By David Notte, CEO of Wolfgang Commercial Painters.

Your competitor has talent on his roster. Talent that would look good on your side. So, you decide to make a pitch. You invite the coveted “talent” for coffee and suggest that the grass is greener in your business. Surprise, the “talent” says he is very satisfied with his current position and that he has no intention of leaving! Now what?

It’s virtually guaranteed that the “talent “ is going to report the recruitment and any proprietary information that you divulged back to his boss. While luring the “talent” seemed like a good idea at first, you are suggesting to the market that your current roster needs improvements (which isn’t good for staff morale). Moreover, the door is now wide open for the competitor to come after your staff. Whoops, you’ve just clamored up a very slippery slope!

If you are thinking about stealing “talent” from your competitors, be sure your target is unhappy with his or her current lot first. Underestimating your competitors corporate culture and staff loyalty can lead to trouble. If “talent” approaches your business on their own, by all means recruit and improve your team. After all, attracting talent is paramount for any entrepreneurs’ success. Just don’t get obsessed with the players on the other team. In the end, you’re probably best served to support and nurture you own talent and avoid the slippery slope altogether.

To read David’s blog, click here.