Back in the early 1990's, when the internet was still pretty new, the only route for companies to reach out to potential employees was via job advertisements in relevant publications.
These companies however, would often turn to third party recruiters because sifting through paper responses was a time consuming process, and because they knew we had access to suitable shortlists of candidates very readily.
Some 20 years on, it seems things have gone full circle! Increasing numbers of companies are posting jobs on their corporate websites and LinkedIn, and getting a deluge of responses. However, quantity doesn’t always equal quality.
Here’s 6 reasons why using a head hunter still has significant benefits for employers:
1. The role being recruited might be confidential, and head hunters know how to approach candidates and ‘sell’ a role under these circumstances
2. Your company might not be a well-known name. A head hunter will have understood the motivations of any potential candidate, and therefore how to make the role/company appeal, even if they might have discounted it at first glance
3. Having your LinkedIn connections or industry colleagues apply direct for roles can produce awkward situations if they are rejected. Head hunters will only contact people who they know are suitable
4. Senior candidates are unlikely to respond direct to a company, via a careers page or LinkedIn; the risks to their profile are too great. They still prefer the comfort of having a thorough brief from a head hunter who has their best interests at heart as much as those of their future employer
5. If your own efforts to recruit a position drag on, or worse, are unsuccessful it sends out a negative message about your business
6. The best candidate for any position is someone who is happy and successful in their current role, and therefore not looking to move at all - unlikely to be scanning job adverts.