Who are the headhunters and how to interest them?
You didn’t post your resume anywhere, didn’t express a desire to change your job, didn’t give your phone number to anyone, but suddenly they called you with an “offer that you can’t refuse”? Then this will definitely be your first question to the headhunter - a recruiter who “hunts” for valuable personnel, often luring them from other companies.
However, you will not receive an answer to it - at least from a professional headhunter. Such people never reveal their sources and do not even discuss your proposed job when you first talk on the phone.
Why so much mystery? To keep silent about something, making you feel “special,” is one of the psychological tricks used by headhunters to lure you into a personal meeting over a cup of coffee.
So how do they find the workers their customers need? Is it possible to become one of those who may be of interest to them?
Can. Here are 10 basic rules to get your bounty hunters interested.
1. Be visible
One of my colleagues was twice "lured" to another job. He always tried to be in sight and communicate in his business circle as much as possible - he attended trainings, seminars, conferences, and just talked with people from his sphere. He made sure that his name, position and company were always indicated in the list of participants of the event - because headhunters often look through them in search of potential candidates.
2. Do not forget to exchange business cards
The same colleague never hesitated to exchange business cards with other specialists at any suitable occasion. You never know what this will lead to - for example, when headhunters offered him a job in which he was not interested, he did not just refuse, but instead offered himself another suitable candidate - sorting out the very business cards that he had gathered from his colleagues. Thus, he helped both his colleague and the headhunter, and the latter are especially useful to have as friends.
3. Do not save on self-development
To get into the category of “valuable personnel”, it’s not enough just to work well. Headhunters are only interested in outstanding employees - those who are constantly developing themselves and the sphere in which they work. For example, they can look for people who publish articles (both in scientific journals and just in a blog) by their activities, speak at conferences and simply offer professional advice.
4. Do not stay long without work
This point is a little unfair to those who, for some reason, were temporarily unemployed, but what can you do - the specialist is most attractive to the headhunter if he is currently working. In part, this has a psychological connotation - if you are left without work, that means there is a reason. Few people think that these reasons in our turbulent times do not always depend on the employee. In addition, if you are sitting without work, they might think that you will seize on any offer as a saving straw - and this is not so interesting as persuading people to quit the company in which they are currently working and move to a new place .
5. Control your online presence
Remember: no matter what you post on the Internet, it instantly becomes public. Many employers today, for example, check the pages of potential candidates on social networks - from there you can learn a lot of interesting things about a person.
What does this mean for you as a candidate who wants to interest a headhunter? The fact that you have to control even your pages on social networks. If you want to be able to find you, then open access to your page, but be sure to make sure everything on it is spotless and interesting professionally.
Also, do not forget that many of the comments you left on social networks can “creep” across the entire network - sometimes they can even be found in Google search results. Therefore, hold back your indignation and all other emotions that can put you in an unsightly light, and watch what is published on your pages - both by you and your friends.
Many headhunters give the same advice: drive your name into the search engine and browse all the search results, and do it regularly. Put yourself in the place of an employer who wants to get to the bottom of your dirty laundry and make sure that he does not succeed.
6. Do not refuse to meet with headhunters
If the headhunter invites you to meet for a cup of coffee - agree, even if you are not particularly interested in the proposed work. You will learn a lot of interesting things about the level of wages in your industry and will remain “on the mark” with a recruiter if a more interesting vacancy appears.
7. Don't get too carried away
In a situation where headhunters are “hunting” for you, you feel not just necessary, but just the absolutely necessary and valuable shot. You enjoy all the attention, listen to suggestions and ... forget to ask questions. However, it is at this stage that you should ask as many questions as possible in order to understand whether you really need a new job.
At this moment you should not rush anywhere. Relax, realize that practically nothing is required of you, and that you have nothing to lose from meeting with the headhunter. You are in a knowingly winning position, and this should give you confidence in the negotiations.
8. Do not forget who pays for everything
The client (the company that is looking for an employee) pays the headhunter to entice you from another job or simply find a brilliant candidate for the position.
