Sometimes the struggle and effort to recruit star or the best researchers can feel something like the professional sports draft in the USA.  But as this humorous Don Mayne cartoon depicts, are those researchers being judged on the most important things.  One thing that is often overlooked is the question of how ethical they are.  Researchers with the highest reputation, are not necessarily the ones with the most ethical practice.  Other factors to consider is the degree to which they nurture the development of more junior researchers in their area and whether they make a positive contribution to the research culture of their host institution.