? The answer is actually no. Here are the 7 most effective ways to retain employees.

1. Develop expectations.
Even before you hire employees into the company, make sure that both parties are aware of each other’s expectations. This way, you know what makes the employee happy within the organization and at the same time he or she has an idea how to get the rewards he or she deserves.

2. Come up with something more.
Be extra generous when it comes to fringe benefits and compensation packages. For example, you can extend health insurance plan to the employee’s family. You may also help them set up their retirement or pension plan, as well as get them to stock options. When they know a lot are at stake, it will take so much effort at their end to leave the job and give it to somebody else.

3. Conduct a 360-degree feedback.
Any company performs employee appraisal. You use the information for promotion, demotion, and transfer. However, do not leave the task to managers and supervisors alone. Give everyone a chance to speak up and share opinion. Through the 360-degree feedback, the employees can also rate their department heads.

4. Increase your workers’ knowledge and skills.
As mentioned, money is not the sole reason for working and staying in a company. Many employees want to feel a sense of growth. It allows them to look forward to something new and makes them feel useful to the organization.

Make it a point to develop training and development programs according to their level of learning and skill. These plans should be in direct relation to the career path they want to take.

5. Hire a human resource manager.
You can do this once you have 100 employees or more. By this time, you can no longer keep tabs of your employees’ performance or even take time to evaluate the applicants properly.

6. Reduce workplace conflict.
Conflict among employees leads to stress, absenteeism, poor performance, and ultimately, resignation. You can reduce this problem by maintaining open communication, designing teambuilding activities, and establishing fairness to all.

7. Allow your workers to shine.
Give them a chance to take on a role that is new and huge. This way, they will feel challenged and forced to test their limits and appreciate their efforts. For example, you may ask an IT staff to develop a new database for employee profiles.

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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