How to Find the Best Executive Headhunters for Your Needs

Whether you’re an organisation looking to fill an executive position, or an individual wanting to be headhunted, we have some pointers for you.

Headhunters are a specialist breed. We’re not your run-of-the-mill recruiters. Instead we take pride in not just matching a candidate to a role, but in marrying the two. Knowing how to find the best executive headhunters for your needs can leave you bewildered, whichever side of the recruitment fence you’re sitting on.

For the Organisation

Headhunters work solely for you. Therefore you shouldn’t need to compromise. You should be able to specify exactly what you are looking for and hey presto, be delivered some exceptional candidates. You should feel confident that you’re not just embarking on a recruitment exercise, but on a business process that drives growth and reputation.

This requires an extraordinary and outstanding relationship with your chosen headhunters. They should become an extension of your right hand, and your mind. The best executive headhunters take the time, combined with their expertise at asking the right questions, to identify the unique qualities of the role you are seeking to fill. They are attentive and active listeners, drawing on experience and industry expertise, to ensure you aren’t wasting valuable time.

Additionally, the relationship will also rely on trust. Once you have, together, established the precise nature of the role, you should then be able to get on with your ‘day job’ whilst your executive headhunter works tirelessly and accurately. This requires trust – it is a delegation exercise of the highest degree. Therefore you need to choose an executive headhunter who has years of experience in your industry, and an excellent and proven track-record and reputation. You should feel informed, but not constantly needed for the success of the process: your input should largely be limited to outlining the position, and taking an active role in interviewing the short-list.

Therefore your tick-list for your needs should include:

• Proven track-record in your industry.
• A commitment to using proactive research and intelligence over passive recruitment techniques (e.g. database search).
• A time-sensitive but thorough approach.
• Personable professional direct contacts.
• A commitment to the position you’re filling, including headhunting contracts that demonstrate confidence in the headhunter’s success.

You can achieve all of the above by choosing to register your position with Eagle Headhunters.

 For the Candidate

The best executive headhunters do not work like a recruitment agency. You cannot simply email over your CV and sit and wait to be called to interview. The best executive headhunters work directly for the organisation alone, and therefore the service you receive as a candidate is distinctly different.

However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contact executive headhunters and network if you are looking for a change in executive role. But it does mean a different approach. Primarily you should focus on your current role, excelling here, and demonstrating your talent, skills and attributes. You should ensure you build a profile outside of your direct organisation with presentations, papers, and participation in relevant conferences, exhibitions, and shows. Furthermore, you should focus on the precise needs of your clients, not simply on your organisation’s approach. If you’re good at this, then when the right role emerges you will be headhunted.

Nonetheless, building a professional network, and getting seen, is likely to be your holy grail. Headhunters have their ear to the ground, and if you network effectively, then they will ‘hear’ you. Your name will be remembered when that perfect executive role arises.

The best headhunters will not run databases of potential candidates. They simply don’t work that way because they are finding the ideal candidate for the role, not just someone actively looking. However, the best executive headhunters are also open to hearing from executive candidates as this opens doors to more knowledge, and more intelligence. It also puts your name, skills, experience, and attributes, on the most powerful recruitment radar.

Therefore your tick-list for how to find the best executive headhunters for your needs should include:

• Headhunters who specialise in your industry niche.
• A willingness to hear your profile, and extend your network, without simply placing you on a generic database.
• An organisation-centred approach: these position fulfilments are the most successful.
• Personable professional direct contacts.

At Eagle Headhunters we are open to networking with potential executive candidates. Candidates can register with us here.