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I think it’s completely fine. They are probably doing that in hopes that the winning company can’t staff or staff with the people the client wants so they start off on a bad note. Best case for Booz is they fail so bad the contract gets canceled and recompeted.
Mentor
What SM1 said. Pretty common strategy that I've seen across the fed consulting market, though it's not the most moral way of doing business.
If you want to flip your badge, go for it.
Mentor
ETA: I'm referring to the strategy of telling employees not to move to the new contractor in hopes of them stumbling as the immoral thing, not the badge flipping.
If you don’t flip, what will you bill to while your management continues to be a sore loser? So then you’ll have no work and a cruddy management team?
This.
How long will your current employer pay to keep you on the bench as a reward for not flipping? Not long, I expect.
Lots of people do this. No moral / ethical / professional issue. What matters is:
1) Do you want to continue working that contract for the winning company?
2) If you don’t flip what’s your current leadership doing to get you on a new contract that is a good fit for you?
When contracts change over, it’s expected for 90% of the employees to badge flip. That’s show business!
They can’t tell you NOT to go work for another company, but there are some consequences if you do, especially if you signed an NDA. Can’t remember exactly what they are but there’s a doc available on zone that talks about it in the context of employment termination.
Who won and what is in it for you? Honestly there are pros and cons with every firm. Good and bad leadership/people as well. I think the hardest thing to do in consulting is to “find your people”
You should do what is right for you and your career. If you feel you have a strong career trajectory at your firm without this project, stay. If your job satisfaction and career growth are specific to the project, it could make sense to flip. But note that overturning an incumbent may mean a lower price. Salary and benefits could potentially be lower. Exit options will likely be different as well.
What are they doing for you to stay? If you’re shrugging, then do what’s best for you and your family. Choose wisely, but blind loyalty should not be a variable in that equation.
Yes! It’s done all the time. Sometimes the terms aren’t as good though, but it’s pretty standard. Some contracts are written to include actually picking up a percentage of existing contract staff.
A good company would try to retain their employees under their own roof. However, if no position exist, it’s not uncommon for that same good company to assist their employees in connecting with the winning company hiring authority.