Loyalty oaths to prevent junior bankers from fleeing to private-equity firms could backfire, experts say

This photo illustration shows a smartphone displaying the logo of The Goldman Sachs Group. (Credit: Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

• Goldman Sachs is reportedly cracking down on talent poaching by asking junior bankers to certify every three months that they haven’t taken job offers from private-equity firms. The loyalty oaths are the latest in an industry-wide effort to retain young bankers at the beginning of their analyst roles. But such initiatives could have an opposite effect, experts tell Fortune.

Goldman Sachs plans to confirm with junior bankers every three months that they haven’t lined up private-equity jobs in an effort to crack down on talent poaching. But that comes with its own risks.