To be blunt, though, a lot of dead weight still isn't getting fired, either. In a down market, companies should be hiring, even if they don't "need" the people

To be blunt, though, a lot of dead weight still isn't getting fired, either. In a down market, companies should be hiring, even if they don't "need" the people. Great talent is not only more available now than before, but it's probably cheaper, too (after enough months of looking, people just want a job, and are less picky about salary and such). And since the job market isn't great, once your talent is in the door, they're not likely to leave anytime soon. It is the perfect time to build a dream team and actually get things done.