Many businesses are struggling to recruit due to a high demand for staff within many sectors. One option to overcome the challenge of recruiting in today’s difficult recruitment market is through conducting a headhunt.
Headhunting isn’t appropriate for every hire and I would only recommend for such vacancies as seniority and/or a specialist discipline or if there are few “active” candidates in the market, which is particularly relevant within the legal market since the beginning of the pandemic.
The main difference between headhunting and “normal” contingent recruitment is simple. Within contingent recruitment, recruiters take from a list of interested and active seekers whether on the traditional “job boards” or through networks. Whereas head-hunters actively contact any professional with the experience and qualifications required for a position that YOU as a client have approved. The partnership developed by a head-hunter and a business can enable a business to develop and expand quicker with less failed hires and money saved.
There are many benefits to using a proven specialist head-hunter:
• Passive candidates are being contacted directly, who wouldn’t be on the “jobs boards”.
• Only candidates who you as a firm have confirmed you are interested in, are being contacted. Full control is therefore kept with yourselves.
• Improves efficiency – as the task of locating and approaching talent is done by the head-hunter. The exercise of being able to identify those relevant and with skills / experience that match the job specification, especially over a larger geographic, is incredibly time consuming. You as a client will then only be presented with the most relevant candidates.
• Time saving – all initial interviews are done by the head-hunter to assess further whether it is relevant for a meeting to be set up. All associated paperwork is done by the head-hunter also.
• Confidentiality – as there is no advertising for a headhunt campaign, competitors (and current employees) won’t be able to see which roles you are looking for and the salaries you are willing to pay.
• Market knowledge and competitor awareness can be presented back to you whilst doing the research and screening stage.
• At Eventus Recruitment Group the cost is no extra to the client. The fee is simply paid in two tranches.
The majority of the work I do is by retained headhunt. I am currently working to a 90% success rate with the candidate starting within a firm. The way I do this is straightforward, comprehensive but highly effective. I am more than happy for you to speak to some of my clients who I am sure will be happy to give me a testimonial to this effect.
Please do get in touch to discuss further at Siobhan.courtney@eventuslegal.com or call 07970 252 772.
Blog by Siobhan Courtney, Managing Director and Experienced Recruitment Specialist at The Eventus Recruitment Group.