by Agnieszka Lublinska
Do you find searching for a perfect candidate for your high-profile role challenging now or maybe considering opening to the new markets and looking to recruit abroad?
The chances are your perfect candidates are busy working for a competition. In today’s candidate-driven market advertising a position is unlikely to be enough in order to find the perfect candidate, especially if you are hiring internationally. Best potential applicants are already hired and will need to be approached personally if you want them to know about your vacancy. Being ‘headhunted’ is often seen as quite prestigious and your potential candidates are likely to respond well if approached by an experienced headhunter.
Here are some significant arguments why working with a professional headhunter might be a great idea, not only for international vacancies:
1. Save your precious time.
The main reason to use a headhunter is to save your valuable time. Many candidates search
for new opportunities on a very discreet basis, not wishing to post their CVs online because of privacy issues. Will you find the time and resources to reach these candidates? Headhunters can offer them a discreet service, keeping them updated of any suitable vacancies, but not disclosing their personal information until they wish to pursue the position, they have serious interest in.
2. Negotiate with the highest priority candidates.
Make sure you don’t lose the ‘perfect fit candidate’ just because your competitor offers a
slightly higher salary or a fancy exclusive incentives package. Your headhunting partner will obtain feedback from candidates receiving multiple job offers and will ask for the reasons why they shift towards accepting an alternative offer. You will then have a chance to negotiate if you think the candidate is worth it. If you are hiring abroad, your international recruiter will make you aware of candidates’ expectations and will explain what sort of packages and incentives you should be using in order to compete with local businesses.
3. Make use of your headhunter’s sales skills.
Having a headhunting partner gives you a chance to sell your organisation to candidates in
the best possible way. If you are hiring internationally, you will probably know that you need to significantly adjust your recruitment strategy and your company’s image may need to be introduced in a slightly different way in each country. Hiring a professional recruiter with strong sales skills will put you in the best possible position, giving you an edge over your rivals competing for the same individuals. Taking care of your company’s image could make all the difference when looking for that candidate who will be a perfect fit.
4. Protect your privacy.
Have you got a sensitive vacancy to fill? Are you recruiting for a position which you can’t
openly advertise? Working with a headhunter will allow you to keep the position
confidential. This will help to prevent your staff or the competitors from finding out that you are recruiting if this is a sensitive matter.
A headhunter can advertise a vacancy on your behalf, without compromising your privacy if that’s what you require. Preserving your anonymity may not be what you need when dealing with your usual staffing needs but there are just some cases when the highly sensitive position must be dealt with extremely delicately. Having a headhunter who understands the complexity of the situation could take that burden off your shoulders.
5. Gain the insight in the marketplace.
Extensive knowledge of the marketplace is one of the most valuable aspects of the
professional expertise a headhunter has to offer. If you are recruiting internationally you will need some help making sense of the trends on the labour market you are entering. A good headhunter will be able to give you advice on what salary you should be offering to gain attention of the best candidates, or alternatively, what sort of candidates you should be targeting if your budget is limited. You should be able to discuss different options and possible candidate profiles before advertising the position. You will also find out who you are competing with, searching for certain skill sets and what salary packages you competitors offer for similar positions. This should make you confident that you are on the right path to finding the best people who will be the perfect fit for your organisation.
6. You have nothing to lose.
If your initial thoughts were that using a head-hunter is expensive, it would be worth thinking
about all the cost incurred by an unfilled vacancy. Temporary staff, your employees stretched to their limits while performing extra duties, extra pay for overtime, loss of potential revenue, lack of business continuity – these are just a few examples of associated costs. On the other hand, headhunters won’t charge you for the services they can’t deliver. Ask for terms of business to make sure you are dealing with a professional. On most occasions headhunters won’t charge you if a candidate quits after few days of work. Alternatively, you won’t be liable to pay the full fee if a new employee stays with you shorter than specified in the contract.
