Presumably, when a company is laying someone off, ex-employees don't have to worry about non-poaching agreements they might have in place with the employer. The

Presumably, when a company is laying someone off, ex-employees don't have to worry about non-poaching agreements they might have in place with the employer. The easiest person to hire is someone you've worked with in the past and liked, and the easiest job to pick is one working for/with people you know.