Frequently Asked Questions
- Is headhunting ethical?
- How long does it take to conduct a headhunt?
- What if someone I hire doesn't work out/leaves?
- What's to stop you headhunting someone from my firm?
As a recruiting technique, headhunting has become increasingly popular over the past 30-40 years, to the degree that it is now utilised by every single firm in the 2010 Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list (the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the UK), as well as the vast majority of FTSE 100 companies and major government organisations.
When we conduct a headhunt, the opportunity is only ever discussed with people who, when initially approached, have demonstrated a genuine interest in hearing about it.
The process itself is absolutely transparent to the degree that our clients approve the names of every single person we wish to headhunt on their behalf, so we never get into a situation whereby we’re trying to headhunt someone from a firm you wouldn’t want us to headhunt from.
How long does it take to conduct a headhunt?
The initial research stage of a headhunt takes around 7 working days and at that point in time we’re ready to start approaching people.
From there, it takes about 2-3 weeks to approach candidates and reach the stage where we’re ready to start organising interviews.
From there, the length of time it takes is dependent on the number of interview stages in your hiring process and your availability to meet with the candidates we introduce to you.
When planning any recruitment exercise, you also need to bear in mind the period of notice that the person you hire is likely to need to serve (typically between 1 and 3 months).
What if someone I hire doesn’t work out/leaves?
If you recruit through adverts or agencies, there are many and varied reasons why someone you recruit might not work out, or might leave quickly. The vast majority of those reasons simply don’t apply in a headhunting situation; however, we still provide a refund guarantee period which makes provision to refund up to 100% of the fee you pay. Please ask for details.
What’s to stop you headhunting someone from my firm?
As members of the Association of Executive Recruiters, we are bound by a code of professional ethics, which draws a clear line between ‘client’ companies and ‘source’ companies. In other words, if we recruit for a firm we do not headhunt ANYONE from that same firm.