Tech Titans Look to Devour BlackBerry's Best Talent

BlackBerry’s (NASDAQ:BBRY) fate hasn’t even been written yet and already the sharks are circling the dilapidated device maker, hoping to scoop in and raid its pool of top talent.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has strapped on its aggressive recruiting hat, hoping to poach some of the workers being let go as part of the BlackBerry maker’s plan to axe 40% of its workforce, according to a report by Canada’s The Financial Post.

Apple hosted a recruitment drive just miles from BlackBerry’s Waterloo, Ont.-based headquarters in September, inviting local talent in hopes of luring them to its Cupertino, Calif. base in Silicon Valley, the newspaper reports.

In a LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD) invite to some BlackBerry employees viewed by The Post, Apple even offers relocation and immigration assistance.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) also reportedly held an information session near BlackBerry’s home base, while Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Twitter have expressed interest in opening offices near Waterloo.

Apple declined to comment, while Google did not immediately respond to FOX Business for a comment. Intel said it conducts these interview sessions "all the time all over the world."

BlackBerry’s bare-bones sales over the last several years are a reflection of fierce competition from Apple, Google and Samsung. Once the No. 1 device maker among enterprise clients, it has lost its lure in recent years, with the company reporting a $1 billion quarterly loss last month.

In a securities filing on Thursday, BlackBerry co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin said they were considering buying the ailing phone maker, though they would have to top the $4.7 billion bid already on the table by BlackBerry’s biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings.

Shares of BlackBerry, up slightly in early trade on Friday, remain down about 30% year-to-date.