Understanding The Difference Between Head Hunters And Executive Recruiters

Even within the job placement community, some executive recruiters or head hunters disagree about what terminology should be used to define the search professionals who help businesses find qualified employees while helping candidates find a career match. There are, however, important differences between the two.headhunter 

Head Hunters

Head hunters focus primarily on guiding individual job seekers who are looking for an executive level sales or management position. Some of them are quite specialized, honing in on a particular industry; software sales recruiters are one example, but you'll also find specialists who focus on medical supplies, educational materials and a host of other specializations. If you're currently looking for a job in a niche industry, these professionals can open doors by setting up interviews with several different potential employers.

How It Works

Head hunters will usually market you to several different companies who currently have jobs in your area of expertise and who are looking for new hires. Some expect each candidate to pay them a fee for a successful placement, basing their contingency fee on a percentage of your first year's salary. If they don't find you a position that's a good fit, there is no payment made. The downside of marketing yourself to a variety of companies that have open job listings is that you may need to compete against candidates who are being pitched by their own head hunters. Since they don't make any money until you have a lucrative job offer, head hunters are extremely focused on finding a career position that will work for you.

Executive Recruiters

Most executive recruiters have established client companies who are relying on them to successfully fill multiple positions. The client businesses often pay a retainer to ensure their jobs are filled quickly and successfully. These retainers are paid over time to the recruiter so that he or she can focus his time and energy on searching for and submitting the best possible candidates for a variety of open positions. Some software sales recruiters work exclusively with higher level positions at the executive level or above, while others work on finding qualified candidates for lower level positions.

Who They Work for

Because executive recruiters are being paid by client companies, they are extremely proactive in finding new candidates who are a good fit for each of the positions being offered. The advantage of working with them is that they often have a list of jobs that hasn't been posted on any outside job boards. This exclusive relationship means candidates will be applying for jobs that not many people have access to, quickly narrowing the field of competition. While executive recruiters do work closely with potential candidates, they never forget their loyalty to their client companies and the need for outstanding executive employees.

The best Of Both Worlds

In recent years, the boundaries between various kinds of employment search firms has become blurred as more of each have discovered that they can work successfully for their customers on both sides of the hiring divide. Many software sales recruiters now welcome the chance to place individual candidates with hiring companies even outside their core client list. They often use in-depth evaluation techniques, including skills testing and detailed evaluations, in order to make sure both hiring companies and successfully candidates are happy with the match between employer and employee. If considering hiring a recruiter, look for one who can work diligently for you while working with their client base of hiring companies.