Getting the Most from Headhunters

The kind of headhunter we're talking about here is someone who specializes in helping employers find qualified personnel for hard-to-fill positions. They can be a valuable resource if you're looking for an executive level position or for employment in a highly specialized sector. Headhunters maintain long-running relationships with major employers and are often aware of job opportunities that are not publicly advertised.

It's important to understand, though, that headhunters work for employers, not for job-seekers. Employers are the long-term source of a headhunter's income – AND the party that pays the bill. (Legitimate recruiters do not ask job seekers to pay for placement services. Don't work with a recruiter who asks you for a fee.)

You don't need a headhunter when you're just out of college. In most cases, no headhunter will give a brand-new grad the time of day, anyway. That said, if you work in a field that uses headhunters extensively, it doesn't hurt to take advantage of opportunities to meet recruiters and mention that you might ask for their help a few years down the road. Some of the best job seeker-headhunter outcomes arise from relationships that were nurtured over months or even years.

Here are some additional pointers to get the most out of working with a headhunter:

You're not expected to be 'loyal' to one headhunter. Headhunters don't have exclusive rights to your job search. You can (should) pursue job leads on your own, and you can (should) work with multiple recruiters. In fact, you're taking a huge risk if you do put all your eggs in one recruiter's basket. There's no guarantee that this particular recruiter is working with the right employer for you, or that you're getting the recruiter's full attention.

Ask whether your headhunter is filling a position on a retained or a contingency basis. A headhunter working on a retained basis is being paid by an employer to fill a specific position. For the moment, their only priority will be to find the absolutely perfect candidates for that job. You can't expect much back from them unless you're one of those perfect candidates. On the other hand, headhunters working on a contingency basis only get paid if they bring in a candidate who's hired. They're competing against other recruiters for the same fee. A headhunter working on a contingency basis will be trying to fill a number of different positions for different employers at the same time, and will forward your resume for any opening you are competitive for.

A headhunter won't necessarily secure the best salary offer for you. Yes, headhunters are paid a percentage of the salary offered to a successful job candidate. But that doesn't mean they hold out for the highest salaries they can get. Never forget that headhunters have more to gain over the long run by keeping employers happy than they do by keeping job seekers happy. When a headhunter asks you about your salary expectations, be realistic. Don't give an overly high figure – headhunters know your market value better than you do. But don't give an overly low figure, either. A headhunter might just pass that information on to an employer as the amount of money you're willing to settle for. The headhunter risks taking a small hit, in the form of  a smaller placement fee – but that loss is more than offset by the potential income from additional business from the satisfied employer.

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