A professional headhunter will first of all make sure that the candidate meets the client’s preferences as much as possible. Therefore, he will answer all your questions, and he will ask a lot of them. However, do not forget that for the right employee the headhunters get a lot of money, and this fact can overshadow any objectivity on their part.
The prices for headhunters are actually quite high. They can’t even be compared with your monthly salary. True, sometimes they get a fixed amount simply for trying to search (which should prevent anyone from “slipping” anyone just to get money for the employee found), but even in this case they will always have a significant bonus if the search is successful.
Therefore, always double-check the headhunter's information about the company - since it can spread like a nightingale, describing all its advantages simply because it needs to “sell” you to the client.
9. Behave decently
As mentioned above, you will feel a very valuable frame, for which the auction. At this stage, you need to “sell” yourself as profitably as possible, that is, agree on the most attractive salary for you. You have your own expectations, and you can express them to the headhunter in the negotiation process and bargain - this is absolutely normal. But if you have already shook hands and agreed on a specific amount in words, please be nice to act decently and not “change your mind” at the last moment when you already have an employment contract that only needs your signature.
Even if you realized too late that you are the best candidate for the position, and the company was ready to offer you much more - keep your word. If you begin to haggle at the final stage, when you have already been allocated an office in the new office, and a sign with your name hangs on its door, then you will put in an unsightly light not only yourself, but also the headhunter. The attitude towards you at the new job will be appropriate, if you get it at all.
10. Understand the differences between a headhunter and a simple recruiter
Professional headhunters are dramatically different from ordinary employees of recruitment agencies. They will not methodically ring up all candidates from a single database or send emails.
A professional headhunter will meet with you wherever you are comfortable, and at a time when you are comfortable. He will always answer all your questions about the company - even if he does not know the answer, he will surely find out it - and he will certainly discuss all your doubts about the vacancy. He will never talk about the proposed vacancy by phone and disclose the name of the client until he makes sure that you are a suitable candidate for the position.
So, as stated at the very beginning, the headhunter will never tell you how he knows about you and where he got your phone number. Sometimes this is kept secret because the sources of information can be very, very strange. Eh, if you only knew how many directors were lured by headhunters from one company to another after "friendly" football matches, where they exchanged phone numbers in the locker room, agreeing to "warm up some more time once in their free time" ...
However, you will not receive an answer to it - at least from a professional headhunter. Such people never reveal their sources and do not even discuss your proposed job when you first talk on the phone.
Why so much mystery? To keep silent about something, making you feel “special,” is one of the psychological tricks used by headhunters to lure you into a personal meeting over a cup of coffee.
So how do they find the workers their customers need? Is it possible to become one of those who may be of interest to them?
Can. Here are 10 basic rules to get your bounty hunters interested.
1. Be visible
One of my colleagues was twice "lured" to another job. He always tried to be in sight and communicate in his business circle as much as possible - he attended trainings, seminars, conferences, and just talked with people from his sphere. He made sure that his name, position and company were always indicated in the list of participants of the event - because headhunters often look through them in search of potential candidates.
2. Do not forget to exchange business cards
The same colleague never hesitated to exchange business cards with other specialists at any suitable occasion. You never know what this will lead to - for example, when headhunters offered him a job in which he was not interested, he did not just refuse, but instead offered himself another suitable candidate - sorting out the very business cards that he had gathered from his colleagues. Thus, he helped both his colleague and the headhunter, and the latter are especially useful to have as friends.
3. Do not save on self-development
To get into the category of “valuable personnel”, it’s not enough just to work well. Headhunters are only interested in outstanding employees - those who are constantly developing themselves and the sphere in which they work. For example, they can look for people who publish articles (both in scientific journals and just in a blog) by their activities, speak at conferences and simply offer professional advice.
4. Do not stay long without work
This point is a little unfair to those who, for some reason, were temporarily unemployed, but what can you do - the specialist is most attractive to the headhunter if he is currently working. In part, this has a psychological connotation - if you are left without work, that means there is a reason. Few people think that these reasons in our turbulent times do not always depend on the employee. In addition, if you are sitting without work, they might think that you will seize on any offer as a saving straw - and this is not so interesting as persuading people to quit the company in which they are currently working and move to a new place .
