Article
One: The Mark of a True Headhunter by Melanie Conaty
A very good headhunter once told me that headhunting is all about building rapport and trust. I believe this to be completely true. It’s about building long term relationships with people in your industry who you could call upon at any time for referrals. It’s definitely also about trust, confidentiality and yes – rapport.
Some agencies claim to headhunt, but actually they just ‘search’ their databases. A true search consultancy will not advertise (unless their client asks for it) they rarely use job boards and they don’t have a ‘database’. These are people who have built up contacts over the years from working in the industries they specialise in.
The art of headhunting is building good networks. The old adage, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is absolutely true in the search world. In order to provide your clients with the best candidates, you need to have the best contacts.
As a good headhunter you will probably have the following information on the individuals that you approach:
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The individuals full name (yes – honestly. Simple but true. Its key that the person you approach feels you have targeted them specifically).
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Where your ‘approachee’ works and an overview of their role (even company background sometimes).
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Depending on the individuals seniority
you may also have information on their background, some of their work history and some information on salary.
You should use these techniques:
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A sensitive approach, you will ask if they can talk and is now an appropriate time to have an initial chat.
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You will have been recommended to speak to the individual but do not disclose your source.
There is a lot of ‘cloak and dagger’ tactics that true headhunters don’t use. Yes, there is an element of confidentiality about our clients, but not about us. A headhunter who doesn’t give their name, a contact number and their company name
is not someone to be trusted.
Discretion is the better part of valour, but confidence and trust are also vital. You will be the harbinger of someone’s career and therefore you must be completely trustworthy.
As a headhunter, my candidates (or individuals as we like to call them) are treated with equal respect, attention and honesty as my clients. In return, I expect the same.
It’s very much a two way partnership as a headhunter you don’t like to be let down or lied to. This is where the trust and rapport comes from both parties.
The best thing about being headhunted is that you really feel the headhunter is interested in your career. As headhunters we truly want to introduce that person to a fantastic new job and we will help guide you towards that goal.
Evaluating a headhunter (if you don’t do these, then you aren’t a real headhunter!)
1. You call when you say you will!
Most headhunters work long hours and are flexible. You may often make calls in the evening and encourage individuals to speak out of working hours. If you say you’ll call at 7.30pm and you don’t (unless you have a very good reason) individuals will be wary of you.
2. You disclose information when you promise to
Once individuals have given their home or mobile number, they have entered in to a bond of trust with you. At this stage,
in most instances, you should disclose the client. You should ask them to keep that confidential.
3. You are honest when feeding back after interview
Do you give both praise and constructive criticism? Or do you roll out the usual ‘someone was closer match to the brief’ statement?
As a headhunter you are privy to a much more in depth feedback than ‘standard’ agencies because you have the clients trust. This is where the individual can truly benefit as you will give them clear feedback. Positive and not so positive. This will also help the individual develop and individuals should respect you for this!
4. You will insist on conducting a face to face interview!
This sets a true headhunter apart from other consultants. You will insist on meeting face to face and will not put anyone forward to your client without a face to face interview. This allows you to assess individuals’ body language, appearance (smartly dressed) and reactions when they are put under pressure. This is also your opportunity to tell them everything you know about your client. They can glean an awful lot of ‘insider’ information which other individuals wouldn’t normally get.
Melanie Conaty is Head of Resourcing for 2bhr Ltd. Specialising in headhunting at mid to senior level in Retail & FMCG. Mel's background is pure search (headhunting), with some time spent in an advertising agency focussing on assessment and selection before joining 2bhr to set up the Resourcing division. 01525 859900
melanie@2bhr.co.uk
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