Being head-hunted
Discussion
Guys,
I've been contact via a head-hunter about looking into a role with them. Without going into detail, I'm not particularly happy with my current role, so I am tempted.
However, I know nothing of these companies - and have no idea if it is a good one / bad one etc etc. To save Ted murdering me I won't post the name, but wondered if someone could give me some generic advice?
What do I look for? What can I expect? etc etc...
I've been contact via a head-hunter about looking into a role with them. Without going into detail, I'm not particularly happy with my current role, so I am tempted.
However, I know nothing of these companies - and have no idea if it is a good one / bad one etc etc. To save Ted murdering me I won't post the name, but wondered if someone could give me some generic advice?
What do I look for? What can I expect? etc etc...
Be very careful of headhunters..... not that this is a massive generalisation of recruitment agents, but some use dubious tactics to get your attention.
Proper headhunters are actually rare and tend to recruit for senior roles and specific requirements only (not suggesting that it might not be the case here). However, some "one-man-bands" like to claim they are headhunters to drum up business when they are simply placement or recruitment consultants.... just a word of caution as I have used both before and had very mixed results.
Get the details as much as you can in advance with as many details of the job, money and so on as possible. If they refuse to tell you the name of the company then start sniffing around. Check out the major recruitment websites like www.jobserve.co.uk (or whatever) and search for something similar - you never know, they might have just read it from there themselves. In fact you will be suprised as to the number of duplicated jobs on the web sites - just to get your attention....
Also worth meeting the headhunter too - at their office. So that you can check out how real they are. The only reason for doing this is that you want to make sure that this is valid. Remember they are going to make anything from 10% - 25% of your salary for placing you so make them work for this and justify the expense.
Finally and as a last resort - consider contacting the company directly. Not suggesting that you go behind the back of the headhunter, because they can actually do something for you. But no better thing to do that get it from the horses mouth as they say....
Not saying that you should be paranoid or never trust a headhunter / recruitment consultant, but this is quite a serious thing for anyone and it is always worth double checking - remember this is your career and your salary / money / fees etc.... make the wrong decision and it will have an impact on things like mortgages etc....
I sound right paranoid dont I!!!
Oh, and good luck.
Cheers,
Paul
Proper headhunters are actually rare and tend to recruit for senior roles and specific requirements only (not suggesting that it might not be the case here). However, some "one-man-bands" like to claim they are headhunters to drum up business when they are simply placement or recruitment consultants.... just a word of caution as I have used both before and had very mixed results.
Get the details as much as you can in advance with as many details of the job, money and so on as possible. If they refuse to tell you the name of the company then start sniffing around. Check out the major recruitment websites like www.jobserve.co.uk (or whatever) and search for something similar - you never know, they might have just read it from there themselves. In fact you will be suprised as to the number of duplicated jobs on the web sites - just to get your attention....
Also worth meeting the headhunter too - at their office. So that you can check out how real they are. The only reason for doing this is that you want to make sure that this is valid. Remember they are going to make anything from 10% - 25% of your salary for placing you so make them work for this and justify the expense.
Finally and as a last resort - consider contacting the company directly. Not suggesting that you go behind the back of the headhunter, because they can actually do something for you. But no better thing to do that get it from the horses mouth as they say....
Not saying that you should be paranoid or never trust a headhunter / recruitment consultant, but this is quite a serious thing for anyone and it is always worth double checking - remember this is your career and your salary / money / fees etc.... make the wrong decision and it will have an impact on things like mortgages etc....
I sound right paranoid dont I!!!
Oh, and good luck.
Cheers,
Paul
You don't have much to lose following it up. Knowing your worth is something every professional has a right to investigate.
Headhunters take fees from their client, the company recruiting, not the candidate. So a new job won't cost you a penny, and can be a hassle free way of finding a job.
