Microsoft recruiter softens tone, stays employed

Count Microsoft recruiter Gretchen Ledgard as yet another person who's learned a hard lesson about the perils of employee blogging.

While others have lost their jobs because of material they posted, Ledgard remains at the Redmond giant after complaining publicly June 1st about her work frustrations (the original blog now includes an update). But in a posting earlier this week, she said she regretted the way she phrased her original message and admitted the attention it gained was nerve-wracking.

"Needless to say, there's been a lot of worrying and crying in my hotel room here in Orlando," she wrote Wednesday, from Microsoft's TechEd conference.

Ledgard's original blog blasted Microsoft hiring managers as "entitled, spoiled whiners." I wrote a News.com about her posting on Tuesday, giving credit to her and Microsoft for airing dirty laundry at the company. Later, the News.com item could be found at Google News.

In a note to her team, Ledgard said her general manager sent a supportive e-mail to her. Even so, she indicated she should have done things differently. "It's one thing to be edgy and controversial; it's another thing to say things that can get you and your team in trouble," she wrote. "For all that I advise others about how to be good corporate bloggers, I sure didn't take my own advice."

Still, Ledgard can see positive results from her self-described tirade. In the memo to her team, she wrote: "Over the last 18 hours, I've received tons of feedback from external customers about the Microsoft Recruiting process, several positive comments about how Microsoft's candor makes them want to work for the company that much more, a load of resumes, and...here's the kicker...a personal invitation from a Sr. VP to talk with him about what's on my mind!"