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Talent Trade Tidbit - Working Hard, or Hardly Working?

Published on: 18th December, 2025

Stephanie has a hot take on a generational observation that, quite frankly, has left her a bit befuddled.

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Transcript
Speaker:

Hi, this is Stephanie Maas.

Speaker:

Today I wanna talk to you about, honestly, a subject that's been on my mind that thankfully is not political or religious or anything like that, but it seems like there has been this shift, and I hope I don't offend anybody with this, but a shift in the mentality where suddenly, over the last several years.

Speaker:

The idea of hard work has almost become like a negative.

Speaker:

Now again, I know my age, I know how I was raised.

Speaker:

My parents' solution to most things was, well get up and go work hard at it.

Speaker:

If it doesn't work out, you know what?

Speaker:

You'll feel great because you still work hard, and I get it.

Speaker:

That's not the solution every time for everything.

Speaker:

Again, I'm not promoting anything that isn't work-life balance.

Speaker:

Anyone that knows me, I'm a huge proponent of that.

Speaker:

I've got three kids and I want to be around for them, but at the same time, I've noticed there seems to be this sense of just wanting to do the bare minimum or heaven forbid if they do more.

Speaker:

Then the bare minimum they wanna parade and trophies and, and again, it's not even a complete generational thing either.

Speaker:

I just think, I just wonder so much what has happened in our society where the value of a good day's hard work has gotten lost.

Speaker:

And I'm not talking about the value for those that we're serving.

Speaker:

I'm talking about the value for ourselves.

Speaker:

I'll tell you what, I know for sure that when I put in a really good day's effort.

Speaker:

When I do go home, inherently, I just feel better about myself.

Speaker:

I don't know why or what I'm, I'm sure someone could explain what's happening chemically in my body and blah, blah.

Speaker:

I, I get all that, but it just makes me wonder why is everybody so afraid of hard work?

Speaker:

I don't know.

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About the Podcast

The Talent Trade
Presented by ThinkingAhead Executive Search
The Talent Trade is all about finding the right person, for the right opportunity, at the right time. But how exactly do you do that the "right" way? Executive Search Partner and Top Biller Stephanie Maas shares more than 25 years of experience about what it takes to be a top recruiter in today's "talent trade" market, using ThinkingAhead’s four-prong system focused on recruiting, business development, planning, and managing your mindset. It’s real, honest information about how to build your desk, perfect your niche, and stand out among the crowd in your search career.



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