Is he really defending young people? :D  I mean they're attractive in many ways...but aren't old people supposed to diss the young? He's gotta be in his thirties because anyone over 40 should have nothing good to say. :D:D

Meh... I think it's the same old story. Young people have always been flaky buggers when they first leave the nest. Heck knows most of us were (especially being the musical types). It takes some time in the real world to really "get it".
 
Of course there are certain generations in western society that got carted off to war quite young and then there are those from rural areas who had to get up a tend to the farm or starve. General crap like that that instilled work ethics and discipline younger than others.
 
For those coming from certain areas of the globe... well there's that real do or die (or at least go hungry) action instilled, again, at a young age.
 
I have a certain amount of faith in the current crop of sproutlings despite their faults (mostly bred and taught into them by us older farts). They seem like they're generally bright enough but just need a dose of reality like all of us did at some point to get their heads in the game. A good employer can do that (but of course you aren't a guidance counsellor... you're a businessman).
 
As I said upthread. I have to have faith in them otherwise we're all boned.
 
And again... let's think back to the young people of the 60's, 70's, 80's and (in my case) 90's. The young people were generally just as flighty, vapid and self absorbed.
 
That of course doesn't mean you need to hire them. Just saying they're still confused, goofy little pups figuring the world out. They may turn out alright. They could of course also turn out to be a total nightmare.
 
Only time will tell.
 
Cheers.

At my retirement party there was a younger fellow who said: "Do you remember what you said to me when I first got assigned to your team?"
 
Me: "Remember...? Uh refresh please."
 
Him: "You said: there are two ways we can work this: The wrong way and my way. I'm going to stipulate my way. Can you live with that?"
 
Me (chuckling): "Well I don't really recall that but it sure sounds like me. How'd that all work out anyway?"
 
Him: "In the end really good."
 
I thought that was a pretty good send off...

@Beepster...not to rain on your parade but sociologists have a very different take. They see very different patterns in generational behavior due to many factors, not the least of which is the environment that said generation grows up in... i.e. Technological advances, current cultural norms, etc...or the parenting they receive from their previous generation...generally rebelling against or at the very least modifying the methods of their own parents. While "kids will be kids" may be a generic truism...every succeeding generation shows definite strains of "uniqueness" that makes them particularly identifiable.

Hi,
 
Weird that some folks think that everyone is useless at 60, and stupid! I might not drive as fast as some folks in NY and SF ... but ... there are many other things I can run circles around others ... computers for one, and data entry!

Keep in mind, sharke, that you are hiring dog walkers. While you and your clients may believe that it is a demanding and responsible job, many people who are looking for work in your field probably are not so impressed. If you were hiring investment bankers or corporate lawyers, you would probably find a much more nuanced understanding of the need to spell check applications and take care to come across as an adult in an interview, even among young people. I was a pretty feckless young man, in and out of menial jobs at a whim, working just enough to manage a hippy lifestyle. 
 
Maybe we are expecting too much of young people seeking marginal jobs. I was frankly flabbergasted when I saw a sign outside a JiffyLube saying that they were hiring and inviting prospective employees to submit a curriculum vitae. A CV from a guy who is going to change oil all day? No one ever asked me for a CV, or even a high school diploma for my first dozen jobs. And the people I worked with in those days (mostly older than I) had a really lousy work ethic. Essentially the old "we pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us," menatlity. These were ofen the guys in my father's (the greatest) generation. You are probably too young to become a really successful curmudgeon, but you are on the right track. In my day, it required at least a few years of social security before we could confidently put down a whole generation. That and the years of walking ten miles each way to school uphill in both directions in a blinding snowstorm every day.

slartabartfast
Keep in mind, sharke, that you are hiring dog walkers. While you and your clients may believe that it is a demanding and responsible job, many people who are looking for work in your field probably are not so impressed. If you were hiring investment bankers or corporate lawyers, you would probably find a much more nuanced understanding of the need to spell check applications and take care to come across as an adult in an interview, even among young people. I was a pretty feckless young man, in and out of menial jobs at a whim, working just enough to manage a hippy lifestyle. 
 
Maybe we are expecting too much of young people seeking marginal jobs. I was frankly flabbergasted when I saw a sign outside a JiffyLube saying that they were hiring and inviting prospective employees to submit a curriculum vitae. A CV from a guy who is going to change oil all day? No one ever asked me for a CV, or even a high school diploma for my first dozen jobs. And the people I worked with in those days (mostly older than I) had a really lousy work ethic. Essentially the old "we pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us," menatlity. These were ofen the guys in my father's (the greatest) generation. You are probably too young to become a really successful curmudgeon, but you are on the right track. In my day, it required at least a few years of social security before we could confidently put down a whole generation. That and the years of walking ten miles each way to school uphill in both directions in a blinding snowstorm every day.

Keep in mind that I'm describing a change in work ethic. My requirements haven't changed over the last 10 years and it used to be much easier to find good employees. I've always asked to see an employment history. I don't, however, require formal qualifications and never have. I'm not just making this up and I don't have unreasonable expectations from employees. In fact as an employer I'm pretty easy going - I just require the basics of honesty, reliability, communication skills etc. It's certainly not just me - employers all over the country are reporting the same thing. My girlfriend's parents have a big store and are experiencing exactly the same thing, it's become harder and harder to find good employees. 

I used to say *when burger flippers want $14 per hour to flip burgers, then you know inflation is about to take off.*  Wage inflation is around the corner I'm afraid.  And that will start the process, onwards and upwards.  I imagine we'll be getting 16% for Tbills before long! :D  But the reason I mention this is that, perhaps the reason it's getting harder to find decent workers is symptom of full employment (5% unemployment and lower).  Maybe not.

Burger flipping will be fully automated before burger flippers get $14/hr. 
 
Who knows, maybe I'll come up with a legion of dog walking robots. 

$15 per hour right now in Seattle for flipping burgers.  Portland's catching up.  I work in the real estate industry and it's insane.  Only difference between now and 2008 is that the fed just spent the last  5 years printing and disseminating trillions of dollars.  Wages will catch up eventually, I hope.  People are actually going homeless because they simply can't afford the rent increases.  Sound familiar?