Headhunters

[Pubey]

Anyone moved role and had to deal with headhunters? Any tips/advice etc? I've worked in academia all my working life but giving a bit of thought about moving to a private firm. The industry is small but expanding and I'm in demand, and the headhunters who are routinely pestering me seem to actually have a good insight for the industry and my understanding is that many recruiters use them.

For details I'm happy to PM.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Just remember that these people are like agents. They'll be paid a fee, generally a percentage of your starting salary in a new role that they place you in. With that in mind, they'll simply want to know whether you are seriously open to a move and whether you are a credible option for them to introduce to their client base. They won't want to waste their time or yours and you'll ultimately be one of a number of options they'll be trying to promote.

Only real note of caution is to make sure you are in the loop before they make any introductions so they're not just peppering the market with your CV. It's unlikely they'll do that but you need to satisfy yourself on that.

 

[Pubey]

Just remember that these people are like agents. They'll be paid a fee, generally a percentage of your starting salary in a new role that they place you in. With that in mind, they'll simply want to know whether you are seriously open to a move and whether you are a credible option for them to introduce to their client base. They won't want to waste their time or yours and you'll ultimately be one of a number of options they'll be trying to promote.

Only real note of caution is to make sure you are in the loop before they make any introductions so they're not just peppering the market with your CV. It's unlikely they'll do that but you need to satisfy yourself on that.

Cheers G, that's really useful.

I'm definitely in the loop - on first name terms with most of the MDs of the handful of firms I'm looking at. Like I said, it's a small world.

That's helpful to know about being 'seriously open to a move' to the headhunter.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Just remember that these people are like agents. They'll be paid a fee, generally a percentage of your starting salary in a new role that they place you in. With that in mind, they'll simply want to know whether you are seriously open to a move and whether you are a credible option for them to introduce to their client base. They won't want to waste their time or yours and you'll ultimately be one of a number of options they'll be trying to promote.

Only real note of caution is to make sure you are in the loop before they make any introductions so they're not just peppering the market with your CV. It's unlikely they'll do that but you need to satisfy yourself on that.

They are agents! Just not your agents.

And that's the most important thing to remember: recruitment agents are the agents of the employer - they don't work for you and they don't have your interests at heart.

Generally you don't want to speak to someone who cold calls you. They'll be junior and mass spamming, playing a numbers game and not the one with the relationship with the employer. You need to get past them and to their boss for whom they are screening. Try to meet with someone more senior. If they're not prepared to meet you, they're not that interested in you and are just trying to build up their database and fishing for your salary. Talk to them about what roles they've got and why it suits you - I regularly get calls saying they've found the perfect role for me, only for it to be a role related to the career I left 8 years ago. Also be aware of made up roles, where they won't disclose their client (because their client doesn't exist and they're just fishing).


If you give them your CV make sure you state in the e-mail that they are not to share it without your express permission. Also ask to check it before they send it. I've had to correct typing mistakes they've added in.

Don't tell a cold caller your salary, particularly not at first. If you're comfortable after talking at length with them give them a range that you might be looking at. So many lazy ones just filter on salaries or are fishing.

Most are ****ing useless. Occasionally you'll find a good one, more often when you're recruiting than when you're a candidate.

Hope it goes well.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I thought this thread was going to be about the Canvey firm.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Anyone moved role and had to deal with headhunters? Any tips/advice etc? I've worked in academia all my working life but giving a bit of thought about moving to a private firm. The industry is small but expanding and I'm in demand, and the headhunters who are routinely pestering me seem to actually have a good insight for the industry and my understanding is that many recruiters use them.

For details I'm happy to PM.

In my line of business (software development, Investment banking) headhunters are complete sharks.

A couple of things to beware of...

1. They will ask which managers and colleagues you have worked for. They will then approach these managers trying to place other candidates. They will also call your colleagues and try to build an org chart so they can find other candidates.

2. They will ask which other companies you have approached so they don't send your CV there. Instead they will try and place their candidates there instead.

3. They are smarmy, false, use horrible buzzwords and are ruthless social engineers.

4. You will get a debriefing call after any interviews. This is not for your welfare but to try and glean any information that might be useful to other candidates.

Unfortunately many do have access to lots of jobs that just aren't advertised so they have their uses.

 

[RHB]

In those sad old days when I was forced to work for a living I used external headhunters when I wanted to fill specialist positions. As an employer you have to understand the 'rules' just as you do as an employee. There has already been some good advice given on here, but all I would say is that whenever I used them, they were in it for themselves rather than for me. Ok, that's understandable, but they were also like a piece of non disposable chewing gum after the event. Forever ringing up and prodding, which frankly used to **** me off. The other thing I found was that staff recruited via them had a habit of leaving after say 12/24 months rather than being in it for the long haul. Again that's business, but internally recruited staff tended to have a longer shelf life, a plus as far as I was concerned.

 

[Firestorm]

Pubey, Are you on LinkedIn ?

If you are , get on to the Southend United Fans in Business and connect with Martin Ellis

Recruitment is his game, so you might be able to pick his brains.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I used a recruiter to obtain my previous position at a US bank.

Within a year of starting he was calling me to denigrate the organisation and offer me jobs elsewhere.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

in a word, ******s!!! They are slippery as a bag of eels. We have used them to recruit and have had them hunt our staff, only for the same agency call us to fill the position. As has already been said they care about no one other than themselves. Often finding the position after finding you. As long as you go into it with your eyes wide open they can be of use but do not trust them.

 

[Pubey]

headhunters are lying pieces of ****!

had an interview yesterday and the MD asked me if it was true that I was having interviews with two other firms. Complete lies and wrongfooted me in the interview.

Gradually toning down my draft email to the headhunter which ends our 'relationship'. slimey ****