How to Stop Competitors from Poaching Your Employees

Employee poaching isn’t just a corporate concern. Across the UK and Ireland, field service companies are feeling the impact as experienced engineers, technicians, and managers are approached by competitors promising higher pay, better schedules, or a more “modern” culture.

The issue is simple economics: there’s a shortage of skilled field service professionals. Competitors don’t want to spend months training from scratch when they can recruit fully capable people straight from your team. For smaller and medium-sized businesses, the loss of even one skilled employee can disrupt client relationships, slow productivity, and damage morale.

While it’s tempting to see poaching as something underhanded, it’s not always malicious. In fact, most of the time, it’s a sign that your employees are valuable. The key question isn’t “how do I stop others from trying?” — it’s “how do I make sure my employees don’t want to leave?”

This article explores the practical, ethical steps every UK or Irish service business can take to retain their best people — from improving contracts to building a workplace culture that keeps staff motivated and loyal.

Why Competitors Poach Your Employees

Competitors usually go after your staff for one reason: they already know what good looks like. Your people are trained, efficient, and used to delivering quality work — which makes them an easy target in a competitive labour market.

But it’s rarely just about money. Employees often move on because of:

• Better pay or benefits elsewhere — particularly in sectors like HVAC, electrical, or facilities maintenance where demand is high.

• Lack of recognition. Feeling overlooked or undervalued can be more demotivating than any pay issue.

• No clear career path. Without a sense of progression, even happy employees start looking elsewhere.

• Poor communication or culture. Teams that feel ignored, micromanaged, or disconnected will eventually leave.

• Burnout and workload imbalance. Inconsistent scheduling or constant overtime drives good people away.

As entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk puts it:

“Build a great company culture so nobody’s stealable.”

Competitors will always recruit — but if you build an environment that makes people proud to stay, you remove the incentive to go.

Start with Solid Protection

Protecting your business begins with having the right agreements and structures in place. While no contract can guarantee retention, well-drafted employment terms make it harder for competitors to directly benefit from your investment in training and relationships.

Use Smart, Fair Contracts

Your contracts should make expectations clear from day one. In the UK and Ireland, these protections can include:

• Non-solicitation clauses that prevent departing employees from actively recruiting your staff or customers.

• Confidentiality agreements that protect sensitive information such as client lists, pricing, and proprietary processes.

• Reasonable non-compete clauses (typically lasting no more than six months) for senior or client-facing roles. These must be specific — limiting the restriction by geography or sector — to remain enforceable.

• Garden leave clauses, allowing you to keep a resigning employee on payroll but out of circulation while they work their notice. This prevents immediate moves to competitors while ensuring a smooth handover.

These measures don’t stop people from moving on, but they give you time and leverage to manage transitions properly and safeguard client relationships.

Keep It Ethical

There’s a fine line between protection and control. Overly restrictive clauses not only damage trust but can also be struck down in court as “restraints of trade”. Instead, focus on fair, balanced terms that demonstrate integrity.

Ethical employment practices go further than any legal document. When staff believe they’re treated fairly — through open communication, transparent pay, and mutual respect — they’re far less likely to explore outside offers.

Put simply: your goal isn’t to trap people; it’s to create a workplace so positive that they don’t want to leave.

Create a Workplace People Don’t Want to Leave

Legal protections are important, but the real defence against poaching is emotional loyalty. When people feel recognised, supported, and part of something worthwhile, outside offers lose their shine.

Lead with the Right Mindset

Retention starts at the top. If management sees employees as costs rather than contributors, that mindset filters through the whole company. How you think about people affects how you treat them.

Field service work can be demanding and unpredictable. When leaders listen, communicate clearly, and show appreciation — even through small gestures like thanking teams after a tough week — it builds trust. People stay loyal to managers who make them feel valued, not micromanaged.

Get Onboarding Right

Your onboarding process sets the tone for how employees experience your company. Those first few weeks can determine whether they see a future with you or not.

A great onboarding plan should:

• Explain your company’s mission and values clearly.

• Introduce new hires to key team members and mentors early.

• Provide hands-on training tailored to their role.

• Include follow-ups after 30, 60 and 90 days to gather feedback.

Employees who feel connected from day one are statistically more likely to stay long term — something best-in-class SaaS companies like Teamwork and HubSpot have long recognised.

Prioritise Growth and Recognition

Career progression matters just as much in field service as in tech. Create visible career ladders — for example, from technician to supervisor to area manager. Offer regular training or certification opportunities through industry bodies.

Recognition doesn’t need to be costly. A “Tech of the Month” award, or simply calling out great work in a team meeting, can make a real difference. When people know their efforts are noticed, they’re more motivated to stay.

Keep Pay Competitive and Transparent

While culture matters most, compensation still counts. Review pay regularly against industry averages in your region. Even if you can’t match every offer, consider creative benefits such as flexible scheduling, additional holidays, or profit-sharing schemes.

In the UK and Ireland, where cost-of-living pressures remain high, being transparent about how pay is reviewed builds trust — and trust is one of the best retention tools you have.

Fieldmotion Brochure

See how Fieldmotion helps field service teams manage jobs, schedule staff, create invoices, and communicate with customers — all from one easy-to-use system.

Download now

Build Loyalty Through Communication

In many UK and Irish service businesses, employees spend most of their time out in the field — working independently, travelling between jobs, or on client sites. That distance can make them feel disconnected from management, even if they’re performing well. Over time, that sense of isolation can lead to disengagement — and disengaged employees are the easiest to poach.

