Do you think of recruiting as one of your competitive advantages? Of course, you want to recruit better than your industry peers, but what about inflicting some direct pain on your closest competitors? Among the broader recruiting industry, this is known as a “hire to hurt” strategy. Targeting a competitor’s top talent makes you stronger while your competitors simultaneously get weaker. It’s a two-for-one deal. Who does this? It’s a surprisingly common practice among the best companies. A survey of trends at the top 10 firms (on LinkedIn’s most desirable employer list) revealed that increasing their recruiting business impact was their second highest objective of these companies. Since you’re rigorously contending with other firms on every other front (i.e. what you’re offering the consumer), why not use some of that competitive energy to win the recruiting battle, as well? A high-performing real estate company’s most valuable assets are the agents they employ. Take those away and you’re inflicting some real pain.