Thanks, Maureen

(Nov 28, 2008) One of the really useful things about RecruitingBlogs.com is the way you get to know and trust certain people. The array of voices around the Recruiting and Human Capital Industry is vast and chaotic. Our friends take the time to highlight valuable pieces and separate  the wheat from the chaff.

Everyone in our community has their own view of the value chain. If you're around very long, you start to figure out who you listen to and who you ignore. It's different for everyone.

I watch some people pretty closely. You know them. Maren Hogan, Jason Davis, Ami Givertz, Susan Burns, Maureen Sharib, Dave Mendoza, Rayanne Thorn, Craig Silverman, Josh LeTourneau, Steve Levy, Claudia Faust, Steven Rothberg, Bill Vick, Tektree Gopi,  Amybeth Hale, The Animal.

They act as news filters and insight purveyors. I rely on them collectively to point out the interesting stuff in and around the Recruiting Industry.

I got to thinking about this as I was pulling together this post-Thanksgiving piece. I opened RBC and there was a note from Maureen Sharib. (I wonder where she gets all that energy). Simple and thought provoking, she quoted Penelope Trunk"s blog (another favorite), "unemployment is insanely high for older people: Yesterday, Fox News reported that the unemployment rate for people over 50 is nearing 50%."

Here is the fuller context of that quote:

So I know what you're saying. If things are so great for young people, then why is Obama creating 2.5 million jobs from the Chicago Hilton? The answer is that unemployment is insanely high for older people: Yesterday, Fox News reported that the unemployment rate for people over 50 is nearing 50%.

I'm not saying things are great in the U.S. (Though I do love Obama.) What I'm saying is that young people shouldn't be thrown by the bad news that old people are pushing. Things are not that bad if you're beginning your career. Think big, ask a lot of the world, demand respect and fun and a high learning curve. You will annoy people, for sure, but young people annoy older people in a good economy too. (Penelope Trunk)

Penelope's article contains some of the best intergenerational bashing I've seen since the late 1960s. Baby boomers screwed the pooch, Gen Xers never had a chance and the world is rosy if you are justgetting started. It's virulent and clear.

Channeling Jack Weinberg who famously said "We have a saying in the movement that we don’t trust anybody over 30", Penelope lays out the toughest part of the intergenerational divide. There are tons of old people and not as many young people. The friction is strutural and it's going to get worse.

It's a really good time to start brushing up on your Generation Gap knowledge. Google news is an interesting way to watch. Over the years, I've put together some pretty good tutorials (here, here, here and here).

Penelope's argument is going to be voiced more frequently and more aggressively. Demographics have changed our culture and our workplace. The dreams and behaviors of the Boomers were rooted in the idea that the world was an ever-growing pyramid full of opportunity. During their tenure, lots of money got spent and lots of dreams disappeared.

I caught the story because Maureen pointed it out.

Who do you pay attention to on RBC? Give an example of a piece of news or insight you got by being a part of the community.

John Sumser has been chronicling the Recruiting Industry forever. You can catch his work at JohnSumser.com. He's the CEO of the Recruiting Roadshow. These days he's been working out the kinks in a new process for developing a top level Recruiting Strategy