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Poaching and Firm-Sponsored Training

Author

Listed:
  • Jens Mohrenweiser

    (University of Bournemouth)

  • Thomas Zwick

    (Wuerzburg University, ZEW Mannheim, ROA Maastricht)

  • Uschi Backes-Gellner

    (University of Zurich)

Abstract
A series of seminal theoretical papers argues that poaching of employees may hamper company-sponsored general training like apprenticeship training in Germany. Empirically however, the existence and extent of poaching still remains an open question. We provide a novel empirical strategy to identify poaching and investigate its causes and consequences. We find that only a few apprenticeship training firms in Germany are poaching victims or raiders. Poaching victim firms are more likely to be in a temporary downturn and raiding firms are more likely to increase their workforce. Poaching victims hardly change their training strategy after poaching. Thus, poaching is a transitory event and not a general threat to apprenticeship training. This is an important result for countries that intend to introduce apprenticeship type of training and need to convince firms to participate in their endeavour.

Suggested Citation

  • Jens Mohrenweiser & Thomas Zwick & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2010. "Poaching and Firm-Sponsored Training," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0051, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised Sep 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0051
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Dietz & Thomas Zwick, 2016. "The retention effect of training – portability, visibility, and credibility," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0113, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    2. Kuhn, Andreas, 2022. "The Geography of Occupational Choice: Empirical Evidence from the Swiss Apprenticeship Market," IZA Discussion Papers 15679, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Janssen, Simon & Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2018. "The Shelf Life of Incumbent Workers during Accelerating Technological Change: Evidence from a Training Regulation Reform," IZA Discussion Papers 11312, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Fries, Jan & Göbel, Christian & Maier, Michael F., 2013. "Do employment subsidies reduce early apprenticeship dropout?," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-053, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    5. Jens MohrenweiserBy & Gabriele Wydra-Somaggio & Thomas Zwick, 2020. "Information advantages of training employers despite credible training certificates," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 72(3), pages 651-671.
    6. Robert Wagner & Thomas Zwick, 2012. "How Acid are Lemons? Adverse Selection and Signalling for Skilled Labour Market Entrants," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0071, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised Feb 2012.
    7. Oswald-Egg, Maria Esther & Siegenthaler, Michael, 2023. "Train drain? Access to foreign workers and firms’ provision of training," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Mohrenweiser, Jens & Wydra-Sommaggio, Gaby & Zwick, Thomas, 2015. "Work-related ability as source of information advantages of training employers," ZEW Discussion Papers 15-057, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    9. Thomsen, Stephan L. & Trunzer, Johannes, 2020. "Did the Bologna Process Challenge the German Apprenticeship System? Evidence from a Natural Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 13806, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Janssen, Simon & Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2015. "The long-lasting effect of technological change on the careers of young workers: Evidence from changes of mandatory training regulations," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112851, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. Maria Esther Oswald-Egg & Michael Siegenthaler, 2021. "Train drain? Access to skilled foreign workers and firms' provision of training," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0186, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    12. Dan A. Black & Lars Skipper & Jeffrey A. Smith & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2023. "Firm Training," CESifo Working Paper Series 10268, CESifo.
    13. Werner Eichhorst & Núria Rodríguez-Planas & Ricarda Schmidl & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2015. "A Road Map to Vocational Education and Training in Industrialized Countries," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 68(2), pages 314-337, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    poaching; company sponsored training; recruiting; apprenticeship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training

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