AOL’S Gain Is Everyone Else’s Loss

We’ve already covered how AOL’s content arm is snatching up scads of old-media talent. Now the NYT reports on how this is possible.

In short, it’s what we, and HR experts have been saying for months: He who invests now does not pay later.

Even though now’s a crap time to be hiring, even for relatively stable companies, now’s also the time that the smartest, talentedest people are pounding the pavement, resumes in hand.

“I’m not going to deny that the availability of talent has accelerated many of our efforts,” said Martin Moe, who is in charge of the news sites at AOL. “Suddenly, in the last 18 months, this huge pool of talent has become available.”

AOL is looking forward. Perhaps because it’s being forced to, as Time Warner is in the process of spinning out the ill-fated merger. But still.

We approve.

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