The Headhunter's Newest Enemy: The Anti Poaching Consultant

Posted 91 weeks, 3 days ago by Anthony Meaney.

Meet Larry Bienati a principal with San Francisco-based human resources and organizational efficiency specialists Consultants to Management Inc.

Larry is a former HR executive who now consults to his clients around lost productivity. Big deal. Another consultant right?

Well pay attention to Larry because he wants to make our job a lot more difficult. See Larry's area of specialty is the productivity that companies lose through the activities of us nasty headhunters. Things such as turnover and time spent going out on interviews, surfing job boards, or preparing resumes, which if done on company time can result in lost productivity.

Larry and his ilk are part of a new wave of "anti poaching" strategies that companies are employing in order to prevent employee turnover.

Methods can be as simple as having receptionists block calls from recruiters to having staff report any recruiting activities that they are subject to.

To clever recruiters some of the methods are laughable but what's not laughable is the way some companies are getting their employees to buy into the anti-poaching strategies by having them agree not to take any non-business related calls at work and (as mentioned above) to report any recruiters sniffing around.

This is all well and good for the employer but unfortunately is a lose-lose proposition for the employee. In the first place we live in a free country where we have the right to leverage our career as we see fit. In the second never forget that while you might guarantee to your employer that you won't entertain headhunting calls there is no way that they will ever guarantee your job security.

A merger or downturn in the economy and you will be laid off so fast your head will spin. I am all for respecting the right of the company to expect you to work while you are on the job but at the same time don't forget that you have rights as well.

So if your employer asks you to sign on to a "snitch on the headhunter" program ask them what they are prepared to do for your career. And if you get a bunch of vague mumbo jumbo about "leveraging your talents into our long-term strategic plan" you can respond by agreeing only to "monitor the airwaves for alien intruders".

Companies are responsible to their shareholders and to be profitable. They aren't responsible for your career: you are. And your biggest friends in career management are ... Headhunters.

So remember the enemy of my enemy......

Read the entire story here.

Anthony Meaney's blog | more articles in Career Mgt & Job Hunting

Peggy McKee

Sat, 02/17/2007 - 5:10am

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Companies can impose whatever rules they want to...employees need to be smarter. Take the call from the recruiter - call him/her back on your cell (maybe on your lunch hour). You really should keep a list of recruiters that specialize in your area. You never know when you (or someone you know needs it). Don't assume loyalty from your company. Skill sets are your only job security. Also, do you think that the manager that enforces these new policies isn't speaking with a headhunter? Be smart.
Peggy McKee

Tiffany

Tue, 10/24/2006 - 8:05pm

I disagree vehemently (but respectfully) with Karen that the relationship between employee and employer is anything at all like the relationship between a husband and wife (or two spouses- let's not be gender-specific, after all).

If my husband and I hit dire financial times, it doesn't benefit him to just get rid of me to cut costs, unlike my employer. If he wants to divorce me without specifying a cause, he requires my consent to do so, unlike my employer. We signed a piece of paper stating our intent to remain together for our entire lives, unlike me and my employer.

The loyalty I owe my employer is to do my job well. The loyalty my employer owes me is to compensate me according to what we agreed on. That's nothing like the level of loyalty between spouses, and it shouldn't be. It's a business relationship, not a love relationship.

As an employee, I am essentially a vendor with one big client, and if there's another big client which would suit my business needs better, I'll take my services there instead. My employer does what's best for its business, and I do what's best for mine. It's called capitalism, not marriage.

Tiffany Bridge
www.magicpotofjobs.com

Spencer Schmerling

Tue, 10/24/2006 - 12:04am

I can definitely appreciate the message in this posting for a number of reasons.

One, employers are desperately trying to keep a firm grip on employees, who may not be content in their position or with the company itself, and perhaps rightfully so. Therefore in their best to attempts to keep their employees’ options out of sight, out of mind, they require employees to report, track and not respond to these types of calls. You put it very well when you said, “there is no way that they will ever guarantee your job security” so there is no way to guarantee someone will stay with a company permanently, which brings me to my next point.

It is important for employers to realize that people no longer stay with a company for a lifetime anymore and the decline, elimination, even rescindment, in benefits (pensions, health insurance, vacation, etc.) has nothing but mirrored this trend.

Too often, it seems the attitude of employers is one of “if you don’t like it then leave”. More care and consideration should be given to fostering employee loyalty and job satisfaction to try and stop turnover in its tracks which could, in turn, prevent anyone from exploring the curiosity a headhunter’s phone call might create.

karen m

Mon, 10/23/2006 - 3:02pm

Anthony

If you are never listening then you are never knowing what your competitor is doing.

Dang, if only Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco) had done more than listen we probably wouldn't have lost so much (if any) from our 401 -- wonder if those Enron's feel the same way too..

Karen

Anthony Meaney

Mon, 10/23/2006 - 11:40am

The hypocrisy is with the senior mgt of these companies. No matter what policy they inflict upon their staff all CEO's - that's right 100% of them - will listen to any headhunter who calls with an opportunity.

Martin Snyder

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 5:58pm

Hypocrisy ?

I dont see it - its like saying people who sell at retail should not try to buy at wholesale....

Step 1- keep from getting clipped
Step 2- clip the other guy

What could be more simple and natural ? Certainly not a case of hypocrisy.

Karen M

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 5:45pm

Ragan excellent response..

For sure why would this be a new fad. Non Competes, non disclosure and intellectual property has been around for a Long time, so why not this?

