The World Will Always Need Ditch Diggers

I spend a LOT of time ripping on companies, hiring managers and the hiring process. So here, let me take a shot at the job seekers. Not all of them, just a certain group of them. But don't worry - I have plenty more to say on the other stuff.

There’s an ugly trend ripping through today’s entry to mid-level job market — and it’s not regional, seasonal, or economic. It’s everywhere. 🌍

And it’s costing job seekers opportunities and employers sanity. 😤

It’s the one thing you can’t fake, can’t Google or ChatGPT, can’t shortcut.

You either have it… or you don’t.

So, what is this mysterious trait everyone’s desperate for?

💥 Work ethic.

Every day, my inbox, phone, and LinkedIn messages look the same:

“Corey, where can I find good people who actually want to work?” 🤷‍♂️

When this started years ago, I thought it was isolated.

Today? It’s part of the daily hiring routine. 📞💬

And my job is to find employees with the trait that trumps skill, experience, and resumes:

👉 The drive to show up, engage, respect the workplace, and take pride in doing the job well. 💪

Merriam-Webster defines work ethic as “a belief in work as a moral good.” –

Let me break it down:

✅ Show up on time ⏰

✅ Do what you say you’ll do ✔️

✅ Respect people 🙌

✅ Respect yourself 💯

✅ Be grateful you have a job 🙏

That’s it. Nothing complicated.

So, here’s the big question: With so many people looking for jobs, why is it so hard to find people who actually want to work? 🤔

Recently, I talked to a long-standing small business in my hometown. They want to hire talented people… but they’re stuck in the same nightmare:

• No-shows to interviews ❌

• No-shows on day one 🚫

• Ghosting like it’s a hobby 👻

I’d love to ask these people face-to-face: Why? Why waste someone’s time? Why sabotage your own career? But truthfully… I don’t think they know.

What I do know is how employers can start fixing this — one hire at a time.

Because the solution isn’t some fancy new system. The solution is your hiring process. ⚙️

Job seekers say it’s too long, too detailed, too much red tape and waiting – Well… they’re right. 🤷

If work ethic is rare, employers need to be certain the person they hire won’t vanish at the first challenge.

Is the hiring process broken? Yes. Bloated? Yes. But you can take control of it.

My recruiting approach is simple:

I don’t follow HR scripts. I don’t use cookie-cutter methods.

I run a process designed to test the one thing that actually matters:

Work ethic over resume bullet points. 🎯Most of the time.

So, employers — if you’re frustrated, overwhelmed, or flat-out fed up:

👉 Change the process. 🔄

👉 Hire for integrity. 🧭

👉 Train for skill. 🛠️

👉 Stop obsessing over duties and start prioritizing discipline.

Now calm down.

Are there duties and experience needed for some jobs, of course there is, I'm not saying abandon your need for technical qualifications, what I'm saying is look at the WHOLE PICTURE of your candidates. What they actually are...not what you think they are or where they're mindset is.

And job seekers — listen closely:

Whether you’re sweeping floors 🧹 or running the boardroom 🏢…

If you don’t have work ethic, your dream job isn’t happening.

Period. 🎯

Because here’s the truth nobody wants to say:

💥 There will always be opportunities in this world.

💥 But there will also always be a need for ditch diggers.

💥 Your work ethic decides which side you end up on. 🛠️