5. Control your online presence
Remember: no matter what you post on the Internet, it instantly becomes public. Many employers today, for example, check the pages of potential candidates on social networks - from there you can learn a lot of interesting things about a person.
What does this mean for you as a candidate who wants to interest a headhunter? The fact that you have to control even your pages on social networks. If you want to be able to find you, then open access to your page, but be sure to make sure everything on it is spotless and interesting professionally.
Also, do not forget that many of the comments you left on social networks can “creep” across the entire network - sometimes they can even be found in Google search results. Therefore, hold back your indignation and all other emotions that can put you in an unsightly light, and watch what is published on your pages - both by you and your friends.
Many headhunters give the same advice: drive your name into the search engine and browse all the search results, and do it regularly. Put yourself in the place of an employer who wants to get to the bottom of your dirty laundry and make sure that he does not succeed.
6. Do not refuse to meet with headhunters
If the headhunter invites you to meet for a cup of coffee - agree, even if you are not particularly interested in the proposed work. You will learn a lot of interesting things about the level of wages in your industry and will remain “on the mark” with a recruiter if a more interesting vacancy appears.
7. Don't get too carried away
In a situation where headhunters are “hunting” for you, you feel not just necessary, but just the absolutely necessary and valuable shot. You enjoy all the attention, listen to suggestions and ... forget to ask questions. However, it is at this stage that you should ask as many questions as possible in order to understand whether you really need a new job.
At this moment you should not rush anywhere. Relax, realize that practically nothing is required of you, and that you have nothing to lose from meeting with the headhunter. You are in a knowingly winning position, and this should give you confidence in the negotiations.
8. Do not forget who pays for everything
The client (the company that is looking for an employee) pays the headhunter to entice you from another job or simply find a brilliant candidate for the position.
A professional headhunter will first of all make sure that the candidate meets the client’s preferences as much as possible. Therefore, he will answer all your questions, and he will ask a lot of them. However, do not forget that for the right employee the headhunters get a lot of money, and this fact can overshadow any objectivity on their part.
The prices for headhunters are actually quite high. They can’t even be compared with your monthly salary. True, sometimes they get a fixed amount simply for trying to search (which should prevent anyone from “slipping” anyone just to get money for the employee found), but even in this case they will always have a significant bonus if the search is successful.
Therefore, always double-check the headhunter's information about the company - since it can spread like a nightingale, describing all its advantages simply because it needs to “sell” you to the client.
9. Behave decently
As mentioned above, you will feel a very valuable frame, for which the auction. At this stage, you need to “sell” yourself as profitably as possible, that is, agree on the most attractive salary for you. You have your own expectations, and you can express them to the headhunter in the negotiation process and bargain - this is absolutely normal. But if you have already shook hands and agreed on a specific amount in words, please be nice to act decently and not “change your mind” at the last moment when you already have an employment contract that only needs your signature.
Even if you realized too late that you are the best candidate for the position, and the company was ready to offer you much more - keep your word. If you begin to haggle at the final stage, when you have already been allocated an office in the new office, and a sign with your name hangs on its door, then you will put in an unsightly light not only yourself, but also the headhunter. The attitude towards you at the new job will be appropriate, if you get it at all.
10. Understand the differences between a headhunter and a simple recruiter
Professional headhunters are dramatically different from ordinary employees of recruitment agencies. They will not methodically ring up all candidates from a single database or send emails.
A professional headhunter will meet with you wherever you are comfortable, and at a time when you are comfortable. He will always answer all your questions about the company - even if he does not know the answer, he will surely find out it - and he will certainly discuss all your doubts about the vacancy. He will never talk about the proposed vacancy by phone and disclose the name of the client until he makes sure that you are a suitable candidate for the position.
So, as stated at the very beginning, the headhunter will never tell you how he knows about you and where he got your phone number. Sometimes this is kept secret because the sources of information can be very, very strange. Eh, if you only knew how many directors were lured by headhunters from one company to another after "friendly" football matches, where they exchanged phone numbers in the locker room, agreeing to "warm up some more time once in their free time" ...
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