Role of Headhunters in Executive Recruitment

Headhunters or executive recruiters work on behalf of companies who need to fill vacant positions, usually at the senior or executive management level. Headhunters conduct and carry out research to recruit suitable candidates who can fulfill the duties and shoulder the responsibilities expected of them. They present candidates with compelling offers and convince them to consider other viable career opportunities.

Headhunters help companies recruit the right candidates for open job positions. They scan and profile the job market and match highly skilled candidates with respective job vacancies. They interface with all parties involved in the recruitment and staffing process. Headhunters who also possess sales and marketing skills can persuade prospective applicants to consider employment opportunities with their clients. They search and screen eligible candidates, review résumés, cross-check the candidate’s qualifications, perform reference checks and coordinate the entire interview process.

Headhunters play a major role in helping clients to build up their workforce with result driven and performance oriented approach that brings in employees who can contribute towards the organization’s success. There are executive headhunters who specialize in executive recruitment pertaining to specific industries and professions.

Headhunters use various tools for their search process. It includes their own database, pro-active market research, professional networks, social networks, and contacts. After coming up with a list of potential executives, they screen candidates to identify and filter out those who are most suitable for their clients. Headhunters always verify the qualifications, experience, executive career background, and other information of the potential candidates before short-listing them for the interview process with the clients. This reduces the strain on the clients’ HR personnel.

Headhunters understand and value punctuality and time-constraints, the importance of corporate work ethics, and organizational structure of their clients. They always adopt unique methods, tools, and strategies to find the best professional talent available for a job. They identify opportunities for the potential candidate and define a candidate profile based on an in-depth analysis of the hiring firm’s requirements. They carry out relevant market research and accordingly create a candidate specification that includes all details regarding the role, responsibilities, and opportunities offered by the hiring firm.

The participating firm then selects the candidate who is most suitable for the job based on interviews, references, expectations, and aptitude. Headhunters then facilitate the process of salary negotiation, while ensuring that both the client and the candidate are satisfied. The extensive research carried out by headhunters provides the organization looking for suitable candidates with a hand-picked selection of the best talent from across the globe within a defined time period. This is a valuable service that aids their clients in reducing hiring overheads while promoting optimal resource utilization.

This article was written by Anchitta A., the Business Development Manager of KTI Consultants. KTI Consultants is an independent executive search, headhunting, and recruitment firm based in Bangkok.