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Jan-25-2006 22:10

How do y'all feel about agencies recruiting detectives at your agency? Does it hurt y'all whne long term detectives leave? Maybe I'm cynical but I look at my fellow sleuths as family & it gets me down in the dumps when they resign, only to take up residence elsewhere.

Jan-25-2006 22:32

Madame T, I don't think you can always attriubte changes to headhunting. Sometimes, we just feel the need to move on. I recently left Mojo, not because I was offered a home else where, or anyone was whispering in my ear, but because Mojo wasn't what I needed anymore.

I left one home because it was too lonely, and another because it was too busy. There is a place for everyone in Sleuth, sometimes its just a matter of finding it. I know you aren't referring to me here, but I do think that you have to allow for people to be able to make their own choices.

I don't think it is often easy for anyone to leave a place they've spent a lot of time in, unless there is some terrible blow up, but that doesn't happen often. I'm still trying to adjust to my new home, and it wasn't easy to pick a place to go. Things change, agencies change, and so do the places where we fit sometimes. We don't all want to leave because of aspirations of starting our own agency, sometimes, we just need a change of pace.

Jan-26-2006 04:10

(I don't know what happened. So I am just speaking generally here.)

When people leave agencies, there are a lot of reasons why. Many of those reasons appropriate and understandable, others downright rude. There are a realm of reasons and possibilities, there is black and white, and lots of grey in between.

If someone wants to leave an agency, they should be able to do so. Every agency is different, so sometimes it is just about a good "fit." More often then not, someone befriends another person on PM, the messageboard or sleuthchat...and they want to be in the same agency. To me when this decision is done without any outside influence of another person/agency, should be respected.

To me recruiting people in other agencies is not done. Certainly not by offering things. Also certainly not by contacting strangers over PM to ask them to come join you, stating a few reasons why.

Grey areas. Is when people become friends. To me it largely depends on the role that people play, and the smaller the role the receiving agency plays the more kosher it is in my opinion. If the receiving director had to beg, plead, or even manipulate their friend, there is clearly something off (in my personal opinion.) Manipulation to me, is someone feels almost forced to leave their agency because if they don't their friend would get upset over you not proofing your friendship. It is not just towards the agency that the other person needs to leave. And towards the friends that this person may have there. But also, because you don't treat friends that way. If your friend doesn't want to immediately leave an agency, then who are you to coax (or manipulate) them into yours. They obviously care enough about the other agency to not want to leave it.

There is nothing wrong with a one time "if you ever want to leave agency X, you are welcome here." But any conversation more then that.....you really have to start checking your moral compass.

Jan-26-2006 04:56

I agree. I think that if someone leaves because they dont fit in the agency or cause they want to try something else that's there choise.
As a director I should respect it.
But sending PM's asking for ppl to leave their agency and join yours is not acceptable.

If this is the only way you can find detectives then their is something very wrong with you or your agency!

Jan-26-2006 06:49

** to make this clear Mojo does not practice poaching, see our posting in the recruitment thread **


Someone needs to be the devils advocate here.

Headhunting is a good thing.

If you are running an agency and none of your detectives are ever asked to join another agency that is a questionable thing. When a person does a good job other people will want that person in their organization. If you want to have an active and successful agency you need to have successful detectives.

You can get them by finding new players, training them and growing that way. Or you can find experienced players and recruit them directly.

This does not mean that head hunting needs to be mean or nasty. I condsider that poaching. Successful recruitment or head hunting means you can go directly to the head of the other agency and say "I am going to talk to Detective XYZ about coming to my agency." Perfectly above board, and a valid recruitment tool.

In a growing and changing community like Sleuth there will be successful networking. People will exchange ideas, goals, and hopefully make friendships. I consider the three other dirctors who posted before me friends (Reda, JST, CFM) and have no qualms about jostling back and forth about agency buisness. If I wanted an agent out of one of those agencies I would go to them and say so.

Conversations about detetive movement between agencies is always one of the currents in chat and PM. Count your self lucky if you are a good enough director to have detectives that other agencies want.

Mojo tries very hard to be friendly and competitive at the same time. This is a game, we can all have fun.

This reply has been deleted by a Moderator

Jan-26-2006 07:06

*kicks Anstett the moment she reads his "headhunting is a good thing*

No, you don't HAVE to be the devils advocate here! *not knowing whether she wants to grin or glare at him* Poaching is rude and unacceptable.

*grumbles at him a bit more then mumbles something about having work to do and stomps off, prepared to argue with him later if she has to*

Jan-26-2006 08:18

Rubs his shin ruefully.

If you read it again, I said poaching is bad, headhunting is good.

Poaching = sneaking and stealing detectives without talking to the director

Headhunting = talk to the director about hiring away one of their detectives.

Jan-26-2006 16:48

poaching + headhunting = taking agencies too seriously.

think about it, all the detective agencys on TV and in books are a few friends at most, and are usually barely in the black.

i always thought the idea of an agency was to add a social and collabrative dimension to the game, not to create a cutthroat detective market.

so yes i agree with cfm, all her reasons to change agencies were the right ones. A wrong reason would be because of above or below table negotiations trading you like an "asset"

Jan-26-2006 17:13

I think that taking an agency seriously includes two things.

Being subscribed. Yes you have to subscribe to join, but you can let it lapse and still remain in the agency. Many agencies out there have Directors that are not subscribed. I personally would like to see a change that upon your subscription running out you are no longer part of an agency.

The second is the act of participating in the agency. This does not mean hunting, or doing a ton of cases, it means participating in the agency part of the game. Perhaps that is just roleplaying more, or becoming a mentor to younger detectives. Some of us like the challenge and competition of the score boards, not everyone should feel that is important to their enjoyment.

I would hope that the members of Mojo feel like they are assets *to* the agency (and not *of* the agency) and they feel good about belonging to our agency.

Jan-26-2006 17:57

*raises hand* I have to respectfully disagree about when you're unsubbed your time runs out in an agency. I think it should be the Directors choice whether they keep unsubbed or not. Ya see, because...*clears throat*... I am one of them people that sometimes the subscription runs out and I cant always pay right on time each time *sigh* and I really love Mojo's and I would HATE to automatically be kicked out. *sigh* Ran , you are wonderful but I have to disagree with you, just this time :o) *runs quickly back to the depressing field office*