Are you looking for someone to fill a challenging position at your company? Are you having trouble finding the best employees?
You aren’t alone. Finding great new hires is difficult in the current climate between the ongoing worker shortage, competitive markets, and shifting office styles.
A headhunter may be able to help you. What is headhunting? We’re glad you asked.
Keep reading this headhunting guide for a quick run-down of what headhunting is and how it works.
What Is Headhunting?
Headhunting is the process of singling out potential candidates for a job and coming directly to them. Headhunting takes the general public out of your hiring pool, narrowing it down and making your decisions easier.
Headhunting sounds similar to recruiting, but there are a few key differences between these two roles.
Recruiters usually work within your company, while headhunters work for a separate consulting agency or independently.
What Is a Headhunter?
A headhunter is a consultant who searches for candidates to fill specific roles at your company. Note that headhunters don’t hire en masse; they search on a role-by-role basis.
The best headhunters are detail-oriented, great at reading people, and well connected within your industry.
Headhunters are usually paid when one of their candidates land a job. You don’t necessarily need to pay them a retainer fee. Instead, you can pay a headhunter a flat rate or a percentage of their new hire’s first-year salary.
You might also be wondering: what is a corporate headhunter? Well, corporate headhunters are just like regular headhunters except that they come in when there is a sudden talent vacuum and you need someone who works fast.
Headhunting Tips: How to Work With Them
Let’s break down some basic headhunting advice for the companies that work with them. It is vital that you know how to manage your consultants the right way.
Focus On One Role
A narrow focus is hugely important to headhunting. Give your headhunter the clearest idea possible of each role they’re trying to fill.
Be honest about the unique challenges of that role. If there’s a reason that a role at your company is often vacant, a headhunter can find someone who is uniquely suited for those challenges.
Carefully Screen Candidates
Part of your headhunter’s job is to carefully screen candidates after the interview process is over. Background checks, aptitude tests, and reference calls are essential.
Personalize your screening process so that it perfectly suits the business you run.
Reach Out to the Best
Reach out to only the best candidates that your headhunter finds. Only widen your pool if you exhaust everyone on your “shortlist.”
Hiring a headhunter allows you to be picky. Remember to be exclusive and uphold high standards.
Learn More About Careers in Business
What is a headhunter? Now you know the answer. Hire a headhunter when you need expert help filling specific roles in your company.
For more business management tips, check out the rest of our blog!
