Headhunting vs Flat Fee Recruitment : Which is best?

Headhunting can be defined as: Identifying and approaching potential passive candidates for a client’s role or for general roles within a specific client base.

So that’s the definition, but what roles or scenarios is the recruitment practice of headhunting most suited for?

Headhunting is ideal for: Specialist roles where an identifiable skill or background is needed that may be rare. When a client wants to draw someone from a limited number of competitors. If the job is highly confidential. Senior roles at ‘C’ level. Finding passive candidates who are not in a competitive situation with other roles and consultancies. Roles guaranteed by a retainer. Clients with a poor reputation. No success with advertising or agencies.

It’s a poor choice for: Non-retained roles except under certain circumstances. For generalist roles where candidates are hard to identify, especially if non-retained. Increasingly, retainers are being used to identify generalist candidates who have a scarce skill set and who cannot be reached by other means – often a long, hard process but can be rewarding. High risk with no retainer. For low-level, non-business-critical roles, as cost is too high to justify.

So what are the alternatives?

- Flat Fee Recruitment
- Data Mining

Flat Fee Recruitment: Advert and sift for a flat fee. An alternative advertising recruitment option for active job seekers. A firm will draft all the documentation and advert copy so it’s properly optimised for all the major job boards. The ad is then placed online and each applicant is then hand sifted and delivered usually via an Applicant Tracking System.

Data Mining: In a similar way to headhunting, the data mining is in place where candidates are not actively looking for a new job. Data mining is a passive candidate product. A research team works to scour all the major job boards and delves into social media platforms identifying candidates who might suit s role.