The right headhunter can help you find the best talent and hire quickly. However, there are a few things that you should know before hiring a headhunter.
What Are Headhunters?
A job headhunter is an individual or agency that offers employment recruiting services to companies. Instead of trying to find the right job candidates on your own, you'll outsource this task to a headhunter.
Businesses that are looking for very specific job candidates will often use a headhunter to find a list of individuals. Then, the recruiting firm will review their pool of talent, while also searching for new candidates starting their job search.
The advantage of using a recruiting agency is that they only make money if they are able to successfully match you with the right candidate. Most headhunters earn a fee between 20 percent to 30 percent of the job candidate’s salary. This ensures that they're highly motivated to match you with the best person for the job.
The individual or agency you hire will be representing your company to potential job applicants. Therefore, you should choose wisely. Look for a headhunter who’s professional, courteous, and takes the time to understand your company and its needs.
Headhunters vs. Recruiters
A headhunter is an individual or agency that is hired as a third-party to help fill an open job position. The job headhunter works to find qualified candidates, and won’t get paid until the position is filled. Headhunters are easy to find and will be very motivated to fill your job opening.
Recruiters sometimes work for agencies as well, but more often, they will work in-house for one company. Executive recruiters are hired not just to find qualified candidates, but to also help pre-screen candidates work closely with HR, and facilitate the interview process.
When To Hire Headhunters
Many small businesses struggle to hire candidates, given the time, energy, and resources it takes to find and onboard the right person. This can lead many companies to hire the wrong employees, which leads to higher levels of employee turnover.
A report by Hubspot found that filling a vacated position can cost as much as $15,000 per employee. So, you really want to get your hiring decisions right the first time.
If you’re struggling with your hiring process, then it may be time to consider using an executive headhunter. Here are three situations where it may be the right choice.
When You Need To Hire In A Hurry
Hiring employees is a huge time commitment for any business. Not only do you have to find the candidates, but you also need to review their applications, check their references, and
interview them.
However, it can also be very detrimental to your business to leave a key position unfilled for too long. It’ll put a strain on your business and force other employees to take on tasks that they may not be well-suited for.
If you need to fill a position immediately but don’t have the bandwidth to handle this process yourself, then using a headhunter could be the right decision.
When You Want The Best of The Best
Maybe you have the time to find and interview employees, but you’re just not finding the level of quality that you want. In this case, it’s a good idea to reach out to an executive headhunter and see if they can find a new pool of candidates for you.
Headhunters are constantly working with companies to find qualified candidates, and their only job is to make sure the position gets filled. Because of this, they'll have insights into the best places to look for job applicants.
When The Market Is Scarce
We're living in a job seeker’s market right now, and there are more open positions than there are candidates to fill them. Job seekers are more particular about the types of jobs they're willing to accept. If you’ve been struggling to fill the same position for a long time, using a headhunter could help. They'll be able to find candidates that are trying to find a job in your industry that fits your company culture.
Headhunter Alternatives
If you’re struggling to fill certain positions within your company then it may be time to outsource this task to someone else. However, if the idea of using a headhunter leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then there are other alternatives.
Recruiters are a great option because they'll be more involved in the entire process of hiring and onboarding an employee. A recruiter will be focused not just on finding the right person, but also helping them transition successfully into your company.
Another option is to have your hiring managers post open positions on niche job boards.
Niche job boards tend to attract a higher quality of candidate than more generalized job boards. For instance, efinancialcareers.com is a great site to use to find qualified candidates within the financial services industry.
In addition, you can promote your job openings on social media, on your LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, or other platforms. This can be a great way to spread the word about your position and find a pool of interested candidates.
[cta-freequote]