Poaching staff members

[t2van]

I was speaking to a good friend of mine last week. I'm currently on the hunt for an operations manager someone to oversee all departments and manage some of the day to day.

His thoughts took me by surprise really, his advice was to find operational managers in competitors companies and quietly reach out to them on LinkedIn to see if they wanted to move or are looking to change things up. His point was that all the best people are currently hired and all the ones looking for work will normally be "seconds" those who want to jump ship or just not good enough to take the company where I want it to go in the first place. They know the industry and have things in place like procedures and processes that are proven and have helped those competitors grow, so why start over when you can just lure someone over.

I been thinking long and hard about that since that talk, I guess from a stand point it kind of makes sense but I really don't think that's me as a person. It's also funny because I've done and do a lot of crazy shit but this seems to be the line I don't want to cross

Has anyone here done something similar or agrees with his views?

 

[roydan]

I used headhunters for that in the past. I've also been headhunted before.

People switch places all the time, but people who apply for jobs are far from being a second choice because for all you know thay're employed and looking for an upgrade.
Companies shut down all the time, people could be great in the professional aspect but not a good fit to the environment of the company.

I'd approach employees of other companies but won't be discouraged to hire someone who responded to a job ad I posted.

 

[t2van]

I used headhunters for that in the past. I've also been headhunted before.

People switch places all the time, but people who apply for jobs are far from being a second choice because for all you know thay're employed and looking for an upgrade.
Companies shut down all the time, people could be great in the professional aspect but not a good fit to the environment of the company.

I'd approach employees of other companies but won't be discouraged to hire someone who responded to a job ad I posted.

Yeah totally get that.

His point was coming from (I think) that you already know they can do the job and are in a. company you want to overtake so taking that person away is only going to help you grow quicker and faster.

I've always just done a job advert and then taken the time to find the right person I know most of that comes down to pay although not always the case and people do come and go from other companies along their own journey through life, no matter the skill level these people always come and go within your own company it's also important to find that right person who is going to have the right fit, which is always harder if you ask me.

I just thought he had a bit of an interesting spin or take on the job hire process it's just a total polar approach to do how I do things.

 

[Zwielicht]

I can tell you right now, I spent years wishing someone would poach me from my last job.

I agree with your friends points, although I wouldn't say you necessarily know if they can do the job. I have seen my fair share of people in high up positions who only make it seem like they know what they're doing. I think the worst part is that those people often just take credit for the work of others. If those types of people got poached, you'd just be really disappointed.

I think both searching for the right person and poaching from another has its time and place. If posting adverts has been working for you, I don't see any issue with that at all.