Headhunters vs. Recruiters: Which Do You Need?

All headhunters are recruiters, but not all recruiters are headhunters.

There has always been some confusion in the difference between what headhunters vs. recruiters actually do. Though both terms essentially result in the hiring of someone new, each has their own unique differences. Question is, which is the right one for your organisation and for the desired appointment outcome?

There are different solutions and tactics when it comes to talent acquisition. Choosing the right talent acquisition strategy is crucial for attracting candidates and ensuring their success. Some attraction solutions aim to find the best candidates, while others focus on finding a good fit. Some target passive candidates, while others target active candidates.

The truth is, if you’re genuinely looking to hire, you will be seeking the right person regardless. However, whether they need to come from your vertical often depends on the nature of the role in question. If vertical or competitor knowledge is crucial for the role’s success, consider a headhunting or search route. This approach is more effective than general recruiting methods, which usually target active job seekers through job boards and advertisements.

What does a general Recruitment Agency do?

A Recruitment Agency will help you to find, attract, screen, recruit, hire, and onboarding employees. It includes everything from identifying a job opening to filling it. It’s the most common method for filling jobs, with many professionals placed through recruitment agencies early in their careers. However, as they reach senior levels, an executive search consultancy provides more value.

 Always look within before hiring externally

We would always encourage our clients to make the best use of the internal resources they have before entertaining hiring externally. However there are many cases by which a client requires outside influence, knowledge or exposure which an internal transferred employee will not have.

There are a number of similarities between the methods both parties use, however internal teams when recruiting for their own business will seldom be able to approach as directly as external parties who offer a buffer between the parties. Here are a few of the routes to market:

  • Direct Advertising
  • Internal Talent pool databases
  • Internal Promotions
  • The use of a Recruitment Agency
  • The use of an Executive Search / Headhunting practice 
  • Employee Referrals 
  • Job boards

You Need a General Recruitment Agency When…

Brixton Group reported that from their point of view the state of hiring in the 2022 job market is banked very much on an urgency to recruit having suffered many delays due to economic and financial concerns. In this case, they chose a recruitment agency for a critical hire. They had a number of individuals to consider but were not confident in the selection and, in the end, did not hire. Thinking that it was simply circumstantial, they then offered out the role to three recruitment agencies on a contingent basis. Each of the aforementioned agencies presented an average of three profiles.

After 3-4 days, with a further 9x candidates to consider you would imagine that this would present amble choice and a hire would be made. However, those candidates were broadly ‘okay’ but none blew the client away. After careful consideration, the role was assigned to a ‘Search Practice’ to thoroughly explore the marketplace for the right candidate. The role was of greater importance for anything else. If your company values speed above all else, then the agency route may be viable. However, if accuracy and quality are of the utmost importance, a headhunt or search practice closely aligned to your niche is often the better option.

What is Headhunting

A headhunter is someone who is a lot more thorough in their process. Yes they run searches for people to fill positions just like any other recruiter. However the process is a lot more detailed and the recruiters running the search are often more experienced than ‘Recruitment Agency’ farms. 

In this sense they are sometimes referred to as Executive Recruit­ers or Executive Search Consultants. 

Headhunters typically specialize in niche sectors or verticals, building a strong reputation and extensive contacts over the years. As such, while they may have an active pool of candidates for specific roles or use unconventional methods to acquire talent, they are inherently proactive. They should know your vertical inside out. They will monitor key movers and shakers and keep a close eye on competitors. Employers typically engage headhunters for roles that are crucial, require specialized sector knowledge, or involve high-stakes appointments.

In the past ‘Headhunting / Executive Search’ was a preserved service for only senior level / C-suite roles. Over the past decade and a half, headhunting services have increasingly been used for middle to senior-level and critical hire appointments with great success.

Headhunting is often a Research-Driven methodology

Headhunting is the art of attracting truly the best within the industry, not simply the most visible. Headhunters are hired for their market research expertise, professionalism, and ability to motivate senior individuals to consider new opportunities. They strategically help companies to understand the value that the right talent brings and the advantages to their clients’ growth.

Strong search businesses like ours are equipped with the right tools to develop complex market maps and conduct competitor analysis. This enables them to offer a service and solution to their clients that far exceeds a typical recruitment agency’s offering. This is due to their vertical market experience and expertise.

Getting it Right The First Time, Every Time

The right headhunter will take their time to find the best candidate in the market. Poorly managing any recruitment strategy can lead to 6 months of wasted energy, a loss of market share not to mention a high employee turnover. This often results in significant costs for companies. A high turnover rate doesn’t necessarily indicate poor performance; in many cases it may be due to a mismatch between job requirements and applicant skills, it may come down to a lack of vertical knowledge or perhaps how they were on-boarded to the business / role. An executive search practice will be focused on making the right appointment and ensuring that the on-boarding experience is first class. They will also pay close attention to ensuring the candidate’s integration and success.

Attract, Capture and Transform 

Great headhunters who have mastered the art of attracting the most valued talents are rare and unique. However, many proclaim to be true executive search professionals and charge a premium but often rely on traditional methodologies. Partnering with a great Search Professional requires identifying a business / consultant that is not focused on simply covering a role with candidates in the hope that one sticks.

Instead, you need to find the consultant who is more than willing to say no to candidates until they have satisfied their own curiosity. They need to be confident in their selection, whether that means considering 200 or 600 headhunted candidates for the role. For these experts, talent acquisition is providing the best value for both the employer and the candidate. Therefore, headhunters enable strategic company transformations, one successful appointment at a time. 

Consider the Role You’re Recruiting For

Recruitment Agencies are often selected for entry level roles, and they will typically turn around a handful of candidate submissions by day 3. However in such a short time frame it is very unlikely that they will make use of market maps or have time for vertical market specific headhunting.

However, if you’re recruiting for unique or niche-specific roles, you may want to consider outsourcing your recruitment to a specialized headhunter. A search practice that focuses on talent acquisition within your niche can be particularly effective.

Looking for Headhunters or Recruiters? 

No two roles are the same. We have tried to expose the differences between a typical Recruitment Agency and a Headhunting boutique / Search Practice. We have established that general agencies have a quicker turnaround but that often their results are seldom as accurate. When reviewing the roles that you need to fill, you should carefully decide upfront which strategy you require. That often comes down to how critical the role itself is.

Resilient Management is a Professional Market Intelligence Search & Selection practice with deep roots in the Fintech & Asset / Automotive Finance Industry. We will find you the best people with complete transparency whilst presenting your brand professionally.