What Is a Headhunter? Benefits of Working With a Headhunter

A headhunter, sometimes called an executive recruiter, helps companies find top talent, often on short timelines. While the role has similar responsibilities to a recruiter, headhunters are individuals or companies that provide a service to an employer, whereas recruiters can work internally or externally with an employer.

A good headhunter is someone who watches the job market for people with specialized skills, their goal being to fill a particular position (or positions) for a particular company. For a company, there are a few advantages to working with a headhunter:

1. 1. A headhunter will narrow your search. If you are a business owner and you want the best person to fill a certain role, a headhunter will focus your process. Posting job openings and reviewing résumés takes time and effort. With headhunting, you receive a much smaller batch of qualified potential candidates.
2. 2. A headhunter can be cost-effective. Finding the best candidate can be expensive in terms of the time and resources you or your employees must dedicate to the search. In some cases, hiring a headhunter might save you man-hours and therefore money, too.
3. 3. A headhunter can identify off-market candidates. A headhunter knows how to find and strategically approach individuals who may not be presently engaged in a job search but who would be a good fit for the position.
4. 4. A headhunter is highly motivated. Many headhunters receive compensation only after you hire a candidate they found, which means a headhunter has a huge incentive to work hard to identify the right person for you and your company.

Job seekers can also benefit from working with a headhunter. Here are few reasons why:

1. 1. You can spend less time applying for jobs. A headhunter will help you find jobs for which you qualify in your specified field, meaning you can spend less time looking for and applying for jobs.
2. 2. You have more options. Headhunters typically have access to unlisted jobs, making you eligible for roles that would otherwise not be available to you.
3. 3. You can gain feedback. Headhunters may review your résumé or provide feedback on your interviewing, which can make you a stronger candidate.

Both headhunters and recruiters work to find appropriate job candidates, but there remain key differences between them. When comparing the two positions, here are a few things to consider:

1. 1. Employment status: A recruiter is typically employed by the hiring company, usually in the human resources department. The in-house recruiter will post the job on job boards and the business’ website and then conduct interviews, narrow down the candidates, and eventually hire the best person for the role. In contrast, a headhunter gets paid on a contingency basis, once the company hires the right candidate, and they have little to do with the hiring process—they just deliver top talent.
2. 2. Scope: Headhunters usually specialize in one particular area or field, whereas a recruiter must have more general knowledge across a company’s available positions. While a headhunter might search for industry professionals in one particular role or subject, a recruiter must readily fill anything from a part-time vacancy to a full-time position in a multitude of departments.
3. 3. Urgency level: A headhunter is ideal when the company’s need is urgent—when the company doesn’t have the ability or time to do an exhaustive candidate search or go through the interview process with many different candidates. In contrast, a recruiter is usually on staff and therefore has more time at their disposal to process multiple applicants and resumes and assist a small pool of candidates through the interview process from start to finish.

Good headhunters are highly knowledgeable, reliable, and personable. If you’re a company in need of a headhunter, here are more traits to look for in the right collaborator:

1. 1. Specialized: You can find headhunters who are experts in healthcare, human resources, nonprofits, art galleries, executive-level employees, or open positions in just about any other area. Search for a headhunter who specializes in the specific need of the business, not something broad or completely unrelated.
2. 2. Organized: A business needs an organized headhunter with time management skills so there’s no time wasted while sourcing candidates, including reviewing referrals and checking in with their professional networks.
3. 3. Persuasive: The best headhunters are not only trying to sell a candidate to a business but a business to a qualified candidate. If they’re not a good salesperson, that wastes time and money for the hiring company.
4. 4. Perceptive: A headhunter needs to listen closely to understand the spoken and unspoken needs of the company—and the candidates. The headhunter should be someone who’s a great listener and knows how to follow through.
5. 5. Communicative: A good headhunter has great communication skills and must know how to ask the right questions of both the hiring manager and the candidate. They have to communicate with the company to ensure that the job title and job description for the open role is realistic as well as be professional in approaching the qualified candidates with attractive job offers. Also, a good headhunter will keep the company updated on their search.

Companies seeking headhunters can look online, within professional networking communities, or through personal or professional referrals.

Search online for your city’s name followed by “headhunter.” Not everybody in the industry prefers that term, however, so consider some alternatives: “staffing professional,” “recruitment firm,” “staffing agency” or “executive recruiter.” Another popular term is “executive search firms,” particularly if your business is seeking an executive.

Next, look on professional networking sites. Reach out to people with headhunter titles and relevant keywords in their bios and job histories, and open a dialogue. You can also look for employment agencies that specialize in your desired candidate’s field.

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