However, headhunters can:
1) waste your time, by putting you forward for unsuitable roles, just to look like they have a lot of candidates on their books
2) be tossers
Some are OK, though. And the nice ones send you Champagne when you start your new job
Rgds
Domster
Headhunters take fees from their client, the company recruiting, not the candidate. So a new job won't cost you a penny, and can be a hassle free way of finding a job.
However, headhunters can:
1) waste your time, by putting you forward for unsuitable roles, just to look like they have a lot of candidates on their books
2) be tossers
Some are OK, though. And the nice ones send you Champagne when you start your new job
Rgds
Domster
Podie
I used to work in a niche area of consulting and we were, for a while, hot targets for headhunters. On average at least one member of the team would get a call each week from soemone posing as a HH.
The problem was that the majority of the headhunters calling us were recent leavers from more reputable recruitment companies who had now set up on their own. They were targeting workers in industry with the lure of a "we have someone who wants you" offer in order to obtain CVs which, in turn, they were using to market themselves to companies needing personnel. There was no job, but for the cost of a cup of coffee they were getting your great looking CV so they show prospective clients what quality they could provide, if given the business.
So to avoid this trap I think you need to be certain that there really is a job. They should be able to send you a job spec for the post on offer. If they are reluctant to do this, or reluctant to tell you who their client is, I'd be very careful.
I once agreed to meet a headhunter. I checked his website and all seemed very good. When I met him he claimed to be working for the company I was already working for and had a great job there for me working in the team I was managing. All very interesting
If he's reputable and he's done his work properly, then you should be flattered that he's identified you as a potential candidate. Good HHs make a real difference, IMHO.
Good luck!
I used to work in a niche area of consulting and we were, for a while, hot targets for headhunters. On average at least one member of the team would get a call each week from soemone posing as a HH.
The problem was that the majority of the headhunters calling us were recent leavers from more reputable recruitment companies who had now set up on their own. They were targeting workers in industry with the lure of a "we have someone who wants you" offer in order to obtain CVs which, in turn, they were using to market themselves to companies needing personnel. There was no job, but for the cost of a cup of coffee they were getting your great looking CV so they show prospective clients what quality they could provide, if given the business.
So to avoid this trap I think you need to be certain that there really is a job. They should be able to send you a job spec for the post on offer. If they are reluctant to do this, or reluctant to tell you who their client is, I'd be very careful.
I once agreed to meet a headhunter. I checked his website and all seemed very good. When I met him he claimed to be working for the company I was already working for and had a great job there for me working in the team I was managing. All very interesting
If he's reputable and he's done his work properly, then you should be flattered that he's identified you as a potential candidate. Good HHs make a real difference, IMHO.
Good luck!
quote:
Paul -
Not every recruitment consultant acts in this way, some of us like repeat business and can see beyond this months comission...
but I agree most professionals have had a bad experience from a headhunter at some time or another
Yeah, sorry re-read my post and it sounds really negative.... Actually most are OK, but it pays (as with most things in life) to double check. The company that I work for has a recruitment arm and does a lot of repeat business.... but in the business that I am in you get a lot of grief from clients on the fees!
And last final point is that quite a lot of the decent jobs are only available through recruitment companies. Therefore you do really need to use them for these types of jobs....
Cheers,
Paul
Yes mungo - we do call compannies to get names, but ultimately we do it because we have a mandate to fufill and someone WILL get the job
Cultivating a relationship with a proper headhunter is well worth doing in terms of career enhancement and market knowledge
Next time your md offers a pay rise of X% - it might help to know what other options you have.
You sound like you aren't afraid to make your own choices ... great - other people sometimes need a bit of coaching - or even (shock) value the opinion of someone who has spent nearly TEN years providing career advice and placeing people into new companies.
I agree research can be a bit hit and miss - but we have to start somewhere !
Cultivating a relationship with a proper headhunter is well worth doing in terms of career enhancement and market knowledge
Next time your md offers a pay rise of X% - it might help to know what other options you have.