Working with a headhunter could turn out to be not only beneficial but also more cost-effective way of hiring than you thought!
by Agnieszka Lublinska
Do you find searching for a perfect candidate for your high-profile role challenging now or maybe considering opening to the new markets and looking to recruit abroad?
The chances are your perfect candidates are busy working for a competition. In today’s candidate-driven market advertising a position is unlikely to be enough in order to find the perfect candidate, especially if you are hiring internationally. Best potential applicants are already hired and will need to be approached personally if you want them to know about your vacancy. Being ‘headhunted’ is often seen as quite prestigious and your potential candidates are likely to respond well if approached by an experienced headhunter.
Here are some significant arguments why working with a professional headhunter might be a great idea, not only for international vacancies:
1. Save your precious time.
The main reason to use a headhunter is to save your valuable time. Many candidates search
for new opportunities on a very discreet basis, not wishing to post their CVs online because of privacy issues. Will you find the time and resources to reach these candidates? Headhunters can offer them a discreet service, keeping them updated of any suitable vacancies, but not disclosing their personal information until they wish to pursue the position, they have serious interest in.
2. Negotiate with the highest priority candidates.
Make sure you don’t lose the ‘perfect fit candidate’ just because your competitor offers a
slightly higher salary or a fancy exclusive incentives package. Your headhunting partner will obtain feedback from candidates receiving multiple job offers and will ask for the reasons why they shift towards accepting an alternative offer. You will then have a chance to negotiate if you think the candidate is worth it. If you are hiring abroad, your international recruiter will make you aware of candidates’ expectations and will explain what sort of packages and incentives you should be using in order to compete with local businesses.
3. Make use of your headhunter’s sales skills.
Having a headhunting partner gives you a chance to sell your organisation to candidates in
the best possible way. If you are hiring internationally, you will probably know that you need to significantly adjust your recruitment strategy and your company’s image may need to be introduced in a slightly different way in each country. Hiring a professional recruiter with strong sales skills will put you in the best possible position, giving you an edge over your rivals competing for the same individuals. Taking care of your company’s image could make all the difference when looking for that candidate who will be a perfect fit.
4. Protect your privacy.
Have you got a sensitive vacancy to fill? Are you recruiting for a position which you can’t
openly advertise? Working with a headhunter will allow you to keep the position
confidential. This will help to prevent your staff or the competitors from finding out that you are recruiting if this is a sensitive matter.
A headhunter can advertise a vacancy on your behalf, without compromising your privacy if that’s what you require. Preserving your anonymity may not be what you need when dealing with your usual staffing needs but there are just some cases when the highly sensitive position must be dealt with extremely delicately. Having a headhunter who understands the complexity of the situation could take that burden off your shoulders.
5. Gain the insight in the marketplace.
Extensive knowledge of the marketplace is one of the most valuable aspects of the
professional expertise a headhunter has to offer. If you are recruiting internationally you will need some help making sense of the trends on the labour market you are entering. A good headhunter will be able to give you advice on what salary you should be offering to gain attention of the best candidates, or alternatively, what sort of candidates you should be targeting if your budget is limited. You should be able to discuss different options and possible candidate profiles before advertising the position. You will also find out who you are competing with, searching for certain skill sets and what salary packages you competitors offer for similar positions. This should make you confident that you are on the right path to finding the best people who will be the perfect fit for your organisation.
6. You have nothing to lose.
If your initial thoughts were that using a head-hunter is expensive, it would be worth thinking
about all the cost incurred by an unfilled vacancy. Temporary staff, your employees stretched to their limits while performing extra duties, extra pay for overtime, loss of potential revenue, lack of business continuity – these are just a few examples of associated costs. On the other hand, headhunters won’t charge you for the services they can’t deliver. Ask for terms of business to make sure you are dealing with a professional. On most occasions headhunters won’t charge you if a candidate quits after few days of work. Alternatively, you won’t be liable to pay the full fee if a new employee stays with you shorter than specified in the contract.
Working with a headhunter could turn out to be not only beneficial but also more cost-effective way of hiring than you thought!