Poaching Employees: The Dark Side Of Recruitment

Poaching implies illegal and criminal hunting of wildlife. Employee poaching – also known as talent stealing, is the act of stealing a worker from a rival company. Even though poaching employees is not illegal, many employers avoid the traditional recruitment process and turn to headhunters. While wildlife encroaching is illegal, employee stealing, on the other hand, is not, but is highly unethical. And it keeps the job market competition alive.

People who worked for your competitors or were formerly employed by your rivals are the most common robbing targets since they bring considerable industry expertise and insight into how their employer operates. Also, they’re more likely to be taken back by former employers as they have the advantage of familiarity with the team and business structure. Would you do it if there are no laws against it or if it gives you an advantage over your competitors? Let’s see what you as an employer need to know to safeguard your team from employee poaching.

Why is poaching employees legal?

Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe agreed to a $415 million settlement to terminate an anti-poaching action in San Jose in 2015. According to court papers in a civil lawsuit, it was stated that the companies had agreements “to refrain from aggressively recruiting each other’s personnel.” According to the complaint, this made it more difficult for impacted workers to negotiate a raise or find a new job.

Poaching employees are not without danger and implications. It may sour ties with a rival. If the purpose of the poaching is to gather sensitive information about an employer or sales leads, then this may not only be immoral but also result in a lawsuit. Employers also have to analyze the ‘non-compete clause’ in their job agreement carefully.

Keep an eye out

Around their work anniversary, workers are more open to recruiters and more likely to leave their jobs. Reflection is common during annual evaluations, which commonly fall around this time of year. Watch for other clues, such as being rejected for increased responsibility or delayed project completion. Another telltale indicator of trouble is when an employee suddenly asks to travel to conferences so they may be more prominent.

Also, pay attention to what’s going on in the workplace as far as rumors go. Someone at work has likely heard them mention that they’re open to exploring other options.

Keep your employees motivated enough

Typically, the poached employee has already made up their mind—or at the very least, showed no sign of wanting to stay—before they decided to leave or be poached. A promotion title or incredible perks are commonplace in rival firms’ enticing offers. When employees are sincerely invested in their work, they are less likely to accept these offers. If you want to keep your best staff, you have to be vigilantly observant about the environment around them.

A few reasons why the best employees leave is:

– Ineffective leadership:

– Communication breakdown

– Not enough respect

– Lack of trust

– Monotonous work

– Autonomy

– Lack of appreciation

If your competitors are offering enticing offers to lure your best workers away from you, the good news is that you can boost your employees’ chances of fending them off.

Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Identify and meet the needs of your employees

It is essential to understand the demands of workers while assessing engagement. Keep an eye out for this, particularly if it comes from your best employees. Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Requirements states that fundamental needs include a living salary, a suitable work schedule, and a safe workplace environment.

Meanwhile, more critical requirements include acknowledging work, healthy connections with coworkers, and development opportunities. To achieve your company’s objectives, you must ensure that your workers’ needs are met. It won’t be enough to keep an employee around when a better offer from a rival comes along if that individual has to work extra hours, very often than not.

2. Aim for a better work-life balance

In these trying times of the epidemic, when work doesn’t stop at the office, we spend much time each week at work. It’s critical to cultivate an environment that values adaptability and participation among your staff if you want to retain them for the long haul.

Consider how discouraging it would be to lose a valuable employee because the competition provides a few additional paid vacation days to the employee departing. You can make it easier for employees to work from home or at home by letting them choose their schedules or by giving them flexible or alternative work hours.

3. Encourage your employees to advance their careers

Many high-caliber workers choose to quit even senior positions because they don’t see a bright future in their profession. According to Muse’s research, millennials are likely to change jobs in the next year because they don’t have enough opportunities for professional growth. Even the most experienced individuals can get stagnant at work, prompting them to explore new opportunities elsewhere. To encourage your workers’ professional development, you’ll need a well-defined plan in place.

4. Proactive engagements

By regularly tracking it, you may turn employee engagement into a habit. According to a survey, about 64 percent of firms only measure employee engagement once a year, and just 8 percent calculate it monthly or more often. Regularly ask your staff for feedback on their level of involvement. There are several ways to utilize the quarter-end performance review to address employee satisfaction. Understanding these engagement matrices makes it possible to understand both individual and organizational engagement.

5. Construct motivation

Apple offers bonuses ranging from $180,000 to retain their top-class workers and to ward off headhunters from poaching employees. Similarly, Google developed innovative ways to enhance employee engagement and bring in motivation through perks. Just search Googolplex images and let your mind be blown away in amazement.

Also Read: How To Revive Burned-out Employees

Companies may use an incentive scheme as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, a non-competition agreement. Employees might get additional prizes and incentives if they stay with the organization longer.

An employee’s loyalty is rewarded with monetary compensation, but an incentive plan also motivates them to work hard and stay focused, knowing that their efforts contribute to the firm’s success. While it’s frustrating when your competitors steal your best employees, keep in mind that you only have control over the things you can change, including increasing employee satisfaction and establishing an enjoyable work environment.

If you do well here, your staff will want to remain around for the long haul.