Poll of the Day > Is poaching employees from another business illegal?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is it illegal for a business owner to go into a business and tell the employees they'll pay them better?

That is a bit of a complex question. The short answer is that hardly ever happens unless it is a business that you shouldn't apply for because any good business is going to go through recruiters (either hired by the company or a 3rd party firm) that know how to navigate the legalities of that. If the owner themselves is doing the recruiting then it is a shitty and most likely shady business.

Most times when you apply to a job, they want you to tell them how much you deserve, not the other way around. They really don't want to be in a position where they offer what they think is a good deal, only for you to laugh in their face because it is half of what you make currently. And yea, part of that is being reasonable on your end and knowing how much you are worth (and what you can reasonably get).

Finally, I know in most places I have worked there is a rule that recruiters can't contact you about internal postings (jobs within the same company you currently work for), but you are encouraged to search for and apply to them if you are interested.

It's legal, just "unethical". Your employers want to keep you for as cheap as possible.

I'm going to lean towards "no but you're stirring up some bad karma." Unless it involves tampering with an agreement someone has with their current company I can't see why it'd be illegal but you're rattling a hornet's nest and possibly asking someone to blackball themselves in the process. Whomever is trying to poach should carefully consider the consequences for all involved before making the move.

apparently not, that is precisely what happened to Star Theory who were working on KSP2. Take-Two wanted to buy them, but they refused, so Take-Two just created a new company Intercept Games and hired a chunk of Star Theory's staff and rescinded their contract.

I don't see why offering somone a better job would be illegal.

hungrymike posted...

I don't see why offering somone a better job would be illegal.

Better paying doesnt mean better though. Would you rather make an extra dollar an hour with a completely toxic sup, or a dollar less with someone who is a delight to work for?

Notschmendrake posted...

Better paying doesnt mean better though. Would you rather make an extra dollar an hour with a completely toxic sup, or a dollar less with someone who is a delight to work for?

That's getting outside the scope of this discussion. The legality of asking someone to jump ship seems more or less okay, albeit can be slimy depending on the approach used.

no, why would it?

No, its called head hunting. Its an entire industry.

EvilMegas posted...

It's legal, just "unethical". Your employers want to keep you for as cheap as possible.

What about it is unethical?

kangolcone posted...

What about it is unethical?

Nothing. That's why I put it in quotations.

Businesses only want employees to think that. Like sharing your salary with coworkers.

Solid Sonic posted...

That's getting outside the scope of this discussion. The legality of asking someone to jump ship seems more or less okay, albeit can be slimy depending on the approach used.

Oh I was side tracking for sure.

The fact is it's legal, yes that is true.

Notschmendrake posted...

Better paying doesnt mean better though. Would you rather make an extra dollar an hour with a completely toxic sup, or a dollar less with someone who is a delight to work for?

I literally took a ten grand paycut for a similar job because of how terrible the previous one was.

Working for other people sucks and I have nothing but sympathy for anyone who has to.

If I ever had "fuck you" money I feel like I would spend at least a couple months a year applying for jobs just so I could fuck around at the interview, and if I got the job anyways then just make some asshole managers life a living hell until they fired me. And then be he like "hah! It was a prank bro!" And have my chauffer pick me up in a limo. Maybe "poach" some of my former employees for a night on the town.

It's fun to dream.

IMO if you're poaching people specifically to cripple a company in the midst of a keystone project that's pretty unethical.