Posted on 18-01-2010 at 01:00
Nick's reply: I believe there are two main reasons headhunters have poor reputations. First, many "headhunters" are not really headhunters. Career counselors, employment agencies, outplacement firms and the like are not headhunters. A headhunter is a consultant retained or paid exclusively by an employer to find and hire specialized workers. These can be executives or staff. A headhunter's job is to fill a job, not to counsel job seekers and not to find jobs for people who are out of work.
In many cases, I find the criticisms leveled at headhunters are really directed at what I refer to as "personnel jockeys." These are people who position themselves between an employer and a worker, trying to earn a fee for putting the two parties together. This does not constitute headhunting.
The second reason headhunting has a poor reputation is that many people who get into the business do it to earn a quick buck. There are far more people who enter the business and quickly exit than dedicated headhunters who are good at what they do. Because fees are large, anyone with a computer and an Internet account thinks he can be a headhunter. Unprofessional, greedy practitioners have created a bad reputation for the business.
People complain that it's difficult to find a good headhunter. I agree. But bear in mind that a good headhunter doesn't want you to find him unless you are a company with a job to fill. A headhunter's job is to find you if you fit a search assignment, not to find you a job.
If you're a headhunter, what can you do to improve your image? First, determine whether you are a headhunter rather than a personnel jockey (sorry, but you must ask yourself the question). If you're in business for a quick buck, you're in the wrong business. In this business, reputation and discretion are valued tremendously. It takes a considerable investment of time to develop both.
If you're a new headhunter, learn everything there is to know about the industry you specialize in. Ask your clients to teach you about their field. Listen. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to learn. Keep your word. Keep confidences secure. Be honest. As the person standing between a worker's ability to earn a living and a company's need to be profitable, you wield a lot of power. If you use it to promote the success of both parties, you will earn respect in the business and in the professional community you serve.
Learn to say "No." You can't handle every request from a candidate or a client. You are not a shoulder to cry on; you are a guide who serves two masters. The trick is, one master pays your bill now (the client's fee), and the other pays you later (a happy candidate will give you referrals). There is no easy way to stand on this ground. Too many try, but not hard enough, and all get a bad name as a consequence.
Headhunters have powerful influence over the lives of the people they work with. When I think back on people I have placed, I think about their families, their mortgages, their happiness and the way I influenced all of it. I have been fortunate to work with a lot of good people. A very few of them have been other headhunters.
Understanding the great impact a headhunter has on others helps him behave in ways that foster a good reputation -- and also produces good fees!
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