Headhunting: Do You Know How It Works?

If we translate it literally from English (headhunter), the term headhunting does not convey anything flattering to us. It even throws us back. But when we talk about headhunters, things change. Currently, headhunting is one of the recruitment methods most used by companies.

It consists of looking for the ideal candidate for a job without the latter being actively seeking employment. Thus, the headhunter is in charge of finding profiles according to the one that has been requested to find the most qualified worker.

What is it for?

Its origin is relatively recent. It began in the 1950s and 1960s, in New York, as a way to find qualified people to fill managerial positions. During those years, a series of small companies were founded in the United States that, later, have consolidated as large multinational headhunting companies.

Today, this method is less used to find people with such responsibility. It is mainly used to discover hard-to-find profiles. Either due to a shortage in the market, due to high prices, due to training, skills or competences.

How to work in headhunting

There is no doubt that the incorporation of the Internet and new technologies have given a huge boost to this method and have in some way transformed it. Before, when we weren’t “connected,” recruiting was much more difficult. Recruiters were forced to use their contact list or calendar to search for potential candidates.

But with social networks, email or mobile phone the task is much easier.  In addition, there are different platforms that serve to obtain immediate information on a person’s work, academic and training history. At a glance you can know if that profile is one that you may be looking for or not.

It is something like a catalog of candidates several clicks away. But, despite this apparent time saving, headhunting is a long process that requires several phases.

Phases of the process

Normally, expert headhunting companies are in turn hired by others. They are commissioned to find a certain profile to fill a very specific job position. Therefore, listening to the customer’s needs is also part of the process.

• Study of the worker profile that the client needs: several bilateral meetings are held to establish what is wanted and what is not. It is the basis on which the rest of the work is based.
• Classification of recruitment sources: professional networks, contacts, job portals, competing companies, databases … The professional investigates the network, becomes a Sherlock Holmes of the online market .
• First contact with the candidate: it is explained what the position offered consists of, the profile that is needed and more information is requested.
• Conducting interviews: they usually consist of group dynamics and, later, an individual one.
• Preparation and presentation of a report on the candidate to the client: after a screening, a brief file is made on those that are considered most appropriate.

• Presentation of the finalist candidates to the client: he is the one who will have the last word.

From the perfume to the combination of clothes

In human resources, a very important part is the candidate’s resume or career path. But there is another equally essential: human and non-verbal. Everything we can imagine is taken into account. From the way the candidate shakes hands, his clothes, his appearance, the posture he maintains during the interview, the perfume or the way he expresses himself.

Once the headhunter obtains this information through a personal contact and treatment, he will be able to know whether or not that profile meets the needs of our client. Rakesh Khurana, PhD in Organizational Behavior, assures that the job of headhunting professionals is to coordinate, mediate and legitimize. It is they who “determine who is considered a talented individual and who should be admitted to the networks that provide access to elite positions.”

Advantages of headhunting

The benefits of outsourcing professional job seekers are many. Compared to the traditional technique, it saves costs and time. What used to take weeks can now only take a few hours. Their personalized treatment, the optimization of resources and their dedication provide the company that hires them with peace of mind and support.

In addition, outsourcing this selection process guarantees to fine-tune more with the ideal candidate. Keep in mind that these companies “only” are dedicated to hunting talent, so it is assumed that their professionalization is greater than that of any internal human resources department.

If the mountain does not come to Mahona, Muhammad goes to the mountain

If you are unemployed or looking for a job more in line with your preferences, why not headhunt headhunters? I mean, why don’t you go out looking for those scouts and let them “hunt you down”?

In the first place, it is convenient that you have a profile open in a social network that these professionals usually use. Once there, identify the company or companies you would like to work for and filter by position. Look for recruiters, consultants, recruiters, researchers, recruiters … And add them!

The same before you were invisible. But taking these small steps is much more likely that you will be considered for that position you crave so much.