Seriously folks, I get a kick out of people who say companies don't own us.. really? Is that so.. Theoretically that is true.. but shoot, they sure as do own you.. try leaving a company with that bit of intellectual property you didn't procure to them to make profit when you were working for them.. On their payrole.. and take it somewhere else.. see what happens.

YOU sign that Non compete - They can bar you from working at another company, or they can make sure that you get reassigned from the position you were hired for by using the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine -- shoot, even if they don't have a real case against you, they could tie it up in courts long enough that you just give in due to the expense.

Is it right? I don't know, I do know as a person who owns a company why not? Why shouldn't I protect my documents, my information, my property.. It can cost me money, lots of money..

Employees Chose to sign those Documents.. no one put a gun to their heads.. they should live up to the contracts..

my hat is off to Coke - one of the oldest companies who managed to keep their recipe off the patent list, yet manage to keep it close to their vest.. Don't you ever wonder what the employees have to sign for that one...bet it is hundreds of pages long..

The employee, one of the most valuable resources to a company; indeed they should protect them as well as anyone would protect their most valuable resources, or even our children..

By the way.. isn't a relationship between employee and employer similar to that as a husband and wife.. Do we not expect a certain loyalty and respect from them.. why then should not a company expect the same?

Ragan Jones

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 3:54pm

Companies could save a lot of money by hiring smart in-house recruiters vs. shelling out a ton of cash for one of these "consultants." The first thing I did when I went in-house was to tell our receptionist and other staff members the "tell signs" for when the caller was a recruiter just trying to get through the gate-keeper or to find out names of our people. Hello? I did it, I know how it goes. Just because I still poach from other companies but don't want them poaching from me doesn't make me a hypocrit, it makes me a smart recruiter. Recruiting talent is strategy and competition. Why would I want to give my competition the upper hand? If they were smart, they'd do the same thing by prepping their internal staff the same way I did. I know recruiters are calling my people. I am not stupid, but why should it be easy for them to recruit from us? I am going to make it as hard as I possibly can, and I refuse to feel bad about that.

jasonalba

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 3:27pm

Sounds like this is something that will add flavor to the corporate culture :) All the CEOs read books on how culture is so important and then introduce this hitler-like thing into their mix? I think it is an interesting idea, the question is, will it stick or go away. As an employee I have two thoughts tugging at me: (1) I don't want to be a part of this wierd stuff and I probably won't be honest about it if asked, and (2) I *really really really* need this job and don't want to go through unemployment or a serious job search :(

But, of course there is still the big pink elephant of I WILL PROBABLY BE LAID OFF IN THE NEXT 3 YEARS - not sure why most people still don't get that.

Great post, as usual, Anthony.

Jason Alba
http://www.JibberJobber.com
http:/www.JibberJobber.com/blog

Robert

Fri, 10/20/2006 - 2:35pm

Hey, look at it this way: This guy has created a new discpline/profession that companies will pay a fee for to get top talent! The bottom line is this: there is no loyalty in today's business world. Companies will layoff the minute they do not meet their numbers. No person's job is 100% secure, so it is their obligation (to themsleves, to their families) to listen to what opportunities are out there. The hypocrisy is that these companies that are trying to institute these anti-poaching policies probably also use third party recruiters to poach from their competitors!

Jason Davis

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 8:14pm

I think what makes this business great is that all you need is a couple of quarters and a phone booth. Of course, you will run out of quarters eventually if you don't know what you are doing.

karen m

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 8:10pm

Hmm, I wonder what is wrong with calling people at home? Hmm, email still works..

Personally why would anyone be upset with a company wanting to protect one of their most valuable assets
their employees.. Intellectual Property, clients, services..

Not to mention the time that people are being paid to work - Gee if I pay you 100 an hr, and you are spending hours on My time and dime, why should I not be p/o'd ..

Gee, there are better ways to recruit individuals.. Recruit.. w/o having to really put a negative spin on it all.. Personal opinion..

Been recruiting for Over a Decade, and I find it really interesting how this word has become so prevelant.. wonder if it has a lot to do with the articles that describe very questionable recruiting techniques and utilize this word..

Hmm.. Maybe sometimes we have to wonder if Stupid recruiters are teaching smart employers to be smarter than us, because sometimes we don't know when to shut up..

or maybe it is because this industry is so easily penetrated.. couple of quarters and a phone booth and you can call yourself a recruiter.. and the lack of education have recruiters adopting tactics that really put a damper on the recruiters who have it more togethor?

I wonder..

scott graham

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 4:35pm

Anthony,
Some food for thought here, if and when the consultant implements this so called anti-poaching activity. Will the company that buys into this procedure abide by the same rules? So they will not poach from competitor huh? I can say this with confidence, they will be hypocrites;
Scott

Tiffany

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 1:23pm

I tell anyone who will listen that "poaching" implies that I'm doing something underhanded, or against the employee's will. The fact is, it takes two to poach, and if the employee were THAT happy in his job, I wouldn't be able to get him to leave it, now would I?

You can't expect loyalty from your employer, and the employer can't expect loyalty from you...

Tiffany Bridge
www.magicpotofjobs.com

Anthony Meaney

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 12:57pm

Thanx Maureen!

MaureenSharib

Thu, 10/19/2006 - 12:26pm

Fabulous, fabulous post Anthony!

Loved this:
"A merger or downturn in the economy and you will be laid off so fast your head will spin."

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?
(Who is guarding the guards? Who watchs the watchmen?)

Maureen Sharib
Telephone Names Sourcer
513 899 9628

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