What would you do? Boss wants HR to 'steal' others' employees

Periodically, we ask three HR managers how they’d handle a real-life problem at work. Today’s problem: The company CEO wants you to raid other companies for recruits.
The scene
As soon as HR manager Carol Flores sat down, CEO Craig Corner slid a sheet of paper across the desk and said, “Here’s a list to get you started.”
Recalling previous conversations with Craig, Carol knew what the list contained: names of people Craig wanted to interview for the vacant sales manager job.
“We’ve dealt with these people at trade shows and conferences, so we know a lot about them and their capabilities,” Craig explained. “I’d like you to get on the phone today with them and feel them out about coming here.”
No ‘rules’ against it
“Craig, I want to raise the issue one more time about an HR manager cold-calling people to get them to switch jobs,” Carol responded. “There are no ‘rules’ against it, but I’m not sure it’s a good practice.”
“I’m aware of your objections to it,” Craig said. “My philosophy is that if you see someone who can be an asset to the company, you go after that person. There’s nothing illegal or unethical about that.”
“Strictly speaking, you’re right,” Carol nodded. “Keep in mind, though, it leaves us open to other companies doing the same thing to us – having their HR managers call our people about switching.”
“Competition is the nature of business,” Craig pointed out. ” We do what we have to do to be successful, within the law and ethics.
“I really don’t see the problem here.”
If you were Carol, how would you respond to Craig’s idea of your cold-calling employees of other companies?
Mary Wilson, HR manager, Indianola, MS
What Mary would do: I’d have no problem with getting on the phone and calling people to see what we could do to interest them in our company.
Reason: Recruiting good people is part of HR’s job, so why not? I do have other methods I prefer to use to hire high-quality people, but I wouldn’t rule out cold-calling if that’s what the CEO wanted.
Judy Delisle, HR coordinator, Derry, NH
What Judy would do: In the end, if my boss wanted me to do it, I would. First, though, I’d point out that cold-call recruiting is a skill that requires training and experience, and that using me to do it instead of a trained “headhunter” might not get the best results. Of course, hiring a headhunter might not be feasible because of money, but trying to do the job of a headhunter might be a waste of time and money, too.
Reason: We preach that people here should have adequate training and experience to do any job they’re given, and this situation is no different from any other.
John Latino, program manager, Stuart, FL
What John would do: I’d probably do the cold-calling if necessary, but I’d make an appeal to be allowed to first use my contacts and network to find good applicants.
Reason: In my case, I have a lot of contacts and know a lot of people. Sometimes, just putting out the word to them will get some responses from good candidates – there’s always someone who’s looking to make a move. And with my network, I really feel that would be a lot more efficient and effective than just cold-calling people and trying to convince them to come over to you.