Important notice - We are aware of a scam where people are impersonating CMD Recruitment to offer jobs via WhatsApp & Telegram. This is a scam, CMD Recruitment will never contact new candidates via these methods. Any legitmate offer from CMD Recruitment would be made via a telephone call.
December 10, 2024
Key Takeaways
Headhunting is a proactive recruitment strategy focused on identifying and engaging high-calibre candidates who may not be actively looking for a role. It’s especially useful for niche, senior or strategic positions.
Headhunting is a form of recruitment that turns the traditional model on its head. Rather than rely on the candidate to search for open vacancies and submit an application, employers reach out to potential candidates to determine if they would be interested in the role. This can make life much easier for candidates as they don’t have to do the difficult work of searching for opportunities.
If you’re currently in a role but hoping to make a move, there is a good chance you could be headhunted if you have the kind of skills and experience that employers are looking for. But they won’t find you without a little bit of effort on your part.
Striking a balance between appearing to be invested in your current role while also being open to hearing about other opportunities can be difficult. You don’t want your current employer to know that you’re actively seeking new opportunities, but you also don’t want to appear to be closed to conversations.
Your LinkedIn profile will be essential to striking a balance between being available without making your job search obvious. In this guide, we’re looking at the key skills that employers are looking for in a candidate and how to share this information in a way that will increase your chances of being identified as a potential headhunting candidate.
To understand how to increase your chances of being headhunted, you first have to understand why employers use headhunters. This unique form of recruitment is typically reserved for highly niche roles, and those higher up in an organisation, such as C suite executives.
Headhunters might also be used to hire for highly sensitive roles that the organisation doesn’t want to publicise. So if you work in change management or strategic growth roles, you’re more likely to be in demand by headhunters.
With this in mind, let’s explore some of the traits that headhunters might be looking for:
| Challenge | How Headhunting Helps |
|---|---|
| Limited Active Candidates | Headhunting reaches individuals not actively applying, widening your available talent pool. |
| Highly Specialist or Senior Roles | Targets candidates already succeeding in relevant roles with required experience and credentials. |
| Confidential or Strategic Hiring | Allows discreet engagement, preserving confidentiality around key hires and transitions. |
| Quality Over Quantity | Focuses on fewer, highly suitable candidates rather than high volumes, improving fit and retention. |
If you’d like to increase your chances of being headhunted by a dream employer, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more discoverable. The first thing to do is to review your LinkedIn profile and make sure it is up to date with your latest skills and experience.
You don’t have to advertise that you are “open to opportunities” on your LinkedIn profile if you are concerned about how this will look to your current employer. Most people don’t want to rock the boat if they don’t have to. Instead, just make sure that your contact information is easily available and that you regularly check your LinkedIn account for new contact requests and messages.
It’s also a good idea to regularly post about any new skills and achievements that would be relevant for prospective employers. This is an easy way to highlight the attributes you want recruiters to know about without being too brazen.
Access Elite Talent
Headhunting allows you to reach top-tier professionals already performing at a high level, rather than waiting for them to apply.
Strategic Recruitment Advantage
For roles that are vital to growth, culture or competitive advantage, headhunting offers precision, speed and discretion that standard hiring often cannot match.
It can be daunting to start a conversation with a headhunter, particularly when you’re already employed. You might be fiercely loyal to your current employer, and you might be concerned that they will learn you have been identified as a potential candidate by a competitor.
If you state from the beginning that you would like the conversation to be confidential, then the recruiter will respect this. They won’t be asking for references from your current employer or making your conversations known to anyone until you are much further down the road.
The important thing to remember is that the headhunter has found you. This means you’ve already been identified as being suited to the role. Instead of trying to demonstrate your suitability for the role, you are instead tasked with deciding if you would like to leave your current role for the role on offer.
If you have specific salary expectations or requirements to accept the role, you can afford to be upfront with the recruiter.
You may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of the initial conversations. This could happen if information about the role could be strategically useful information to competitors. The NDA will prevent you from revealing information to your current employer. This will also give you peace of mind that the conversation will be kept confidential.
Getting headhunted is a great way to find your next role without having to do any of the hard work of looking for a job. If you possess niche skills and are able to market yourself effectively, you can increase your chances of getting noticed by rival companies. By keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date, you can increase the likelihood that you will be spotted by hiring managers.
Seeking to fill a senior or highly specialised role? Partner with CMD Recruitment for expert headhunting support and access to exceptional talent that isn’t actively on the job market.
Highlights
FAQs