You sound like you aren't afraid to make your own choices ... great - other people sometimes need a bit of coaching - or even (shock) value the opinion of someone who has spent nearly TEN years providing career advice and placeing people into new companies.
I agree research can be a bit hit and miss - but we have to start somewhere !
Thanks for the replies.
The e-mail says he's got my details from a contact - which given my area of expertise is quite limited, there are not exactly many ergonomists about... so I'll be able to tell how genuine it is, from the so called "contact". If it's a name I know (and trust) I may make some further enquiries.
Needless to say I am a bit hesitant on this... but any more comments would be welcome. Don't worry though - not about to chucj my job in!
The e-mail says he's got my details from a contact - which given my area of expertise is quite limited, there are not exactly many ergonomists about... so I'll be able to tell how genuine it is, from the so called "contact". If it's a name I know (and trust) I may make some further enquiries.
Needless to say I am a bit hesitant on this... but any more comments would be welcome. Don't worry though - not about to chucj my job in!
Tell them you'll meet them to discuss it over lunch, which they will pick up the tab for. If it's serious they will show.
I and the guy's who work for me, average receiving one of those calls once a day.
The City in particular is rife with it, initially nice for the ego but rarely leading to anything substantial.
I and the guy's who work for me, average receiving one of those calls once a day.
The City in particular is rife with it, initially nice for the ego but rarely leading to anything substantial.
quote:
N17 - Have you ever noticed how much these people are like buses? You don't hear from any for about a week then suddenly you get calls from up to 6 different headhunters a day for a couple of weeks! Often for the same job!
Ain't that the case.....
They are up there along with estate agents, timeshare touts and tube drivers.
Steady on fellas... you may have had some bad / annoying experiences with these people, but I did not intend to turn it into a slanging match or start getting personal!
I've only been out in the "big wide world" for just over a year, and was looking for some advice / experience so that I could make a judgement based on that and make a decision on how to approach it accordingly.
Therefore, could we please try and keep posts relevant, before Ted wades in and bins the lot.
Ta muchly.
I've only been out in the "big wide world" for just over a year, and was looking for some advice / experience so that I could make a judgement based on that and make a decision on how to approach it accordingly.
Therefore, could we please try and keep posts relevant, before Ted wades in and bins the lot.
Ta muchly.
quote:
podie - email me offline - I too am a headhunter - with a firm called imprint - in case its the same one
email in my profile
I can't promise to help - but I know the game as it were....
I would just like to share with fellow PH'ers that I did e-mail Gargamel offline, and his response and advice is much appreciated - straight to the point and obviously from someone who knows the game.
Personally I would regard this an interesting learning exercise, and the fact that we should not necessarily pigeonhole people.
Gargamel - thanks for your input. Much appreciated.
quote:
Steady on fellas... you may have had some bad / annoying experiences with these people, but I did not intend to turn it into a slanging match or start getting personal!
I've only been out in the "big wide world" for just over a year, and was looking for some advice / experience so that I could make a judgement based on that and make a decision on how to approach it accordingly.
Therefore, could we please try and keep posts relevant, before Ted wades in and bins the lot.
Ta muchly.
Fair point Podie, I should have made it clear that I was not referring to the reputable 'Head Hunters', but to those who masquerade under this banner and deal in volume rather than a selective approach.
One of my mates is a 'search and selection specialist' aka "headhunter" , but he tends to deal at CEO, MD, Heads of Trading desks, level and doesn't start his selection prtocess via the company switchboard.
I get called by 'head-hunters' quite a bit. As soon as I start asking them what it is they think I do they get very cagey and cant actually say. They usually get your name from a 'stolen' company phone directory and actually know jack-shite about what you do and who you are. Cant knock for trying though - thats what they do.
Gargamel - What sector are you in ? What agency do you work for ?
Gargamel - What sector are you in ? What agency do you work for ?
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