What Is A Headhunter?

dhunter is someone who recruits people on behalf ofmanagement and executives, but usually and not
a company or corporation, usually a person whoexclusively mid-level positions. They have extensive
works on contingency contracts. Generally they maycontacts, sometimes globally, but usually local and
or may not work for an agency, but most of themthus have a much better grasp on what is going on
have many clients and act as a third partyin their local area than regular recruiters. However,
representative.their procedures are not that much different from
Headhunters can act alone or work through anregular recruiters in that they do their candidate
agency as a form of independent type contractorsearches, compile lists of potential candidates,
who liaises between companies or corporationsinterview candidates and forward the best of the
(clients) and the potential candidates for specific jobgroup to their clients.
positions. They generally specialize only in relationshipsHeadhunters, though most do not like the name as it
with their clients, searching for potential candidates orimplies that they poach clients, which most modern
doing both. Most headhunters deal with either full-timeones do not do, are a form of executive recruiter
or permanent, contracted, directly hired, or awhose searches are more focused on local
combination of all types of positions. Their maincandidates than global ones. They use similar methods
source of research is usually done online.to regular recruiters, but they work generally with
Contract work headhunters (hourly pay withless specified criterion for job positions for their many
temporary assignments) divide their work into 2clients and generally make database lists of potential
groups, including finding new clients and bringing incandidates that are both well-suited and possibly
new work, and also candidate recruitment. Bothsuited for the jobs concerned. Though a lot of
consulting and staffing companies generally useheadhunters deal mainly with mid-level management
headhunters because the nature of their work isand/or executive positions, some do cover a much
contractual in nature. Most headhunters doingbroader range. They include two types, those
contract work are paid via a salary, but only get acovering contract workers or those candidates that
bonus or commission based on the percentage ofwill be paid wages for positions that are usually
placements made.temporary, attracting mainly consulting and staffing
Full-time job headhunters are the most commoncompanies in their area, and full-time and permanent
form. However, it is interesting that the termworkers or those candidates that will go onto salaried
headhunter is not a term that most of them like.positions in companies ranging from small businesses
Usually headhunters have a high level of knowledgeto large corporations. Generally speaking though,
of their industry and specialize in one sense, but useheadhunters are contingency executive recruiters and
a broader spectrum in another. They can place ads orwork for salaries with bonuses for their placements,
inquiry calls without the use of individual knowledgeunlike the retainment executive recruiters who are
of the person they are contacting, outside of theirpaid on a fee basis only. Most companies do prefer
job position or basic background. Their search is moreto work with retainment executive recruiters versus
generalized than regular recruiters in that they lookheadhunters or contingency recruiters simply because
for basic criterion in job roles and match them upthey are considered to be much more reputable,
with a wide variety of candidates versus moredetail orientated and research candidates based on
exacting fits. In fact, as headhunters generally workmuch more specific criterion to find the best fit for
in a multitude of agencies or go solo occasionally,client job positions, including specified qualifications,
they have received their name in the past becauseexperiences, skill sets, ability to work in a
they used to poach clients away from agencies.client’s specific work environment and bring
Also, headhunters deal with varied levels offar more assets to the workplace.