When contemplating the decision to leave IBM for LzLabs, I found it helpful to enumerate the pros and cons of that decision, which I shared in a Leaving IBM: A causal analysis blog post after I’d formally left IBM.
Who could have predicted that a blog post that wasn’t about programming arcana, physics or mathematics would have been my most popular ever. There’s no accounting for the taste of the reader;)
In response to that blog post, I’ve been contacted by a few IBMers who were interested in potential LzLabs employment.
Please note that I left IBM with band 9 status, which means that there is a one year restriction (expiring ~May 2017) against me having any involvement with hiring, or recruitment of IBM employees. An IBM lawyer was very careful to point that the band 9 contract I signed in 2006 has such a non-solicitation agreement. I don’t think that anybody told the IBM lawyer that IBM appears to be trying really hard to throw away technical staff, but that does not change the fact that I am bound by such an agreement.
If you contacted me, and I was to respond, it could probably be argued that this would not count as solicitation. However, I don’t feel inclined to pick a fight with IBM lawyers, who I imagine to have very sharp teeth and unlimited legal budgets. So, if you are working for IBM, and asking about LzLabs employment, please don’t be offended that I did not reply. I will try to remember to respond to you next spring, when the sharks are swimming elsewhere.
Peter … Totally right above but I would like to point out that anybody can apply on the Web postings of your employer and can not be discriminated against only because they are IBM employees. As long as you are not encouranging them or actively engaging your company can hire whoever they like.
A lot of amazing people left in Toronto and went to Salesforce and Microsoft… You can claim the initial leaver made them go and there were lots of jokes about lunch with Mrs S but reality is: people suddenly saw options for change and took it. After one proves that the grass is indeed greener somewhere else …. This is the reality of a bad environment and a changed company.
Hi Boris,
Yes, somebody interested could apply directly. I see that we now even have a careers tab on the website, which is new. At the time I write this, the careers tab has only one listing, but that doesn’t surprise me since most of the recruiting is done directly by the founder, when he has specific roles he wants filled.