Yahoo! Inc. Chief Executive Officer Carol Bartz told employees that she needs time to review the Internet company’s search business and that her gut instinct is not to sell it, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Bartz made the comments yesterday at a companywide meeting a day after she took over the reins from Jerry Yang, said the person, who declined to be identified because the meeting wasn’t public. A Yahoo! spokeswoman didn’t return a call seeking comment.