Make Communication Consistent

Keeping your team informed and connected helps them feel part of something bigger than the next job on their schedule. Regular updates on company goals, performance, and client wins can go a long way towards building shared purpose.

Encourage open communication channels, both formal and informal. Team meetings, end-of-week check-ins, and open-door policies for managers give employees space to voice ideas or concerns before they grow into frustrations.

Use Technology to Stay Connected

Modern field service software can do more than manage jobs — it can help you build community. Tools like Fieldmotion’s CRM and workflow system make it easy to:

• Schedule regular one-to-one check-ins.

• Share company news and updates instantly with field teams.

• Track employee performance and satisfaction metrics over time.

• Record feedback and act on it promptly.

These small, consistent interactions remind staff that their contribution matters — and that management is paying attention.

Encourage Feedback, Act Fast

Feedback loops are only useful if they lead to action. Whether through surveys, review sessions, or casual conversations, employees need to see that their input makes a difference.

If someone raises a recurring issue — a scheduling bottleneck, poor equipment, or a communication gap — respond quickly and transparently. Even if the issue can’t be fixed immediately, acknowledging it builds respect and prevents resentment from growing.

Promote Visibility and Recognition

Celebrate team wins publicly. Share project milestones, customer compliments, or safety achievements across internal channels. Recognition reminds employees that they’re seen — and belonging is one of the most powerful defences against poaching.

Watch for Early Warning Signs

Most resignations don’t come out of the blue. They start with subtle shifts — a dip in enthusiasm, missed deadlines, or increased absences. Spotting these early gives you time to intervene constructively.

Recognise the Signs of Disengagement

Be alert to behaviours that often precede a resignation:

• A noticeable drop in performance or attention to detail.

• Reduced participation in meetings or team discussions.

• Increased complaints, frustration, or disinterest in new projects.

• Frequent references to “other opportunities” or “what others are offering.”

It’s easy to dismiss these as attitude problems, but they’re usually signals that someone feels disconnected or undervalued. Address them early through open, supportive conversations — not disciplinary ones.

Hold Honest One-to-Ones

In the UK and Ireland, where many teams are close-knit, honest dialogue can solve most issues before they escalate. Regular one-to-ones should feel conversational, not interrogative. Ask questions like:

• “How are you finding your current workload?”

• “Is there anything we could improve to make your job easier?”

• “Do you feel you’re progressing in your role?”

These check-ins not only uncover hidden problems but also show genuine care — something money alone can’t replace.

Respond Calmly if Poaching Happens

Even with the best systems, people will occasionally move on. How you respond can either strengthen or weaken your company’s reputation.

Stay Professional and Measured

Avoid frustration or retaliation. Thank the employee for their contribution, clarify any contractual obligations, and part ways respectfully. Acting with integrity sends a powerful message to remaining staff — that professionalism comes first.

Protect Your Business Assets

As soon as a resignation is confirmed:

• Retrieve company equipment and revoke system access.

• Secure customer data and update client contacts.

• Review whether any restrictive covenants (non-compete, non-solicitation) apply.
  This isn’t about punishment — it’s about protecting your clients and operations from disruption.

Reassure and Refocus Your Team

Departures can unsettle morale. Communicate clearly, refocus everyone on the company’s goals, and highlight ongoing growth opportunities. If appropriate, promote internally — it shows commitment to developing from within.

Learn from Every Exit

Conduct an exit interview to find out why they left. Patterns in feedback often highlight where small improvements can prevent future losses — whether that’s training gaps, communication issues, or workload management.

Handled well, even a resignation can strengthen your business by revealing where to improve next.

Fieldmotion Brochure

See how Fieldmotion helps field service teams manage jobs, schedule staff, create invoices, and communicate with customers — all from one easy-to-use system.

Download now

Turn Retention into a Process, Not a Panic

Many businesses only think about retention after someone hands in their notice. The best employers, however, treat it as an ongoing system — one that’s measured, reviewed, and continuously improved.

Leading SaaS companies like HubSpot, Teamwork, and Sage take a data-driven approach to engagement. They don’t rely on guesswork or “gut feeling” to keep employees loyal — they monitor satisfaction, celebrate progress, and act on feedback as part of daily operations.

Field service companies can apply the same principles using digital tools. A modern CRM or workforce management platform like Fieldmotion allows you to:

• Track employee satisfaction and feedback trends over time.

• Set reminders for appraisals, training, and performance reviews.

• Automate recognition workflows — from service anniversaries to performance milestones.

• Identify at-risk employees early by monitoring engagement or workload patterns.

Turning retention into a process makes it sustainable. It means you’re not firefighting morale issues or reacting to competitors’ offers; you’re consistently building loyalty from within.

Competitors will always try to attract your best people — that’s part of business. But the companies that keep their teams are the ones that focus on more than pay. They build trust, culture, and communication into their everyday operations.

Loyalty isn’t a one-time achievement; it’s something you earn repeatedly through fairness, transparency, and respect.

When your staff know they’re valued, listened to, and given a future, they become truly unpoachable.

At Fieldmotion, we help UK and Irish service businesses manage their teams more effectively through better communication, visibility, and process automation. From scheduling to staff management, our tools make it easier to build an environment where your people — and your business — thrive.