The one argument I get sick of hearing bandied around in cases like these is: "but those companies invested a lot of money in training their employees. How would you like it if you owned a business and trained someone only to have them poached?"
In the words of Dwight Shrute: "False!". Most of the employees in question in this case and probably every other case where poaching is worthwhile are autodidacts. These employees are valuable precisely because they work hard to increase their own value. They know that, and they deserve to be paid accordingly by shopping themselves around.
It is in the market for autodidacts where actions like these are most damaging to the individuals affected.
In addition, if companies really do believe that, they can explicitly negotiate terms around it, up front. That's what happens with, for example, the military paying for med-school: you agree that you'll do N years with them subsequently as a military doctor, or will pay back the med-school tuition if you don't. Apple could negotiate something like that; options vesting schedules are one attempt. Alternately, they could negotiate minimum-term contracts, where the employee and Apple agree that neither side will terminate the employment relationship in fewer than N years without serious cause.
Exactly, they likely trained themselves as part of building this value, as well as probably training, mentoring and increasing the value of those around them.
The purpose behind these companies actions was nothing less than to artificially deflate the market value of these individuals, which is completely despicable.
I couldn't agree more.. software developers in general (and presumably those in other related fields) tend to mostly be autodidacts. Sure, you learn from other employees and from what the company has in place already but usually they are adding value the entire time, its not as if they sit you down for hours every week and put you in a classroom where there is no pressure other than "learn something new". Thats what school is for and anyone who is working in an engineering field is most likely spending time on their own working on projects, etc that improve their skills.
When most people make investments they take steps to protect those investments, if they don't want to lose the investment they should match the salary of the competitor.
In the words of Dwight Shrute: "False!". Most of the employees in question in this case and probably every other case where poaching is worthwhile are autodidacts. These employees are valuable precisely because they work hard to increase their own value. They know that, and they deserve to be paid accordingly by shopping themselves around.
It is in the market for autodidacts where actions like these are most damaging to the individuals affected.