Headhunting, also known as direct approach recruitment, consists of finding and selecting experienced profiles who match a client’s requirements. What’s different about headhunters is that they use investigation techniques and approach candidates already in posts directly. What are its advantages?

Recruiting the best profiles

Headhunters provide added value because they can identify and persuade the best profiles to work for their client, regardless of sector. The most common headhunting targets are senior managers, middle management and executives. For some years, the range of targets has been expanding, as companies have sought headhunting services to fill less senior positions (e.g. technical sales staff, technicians with specific knowledge).

Very precise targeting

The value of headhunting lies in the investigation work carried out and therefore the fact that potential candidates, currently employed elsewhere, are very precisely targeted, something traditional recruitment cannot achieve. Direct approach recruitment means that potential candidates who are not currently looking for a job (and therefore wouldn’t reply to a standard job advertisement) can be proactively sought.

The headhunter (your single point of contact at Apostrof because we don’t use researchers) offers the client a list of companies within which the search will be carried out: this is the ‘hunting ground’. This means that the candidates approached come from the relevant target sectors: from large companies in the sector or associated fields.

Discretion and anonymity

Another strategic advantage of headhunting is its confidentiality. Headhunters never disclose the name of their clients when making an approach. They are asked by the company to speak on its behalf, represent it and therefore also protect it. Confidentiality is essential for the recruiting company, which doesn’t necessarily want to be named to a multitude of candidates, and also for the candidate.

The existing jobs of candidates in posts when they are approached must not be put in jeopardy, because they didn’t initiate the approach. One of a headhunter’s tasks is also to support the candidates contacted by taking an approach that respects their current position and gives them the time they need to think about taking up a new opportunity.

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