Recruiter gets back at company for not paying by stealing 6 employees and shutting down the business

Many companies think they can get away with treating their employees poorly. But now, people aren't holding back. One freelance recruiter decided to get back at a company for not paying them the amount they'd previously agreed upon for their recruitment services.

In 2021, the recruiter helped secure a candidate in a week for the company and even made concessions on the price of the services because of the company’s size. But when the headhunter sent over an invoice totaling $10,000, the company's owner offered to pay the price he thought the service was worth instead: just $1,000. The recruiter declined and didn't take any money; instead, they came up with a plan for petty revenge.

Sharing the story on Reddit, u/thepettiestofpetty wrote: "A company screwed me out of a fee two years ago. I went in full assault mode, stole 6 of their people. Today they closed their doors after 33 years in business!" The freelancer got revenge on the business owner by finding jobs for the top six employees of the small business. They explained, "It was easy as they were all underpaid and a new manufacturing plant had just opened up 20 miles away. In the end, I made 82k in fees and today they announced after 33 years in business, they are closing their doors! Think twice before asking a recruiter for help then refusing to pay the fee! Today I'm calling the rest of their people to help them get jobs. Thinking about calling the owner as well. I WANT HIM TO KNOW IT WAS ME."

In the comments section, the recruiter added they have a family to support as well. "I am not in business to provide service for free. Imagine your employer skipping a paycheck or cheating you out of a commission. How would you feel?" they questioned.

Many Redditors felt like the company got what they deserved. u/East_Dimension_7003 commented, "Yes. Call that owner but do it as a recruiting call. 'We understand, now that your business has closed, you might be looking for work? We have 3rd shift custodial position that would fit.'" u/donkeydougreturns pointed out, "Sounds like they went out of business because the owner was a jerk and they underpaid their staff. Good for you for helping some of their people get a better job though. That should be your takeaway."

To a comment that criticized the Redditor, u/Fabalus responded, "The business owner showed a lack of ethics. In his role as a Recruiter, OP has shown no indication here that he lacks ethics. Why would it be unethical to headhunt someone for a more desirable job that they accept?" To employees who have been disrespected by companies before, the gesture actually meant a lot. It was a lesson for companies to learn how to treat people who work for them.  u/RevealRemarkable4836 added, "As a candidate who knows what it's like to be screwed over and lied to by employers, I salute you!"