I just don't understand that attitude. We have picked up some VERY EXCELLENT employees in the past year, including a few who would match the experiences of folks in that article.

Seems to me that someone who has been out of work for more than six months would come in with a lot of energy and drive, not to mention a great attitude. Those things may wear off over time, but I would think an employee who is happy to have the chance to be there would be a better hire than someone who is looking for a new gig because they are tired of the one they have.

Apparently, this demonstrates my lack of fitness as management material.

IMO there is a little truth to the article, but like all media it is overblown to get attention.

In moderately good economic times, I learned the hard way that if someone is out of work, or has 10 different companies on their resume; that there is a reason for that. At some point in the last 5 years or so I may have been quoted as saying: "I will never hire another unemployed person again, it is piracy from here on out!"

Even in these times, I remain leary. But I have watched several people who I would love to have work for me get laid off from where they were working (unfortunately, I am not in a position to hire them), so now there is clearly some talent on the unemployment lines. There is not a week that goes by where I don't hope to have a big enough back-log of projects to pick up a few of these folks.

A manager saying he will not hire someone who is more than 6 months unemployed does have some merit. The manager may have been burned recently, and so gave the headhunter this filter right up front.