Why does a headhunt by a sector specialist recruiter attract much better talent?
In niche disciplines, adopting a sector specialist headhunt process is the least risky way to attract and retain the best talent.
Disruptive technology is a fast-paced and exciting sector. It waits for no one. The talent involved in this space is literally changing how the world works. With things moving so quickly, agility is key to building business success.
This is especially true when it comes to recruiting the right people.
If you’re a hiring manager or a leader within areas such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), RPA (Robotic Process Automation), IOT (Internet of Things), Data Science, Machine Learning or Blockchain, you’ll understand that projects can be made or broken off the back of a good or bad hire.
It’s a similar situation for candidates too. Moving jobs is risky. No matter how good you are at what you do. If it doesn’t work out, how will it look on your CV? Will you be able to get another job quickly enough to ensure minimal impact on your family life? Are those all-important bills going to get paid?
Thankfully, both sides of the fence can do their bit to minimise the risk of an unwelcome outcome.
“How?” I hear you cry!
The simple answer is that you should use a sector specialist headhunter rather than a general technology recruiter. That goes for whether you’re hiring or looking for a new job.
In this article we’re going to explore the differences between a generalist technology recruiter and a sector specialist headhunter, whilst also laying down more detail about the enhanced process a headhunt service provides.
What’s The Difference Between A Recruiter And A Headhunter?
Technology is a vast and very complex sector. There are hundreds of jobs and industries that could easily fall under the ‘’Technology’’ banner.
If a recruiter spreads themselves too thinly and tries to make placements across too many sectors, they can’t possibly be as effective as if they niche down and get a full grasp of a specific discipline.
That’s the main difference between a general recruiter and a sector specialist headhunter; one tries to be a jack of all trades and the other sets out to be a master.
Generalist recruiters tend to be a better option for lower level roles or positions that don’t require technical or industry knowledge. Positions where applications to job adverts come thick and fast and roles where the interview process is more of a box ticking exercise than anything else. Generally, if you get the hire wrong for these types of roles, the business isn’t going to be adversely affected.
A sector specialist who provides headhunt services will handle the recruitment process in a much more controlled and proactive way. By immersing themselves in just one or two disciplines, headhunters are able to develop a much deeper understanding of the businesses within their niche and the talent working across those firms.
With this enhanced understanding and better long-term relationship building, a headhunter makes the recruitment process of mid-to-senior level hires less risky. By knowing company culture, the characters within a business and the personalities and goals of the talent in their sector, a headhunter maximises the chances of a successful hire.
What Does A Headhunter Do?
Here’s a brief overview of the headhunt process:
- A good headhunter will develop a strong understanding of the businesses and candidates in their niche. They’ll also keep up-to-date with trends, news, salary information etc. This full immersion into a chosen sector proves invaluable to the recruitment delivery process.
- They will use their relationships to help a business better understand its place in the market and how realistic a job order is. Headhunters help candidates looking to change jobs in the same way, with honest, impartial, advice.
- When they take a new instruction for a position, they will undertake full market mapping to identify the most suitable talent out there, rather than just the most suitable talent currently available.
- The headhunter will proactively approach talent who could be interested in the role which will provide a mix of active and passive candidates.
- They won’t spam CV’s into a company. A short-list of the most suitable talent available, following the market mapping process, will be presented. Along with this short-list will be compelling reasons as to the candidate’s overall suitability.
- A headhunter will successfully help a business and a candidate through the interview, job offer, package negotiation and on-boarding processes.
Let’s Delve Deeper – Why Use A Headhunt For Your Next Role?
So, we’ve briefly outlined what a headhunter does. Whether you’re a hiring manager or a candidate, how does a search process benefit you in real-terms?
– Benefits To A Hiring Manager
For some positions, only the very best will do. A headhunt strategy will include mapping out the staff structure of your competitors, as well as people doing similar work across synergistic sectors. Reaching out to this wide pool of potential candidates is critical to ensuring everyone who fits your job brief can be directly approached.
With this proactive and thorough solution, you can expect far stronger response rates from a higher calibre of candidates. There will be no more sifting through terrible CV’s or wasting time in pointless interviews.
In a nutshell, a headhunt approach will reduce the risk of a bad hire, whilst also saving you time and money.
– Benefits To A Candidate
If you’re excellent at what you do, have a very specialised skill-set and are broadly happy where you are, you probably won’t be actively looking for a new job. The best people rarely are. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t improve your situation with another business. Whether it’s better remuneration, a new and exciting project or a better work/life balance.
Working with a headhunter can ensure you hear about the very best opportunities that perfectly align with your own career goals. By taking control of your career prospects and being open-minded to hearing about potentially career enhancing jobs through a headhunter, you’ll hear about the latest and best positions.
A headhunter will minimise the risk of getting your next career move wrong and will help open doors that you previously wouldn’t have known existed.
In Summary…
Across the disruptive technology sector, in particular candidate short markets such as AI, RPA, IOT, Data Science, Machine Learning and Blockchain, using a trusted headhunting firm should be a top priority for businesses looking to grow.
By keeping up-to-date with candidates on a personal level, sector specialist headhunters are able to identify where talent should be working to help both the individual and the company flourish.
Whether you’re a candidate interested in exploring new opportunities or a business with technical or senior level roles to fill, you can take the risk out of the hiring process by adopting a headhunt approach.
If you’d like to learn more about Edge Tech and our headhunting process, click here.