When You Work With Someone From Another Company You'd Like to Hire

Last time we looked at folks on extended assignments that entailed them working at another company who attract their client's interest in hiring them. Today we flip the coin over and consider the employer. 

Do you hire consultants or have employee or employees of another company work with your company on an extended basis? You may have come across an individual who did such good work, they not only captured your interest, but caused you to consider hiring them as one of your own. 

There's nothing wrong with this, assuming your agreement with the other company doesn't restrict such action. If there's such an agreement, it would be unethical, possibly illegal, to grab the prize. Of course, you could appeal to the other company and work things out. But without some cooperation, it's best to stand down.

But if it's a go and the prospect is amenable to consider employment, you would observe whatever process you have for hiring and training a new employee. (St. Benedict helped us sort this out HERE and HERE.)And, if you've got good instincts and observational skills, you identify any existing employees who might be in any way distracted, rattled, envious, or...whatever, when a new employee shows up who's touted to be in some way exceptional. (And why would you hire away an employee from another company in this manner unless they had something exceptional that caught your attention?)

As noted in our last post, we're looking at these last two entries in the Rule with a certain degree of liberty. The last entry spoke of the guest who stays awhile and may provide some valuable assessment of the way life seems at the monastery. This talks of asking a worthy and attractive guest to stay permanently. But notice the caveat at the end.

"But if during the time he be found exacting or depraved, not only should he not be made a member of the community, but he should be told politely to depart, lest others should be corrupted by his lamentable life. If, however, he do not deserve to be dismissed, not only should he be received on his asking as a member of the community, but he should even be urged to stay, so that others may be instructed by his example, and because wherever we are we serve the same Lord and fight for the same King. And the abbot may even give him a higher place in the community, if he consider him worthy of it. And so, also, not only with a monk, but also with the aforesaid orders of priests and clerics: the abbot may give them a rank higher than is theirs by their entry, if he see that their life deserves it. But let the abbot beward lest he ever receive a monk of some other known monastery as a member of his community without the consent of his abbot and a letter of recommendation, because it is written: 'Do not thou to another what thou wouldst not have done to thyself.'" 

We can understand St. Benedict's consideration here, right? All monks serve the same God. And given the importance of stability in the monastery, the consideration given to another abbot makes perfect sense. Would we have the same obligation if we were to recruit that consultant or employee of another company? I think not. Business is business. Company's seeking excellent employees and employees seeking to advance their careers is part of business. And when the two sides get to now each other as can occur in the situations we've described, it's kind of an ideal way to match person and company, don't you think?

And as we've noted in the past, it's really incumbent on an owner or manager to assure a good environment for his worker. Not that all do, or even think they should. But it's hard to see how this wouldn't be beneficial to both the business and the worker.

All things being equal, hiring someone you work with from another company should be considered fair play. And if handled in a professional manner that considers both the good of the business as well as it's existing employees, it can be a boon to both your company and the new team member. 

Disruption to the business, its employees should be de minimis. Likewise any threat to stability in the workplace should not be an issue.