Microsoft Poaches Apple Retail Staff

Microsoft is really learning from the competition, huh?

Microsoft is gearing up to open some brick and mortar retail stores and it seems the company is poaching staff from Apple stores.

Back in July, Microsoft announced that the first of its retail stores would open in the fall. Next, Microsoft confirmed that it would be opening several branches in locations not too far away from Apple retail stores. A couple of weeks later it emerged that Microsoft had hired a former Apple retail executive to George Blankenship. Considered Apple's 'real estate guru,' Microsoft said Blankenship would be working alongside David Porter, the former Wal-Mart executive the company had appointed to head its retail endeavor.

Moving in next-door and executive adoptions aside, you've got the store designs (which are said to be very similar) and Microsoft's "Guru Bars." This brings us quite nicely to today's news, which says Microsoft is trying to lure away Apple employees by offering positions to Apple store managers. Once hired, the managers then contact top sales staff and try and convince them to jump ship and join Microsoft.

How is Microsoft tempting these Apple employees over to the dork side? With money! Yay! The Loop, which broke the story yesterday, cites sources who say the managers contacts have been offered "significant raises" and in some cases, Microsoft has even offered to cover moving expenses.

Read the full story here.