My point is that salespeople who use confidential information as currency are unethical, and companies that accept confidential information are also unethical. Both unethical practices have to be addressed, or the problem will persist.

Let me tell a story. Back when I worked for a company you know that starts with a big A, we had a certain systems integrator “partner.” This partner was always coming to me offering insight on our competitors, for whom they also served as partners. At the same time, they wanted to engage on some of our most strategic undertakings (like the outsourcing cost model, probably the most proprietary item we had).

I told them I didn’t want to hear about my competitors. I didn’t trust their information or motives.

I also told them to stay out of our cost model. Whatever insight they could add to it was more than offset by my certainty that they’d use some of that information as currency with my competitor.

Soon, they stopped offering me competitive insights. But I never gave them access to our cost model.

Thanks for your comment. I like your idea.

The problem continues to be that there are enough companies out there that would welcome confidential information brought to them by a job candidate.

The confidential information doesn’t have to be a document or computer file. It can take the form of a sales person sharing with a competitor the issues that their former company is having–angry customers, quality or customer service problems, law suits, etc.

It takes two to tango, and if companies encourage or accept their new salespeople leveraging the old company’s confidential data, they shouldn’t be surprised when the same trick is pulled on them when that person leaves. [I have seen this happen more than once.]

Here’s an idea that would stop the practice in its tracks–don’t hire anyone who offers to bring pipeline reports, customer data, etc., along with them when hired.

regards, John