Headhunting is the art of the direct approach. It is not about unsettling the settled. It is about presenting a talented individual with an option. Headhunting aka ‘Executive Search’ is not the exclusive domain of the highly salaried positions. Salary is not the important factor. Timescales and/or skill set are. When there is a vacancy that simply has to be filled by a given deadline or the client is in serious trouble then what are you going to do if your advert doesn’t pull or the database comes up blank?
When the client won't make a hire unless your candidate ticks certain boxes, then I will ask you the same question. What are you going to do if your advert doesn’t pull or the database comes up blank? The vacancy can be permanent, contract or temporary. The pay rate can be in the super tax bracket or at minimum wage. The same rules apply. When time or specific skill is vital the only way to guarantee a successful outcome is to be able to headhunt. And that means headhunting the passive individuals and those not looking to move.
Job seekers are not the secure future for today's recruiter. Job seekers are constantly looking for options, have email alerts set up and invest part of most days of the week looking for the right roles to apply for. With ‘roles’( plural) being the important word. The good candidate will have a number of irons in their fire and heck if you are a contingent recruiter you have probably given them three or four of those irons! The job seeker is registered with more than one recruiter and applies directly to employer adverts too. So there is an extremely high probability that a quality job seeker will get more than one offer. That’s too much of a risk if your vacancy has a must fill deadline. You will have a very upset client if your candidate says yes on the Friday and gets another better offer on the Monday and your client is left high and dry with a critical role unfilled. It doesn’t matter if it’s a labourer or a CEO this vacancy is now costing the client big time. 
Of course, the ‘must have’ skillset scenario brings its own problems too and it gets even worse if you are working in a high demand short supply sector. Now the tables are turned completely in the candidates favour. Pay demands go up the more the candidate realises just how important they are to the client and that means a bidding war with only one winner (and it’s not the employer). The result is multiple offers for the job seeker and inflated disproportional wages being paid by the winning client with several others still searching to make a hire. Database and advert led recruiters will likely be in a multi-agency situation too. So the story goes from bad to worse when the candidates you approach have already been approached or will be after you finish your call for the very same role. When you are in a first past the post situation, you haven’t the time to look further than for a quick hit. While the client is willing to wait for the right person, multiple offers and inflated wages for candidates means a lot of wasted time for you for no fee.
Never has the ability to headhunt been more vital to the recruiter consultant. That service can be sold at a premium and will enable you to justify the need for exclusivity too. I will finish with the statement I started this blog with: Headhunting is the only way to prosper in today’s recruitment world.
