Microsoft snagging Apple Store staff

Microsoft seems so impressed with Apple Store operations that the company is hiring away employees for its own retail stores.

The Loop reports, from anonymous sources, that several Apple Store managers have been contacted about higher-paying jobs at Microsoft’s stores, which are scheduled to open later this year. Some managers have reportedly been offered moving expenses as well.

Once the managers take the offer, they call their best Apple sales associates, offering them more money to switch over.

This is a really weird story for several reasons. First of all, aren’t we in a down economy? There have got to be enough tech-savvy, friendly people out there that Microsoft could hire without poaching from Apple. For that reason, I wonder if this move is being done (and leaked) deliberately to send a message to Apple.

Second, higher pay typically translates to better, more knowledgeable staff — after all the people coming over to Microsoft represent the best Apple Store sales and management employees. Microsoft seems to believe that if you spend a little more on employees, you’ll get better returns. Walk into a Best Buy for proof that this attitude is not the norm.

Finally, and most importantly, how much is Microsoft going to copy Apple, anyway? We already know that the stores may look similar (possibly with a “Guru Bar” to rival Apple’s “Genius Bar”), and they’ll even operate in close proximity. With the same employees, the only discernible difference will be the product inside. Expect a lot of confused patrons.

In the end, we shouldn’t really be surprised. This is the typical Microsoft strategy of waiting until an idea proves itself, then muscling in with resources and persistence. Like the Xbox and Zune brands, expect Microsoft to keep pushing these retail stores until they become successful, no matter how long it takes.