Top Echelon Network Statement

On several occasions over the years, Members have contacted the Network to ask for our policy regarding the hiring of a recruiter from another Member’s firm. The possible ethical problems of hiring from another Member’s office are probably obvious to you, and we do not have a formal policy for this situation. Instead we have prepared this statement to explain our position.

What are the obvious problems with hiring a recruiter from another Preferred Member’s office?
There needs to be TRUST in order for a network to function. A Member cannot be worried about good employees being lured away by fellow Members. It is essential that a Member has a partnership based on trust with other Members. If a Member feels that another Member "stole" a top producer from his firm, that trust would be eroded. Furthermore, there could be concerns about proprietary information being shared with the new employer, such as client contacts or strategies for growth.

What if the recruiter initiates the switch. In other words, he is unhappy with his current employer, is familiar with another owner through his Network affiliation, and expresses an interest in working for that other Member?
This has happened. It is a free country and if employees are unhappy, they will leave anyway. When this situation has come up, we advise the potential "new boss" to contact the "old boss" and keep everything aboveboard and open. With an open dialogue, it is less likely that the "old boss" will feel deceived or betrayed.

Could there be a situation where it would NOT be a problem for one Member to hire a recruiter from another Member’s office?
Of course, and that is one reason why we do not have a hard and fast policy. For example, we have seen situations where a recruiter is relocating to another city, and the two agency owners are in agreement about the "exchange." Again, open communication is essential in order to maintain trust.

Could you put a job order for a RECRUITER into the Top Echelon database?
The answer is "no." That "innocent" job order could be seen as an attempt to lure away the best talent from the other Members in the network. It would be unethical for one Member to "steal" a recruiter away from another Member’s office. If a job order for a recruiter was in the Top Echelon database, someone may decide to leave the Member he is currently working for to join the "new boss’s" firm. This may be considered an ethical problem by the "old boss," even though the submitting Member’s intentions were honorable.