For certain roles, the standard recruitment method of posting an advert on job boards simply doesn't produce the best talent. Often, the highest quality candidates aren't actively looking for a new job: they're currently employed and focused on their role.

In these circumstances, you need a detailed search to identify potential candidates - and that's where headhunting comes in.

So, how does headhunting work and how can you use it top find suitable candidates for your job opening?

In our latest blog, we're explaining why headhunting is a gamechanger in your recruitment process, allowing you to attract top talent in your industry - who aren’t actively looking to move jobs - to come and work for you.

What is headhunting in recruitment?

Headhunting is a proactive way of sourcing candidates. A headhunter will perform an executive search which is far more in-depth and targeted than standard recruitment methods of writing a job advert and posting it online.

A headhunter actively seeks out the cream of the crop and attracts them to your organisation, going out to market and targeting specific people who have got the skills and experience to do the job you're recruiting for.

Your headhunter, sometimes known as an executive recruiter, will then carry out an initial screening process before sending you a list of candidates to consider, saving you time and maximising the effectiveness of your budget.

Headhunters are highly skilled at networking, relationship building, and understanding the market and the people in it. This adds up to an extremely effective service for businesses who want to hire faster and better.

Does headhunting work?

Yes, in the right circumstances and when handled professionally.

A good recruiter is constantly market mapping in their specialism - which could be, for example, marketing directors.

This means they're contacting ideal candidates - even when they aren't recruiting for a specific role - to get to know them and build a relationship, checking in regularly and understanding their personality, ambitions, and circumstances.

When a client approaches a recruiter about a role within their specialism, they already have an insight into who and where the best candidates are.

It's rare that you’d start headhunting from scratch in a market you don’t know anything about. So, it works best when done by a really experienced, well-networked and credible recruiter.

Benefits of headhunting

Let’s sum up what the advantages of headhunting are compared to using the standard recruitment process.

Perfect for strategic, needle-in-a-haystack hires
Saves you time sifting through CVs and drafting cold outreach messages
Speeds up the process of finding the right person
Optimises your recruitment budget
Uncovers talent your competitors don't necessarily know about
Allows you to prioritise your core job knowing hiring is taken care of
Improves the efficiency of your hiring process

When it’s time to make an offer, you feel confident you’ve secured a brilliant individual who will fit into your organisation and perform to the highest standard.

What to look for when hiring a headhunter

Looking to hire a recruitment agency to take on a piece of headhunting work for you?

Here's what to look out for so you can attract the best possible candidates.

A good headhunter needs:

Credibility and a good reputation in their specialist industry
Experience filling similar roles to yours
Continuous market mapping techniques
Strong talent pool of candidates
Good relationships with key industry contacts
Awareness and understanding of industry trends and changes
Excellent communication skills to approach and engage with key candidates.

What sort of role demands a headhunting approach instead of traditional recruitment methods?

Let's be clear: headhunting isn't necessary for every single job vacancy.

Typically, it suits key strategic hires, senior candidates, and speciality positions, with a very small potential pool of people who could do the job.

The best candidates for these types of roles aren't actively searching for a job - they're often well-known in their field, working for companies you've heard of and making waves in their sector.

In this instance, posting an online job advert will attract a low number of applicants (if any). So, to attract passive candidates to your role, you need a skilled recruiter to set up a personal introduction.

You can request an individual by name if there's someone you have in mind: maybe you've already attempted an approach, or you're unsure of the etiquette.

Whether there's a named person or not, an experienced recruiter will target relevant people on your behalf, talk to them about the opportunity that’s available, sell the benefits, and see if they want to hear more about it.

What kind of recruitment service includes headhunting?

Usually, headhunting is a sourcing method reserved for a retained search.

Retained recruitment involves partnering with a recruiter by paying an upfront fee to "retain" their services exclusively for your recruitment requirements, as opposed to contingent recruitment, where you only pay a fee for a successful hire on an ad hoc basis.

Incorporating headhunting into a retained piece of recruitment reflects the significant amount of work involved in bringing a shortlist back to the client before it even gets to the interview stage. This way, your recruitment partner can allocate the time to an in-depth headhunting process that they’re confident will produce a high-quality candidate.

HIRE THE EXPERTS TO HEADHUNT FOR YOUR LATEST POSITION

Struggling to find appropriate candidates to fill a key role in your company? Headhunting will be a fantastic way to level up your hiring strategy.

We love to form strong working partnerships with hiring managers to fill strategic positions using a headhunting approach.

You get to attract candidates of a high calibre; we get to make the most of our fantastic network of contacts in your industry.

Ready to discuss the difference this could make to your business success? Get in touch to organise a free, no-obligation conversation.

Why Headhunting is a Gamechanger In Your Recruitment