What is Headhunter?

By Abhishek Kathpal | Updated 25 July, 2022

A corporation will hire a headhunter when it needs help finding the top candidates for a particular position.

What is Headhunter

Headhunter meaning and definition

A headhunter is a business or person that conducts recruitment efforts on behalf of an employer. Businesses use headhunters to uncover talent and find people who fit specific job needs. Headhunters may have a pool of candidates for particular openings or they may move aggressively to locate talent by looking at the staff of competitors. When there is a need for speed and they are unable to identify the ideal candidate on their own, employers frequently use headhunters. To explore whether they would be interested in a fresh experience and challenge at a different organization, headhunters will occasionally even approach people who are already employed.

What Qualities Should You Seek in a Headhunter?

Headhunters' qualities can be of varying caliber and value. Here are the qualities of a good Headhunter.

  1. A good headhunter will get in touch with you when they are certain, based on your qualifications and experience, that you are a suitable fit for the position.

  2. A headhunter wouldn't inquire about your history or present pay. Instead, they ought first outline the price range of the position they are contacting you about before asking you if it would be a good fit.

  3. A competent headhunter will have done their due diligence on your background.

  4. Professional headhunters conduct themselves professionally and are accessible for communication.

Finding a headhunter

When you are search for a good headhunter, there are some steps you can follow to help your search to be much faster and efficient. Below are some of the steps to follow:

  1. Ask for good headhunter recommendations from those in your network.

  2. Search on different networking websites

  3. Look on message boards, review pages and forums.

  4. Read the latest business news.

  5. You can join a trade or industry group within your industry niche

  6. Contact companies in your industry.

About the Author

Abhishek Kathpal

Abhi is the co-founder at Longlist.io. Funded by US based OnDeck, Longlist is currently enabling 50+ businesses to increase their candidate and client reach outs, automating the workflow across stages.