Does cooptation…

…suxxx?

This post is a genuine random software developer thought.

Cooptation exists in most of IT companies

I work in an IT services company (In french, “ESN” or “SSII”, e.g.: Capgemini, IBM, Atos, Orange Business Services, HP, Sopra Steria…). I spend 99% of my time doing developer missions in one of our customer’s premises.

In most of these companies, human resources people promote cooptation: they regularly ask you to find new employees/developers/meat balls/engineers/talents to help the company to grow (and make more ).

Definition time!

Acccording to Wiktionary, a “cooptation” (others forms/synonyms : coöptation (ö… really? Guess what!), co-optation, co-opting, co-option) is:

A co-opting: an absorption or assimilation […] From Latin cooptō (“to choose, elect”).

According to WordReference, it’s a close definition:

to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group

Money raises suspicion

When you persuade someone to join your company, that’s fine, you can help someone to get a job. However, I think things are going messy when your employer gives you some money rewarding a new recruitement.

I cannot stop thinking:

• are you really recommending someone to help your company grow?
• are you shamelessly recommending someone to get a bonus, no matter what the people you recommend be worth?
• does your company need to distribute bonuses to help recruiting? Isn’t it supposed to be appealing without these artificial tricks?

I guess I might be (too?) idealistic, I need to leave money out to believe in a true sincere recommendation for a job, or anything in general.