What to Know About Headhunters Before You're Recruited
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Here's your Money Briefing for Wednesday, January 27th. I'm J.R. Whalen for The Wall Street Journal. If you got a call from a headhunter, would you consider leaving your current job? Companies spend big bucks hiring people to scour the workforce and find the right candidates to fill positions.
Yeah, they can be disruptive.
What do headhunters do and how are they different from recruiters?
They can be pulling very important people out of positions at certain companies.
So what kind of workers are headhunters for, and what should you watch out for before talking to one? For some answers, we'll check in with The Wall Street Journal's Anthony DeRosa after the break.
The higher you climb the corporate ladder, the more attractive you become to other companies. And there's a whole profession out there looking to help businesses fill the gaps in their corporate structure. A headhunter can help you reach the next level in your career path, but there are things you should know if you're approached by one.
Which types of workers do headhunters typically target and why?
The Wall Street Journal's Anthony DeRosa has been looking into this, and he joins us now to discuss. Anthony, thanks for being with us.
Great. Thanks for having me.
So first of all, what does a headhunter do? And how are they different from, say, a recruiter?
Well, headhunters are really primarily focused on a really special or specific job. Recruiters tend to work with multiple people at the same time.
Are headhunters formally called recruiters or called something else?
Headhunters will really hone in on a particular job that they've been hired by a company to fill. So they're really primarily working for the company and they're looking for someone that they can place into that job. And oftentimes they're trying to pull somebody out of a job where they're already employed.
Okay, so what kind of worker is a headhunter for?
How do headhunters create a push–pull dynamic with employers and employees?
A headhunter is a worker for companies that it does tend to be on the higher end of employment. So C-suite type jobs, but it's not always strictly for that level of hire. There are people that span mid to early career, but it does tend to be around in the C-suite level. So they're looking for high performers. They're working for a company that's trying to fill some of those high level jobs and
Oh, by the way, are they really called headhunters? Is there a more formal name for this job?
They kind of go by recruiter, but when you're working with someone who's really kind of specifically focused on a single job, it's kind of by nature of the business, they do refer to it as a headhunter. Professionally, they may be going by recruiter, but most people refer to them as headhunters, colloquially.
Okay, got it.
What red flags should a candidate watch for when approached by a headhunter?
So can you talk a bit about the sort of push and pull relationship between headhunters and companies whose employees they might be targeting? You know, a headhunter's job is only as easy as the willingness of an employee to leave. So doesn't it highlight the importance of companies to keep its workers happy?
Yeah, it's really incumbent upon companies to think about what motivates people. And I think people are motivated by different things. Some people are motivated by money. Some people are motivated by title. Some people are motivated by perks or flexibility. It's always different. And I don't think it's one size fits all. So companies really kind of have to get into the head of these high-level people to really find out what makes them tick, what's going to keep them in those jobs. And it's very difficult.
How can job seekers find and connect with the right headhunters?
I don't think it's always the same case. It's different with everyone. But they really need to kind of do their homework, understand, and get to know those people really well to know what's going to keep them there.
Headhunters as a profession can have a tough reputation. It seems like they sometimes disrupt a company.
That's a really great point. Yeah, they can be disruptive. They can be pulling very important people out of positions at certain companies, high impact people moving from one company to another. It makes a big difference in the marketplace.
So for an employee who's been approached by a headhunter or one that has sought one out, are there certain things to watch out for?
Something you need to keep in mind when you're working with a headhunter, I would say, is sometimes they may be working with a troublesome position that they're trying to fill.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:05–0:22
2
What do headhunters do and how are they different from recruiters?
0:22–0:59
3
Which types of workers do headhunters typically target and why?
0:59–1:22
4
Are headhunters formally called recruiters or called something else?
1:22–1:43
5
How do headhunters create a push–pull dynamic with employers and employees?
1:43–2:38
6
What red flags should a candidate watch for when approached by a headhunter?
2:38–3:22
7
How can job seekers find and connect with the right headhunters?
3:22–5:46
Speakers
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