Requesting a person applies to my company by using their current work email?

Question

I have a person in mind who works for another company that I would like to apply for a job with my current employer. This person would be a perfect fit for several reasons, but they are in another country and the only way I have to get in contact with them is by using their current work email address.

If I contact them via this person's current work email, am I setting them up to get in trouble if their boss or some other employee sees the email? I do not want to get this person in trouble and I'm not sure how to proceed.

Answer 1

Effectively trying to poach them using your work email through theirs is a no no. There could be severe consequences for this person.

A few other methods in which you could try:

• Use your own personal email to message them and ask them to get in touch.
• Send your contact details and ask them to contact you about something personal, meeting up or something to that ilk.
• Linkedin/social media
• Call/message them, try get his number if you don't have it.

But don't explicitly ask him on their work email to apply for your job, do this outside of both your work emails.

Answer 2

Mentioning that you want them to apply over their existing work e-mail is a spectacularly bad idea.

• Their bosses could easily see it and you could get them in trouble/fired.
• If their bosses don't see it the above possibility may well occur to the recipient and they may form an opinion of you/your approach that is less than favorable ("how could this guy put my employment at risk", "is this a trap?" etc)

Your best bet is to find an alternate way of contacting them (LinkedIn is a decent one in this scenario as it remains firmly within the "professional" world).