[mathattack]

This seems to be a little bit of golden rule, right? How would you feel if someone hired away one of your best employers? What if it was a close friend that was doing the hiring? Or an important business partner? Would it suffice to say, "They were looking anyway?" Would it make a difference if it was a customer? Does it matter to the morality if the other party will feel aggrieved?

My 2 cents is this isn't that black and white, but it's very delicate. The only way it works is if the employee in question approaches their current boss first, saying, "Here is why I think it's time to move one. I would like to approach company Y. Can I have your blessing?" This gives their boss a chance to either fix the situation, or encourage the move. You can give a wink and nod that the interview would go well (you would never do this without confidence based on work experience that you'd hire them) but you can't formally start the process before this happens.

[collyw]

If the other company values their time more than you do, and makes a more attractive offer, then that's your problem. There is a fairly obvious fix.

Now expecting your friend who owns the company to still be friends afterwards is a completely different question.

[tbrownaw]

This seems to be a little bit of golden rule, right? How would you feel if someone hired away one of your best employers?

How would you feel if someone refused to hire you as a favor to your old boss's boss?

[mathattack]

If I knew in advance that they were friends, I would go to my current boss first. The future boss should suggest the same.