Any job has its own set of challenges, and the headhunter profession is no exception. Headhunter is a consulting service, looking for candidates according to business orders. Most of the personnel they recruit have high positions in the business, requiring higher qualifications, and experience. Therefore, the headhunter profession always faces more difficulties than the usual HR.
The following information of Navigos Search will depict clearly, completely and truthfully about the difficulties that headhunters always face.
1. Information provided by businesses is general, lacking in details
When looking for candidates for businesses, headhunters need to answer the question: "What is the reason that candidates choose a business as a place to develop their long-term career?". According to the results of many surveys, there are 3 main groups of reasons to motivate an employee to a company. These are: working environment, promotion opportunities and remuneration.
However, not all businesses or candidates specifically state the problem, usually they just state it in general, making headhunters spend more time and energy in the process of finding candidates. Therefore, knowing the following 3 reasons, headhunters will find it easier to find suitable candidates for customers.
Working environment
The working environment and the way in which the boss is trained and managed will directly affect the recruitment of suitable candidates. Therefore, businesses need to give clear and specific information so that headhunters can clearly understand to avoid failure in the search and recruitment process.
The boss's working environment and management style strongly influence the candidate's decision
For example, a company that shares that it has a positive environment, is free to discuss, but in fact, there are some departments that do not follow this form. At this time, the headhunter will give a list of candidates with a democratic style for the business. Everything is going smoothly until the candidate comes to work. Candidates show a democratic spirit that leads to conflicts with colleagues and bosses. If it cannot be resolved, the headhunter must repeat the recruitment process to find new candidates, which takes time for both parties.
Besides, headhunters also need to pay attention to the “Turnover Rate” of the business. Usually businesses will hide this information, so headhunters have to find the answer to this problem themselves so that they can give useful advice to customers and candidates. Enterprises with a low turnover rate will have a better working environment than the common ground. When candidates know this, they will feel more secure about their job and working environment in the future.
In addition, the salary increase rate is also information to note. For high-level candidates, the salary increase rate will have a big impact on the decision to apply or not. A 1-digit or 2-digit salary increase will have a great impact on the candidate and the whole business. Therefore, the headhunter needs to clarify this when discussing the parameters with the business.
Promotion opportunities
Career advancement opportunities are one of the main reasons why businesses can retain candidates. Therefore, the headhunter must collect enough information about promotion opportunities and long-term career development to be able to advise in detail for candidates, increase reliability and create long-term cooperation relationships.
Remuneration
Compensation information is one of the factors that cause many difficulties for headhunters. Businesses rarely share information about headhunter compensation, even if they do, it is also general information that any business has.
Therefore, when accepting a job, headhunters need to clarify salary and income, medical cards, club membership cards,... from businesses to find and attract suitable candidates.
2. The process of working and signing contracts with enterprises is difficult
The next difficulty that headhunters face is the process of working and contracting with businesses.
The process of working and signing contracts with businesses is not easy
Enterprises require to recruit candidates first then signing contracts
This will pose many risks for the headhunter. If not careful, the business will work directly with the candidate when the headhunter brings the candidate, after successful application they will not pay the contract because it has not been signed. If it is difficult to cooperate with an enterprise with a contract, it will be twice as difficult with a business without a contract. Therefore, the headhunter must consider the reputation of the customer before conducting cooperation.
Recruiting time is long
A lot of headhunters have said that they have to deal with contracts for up to 6 months, the record can be up to 1 year. There are many reasons for businesses to extend the recruitment period, but once the candidate has decided, they already have many offers. Therefore, the longer the recruitment period, the greater the chance of losing potential candidates.
Businesses change the interview schedule continuously
Changing the interview schedule will cause many difficulties, headhunters have to stretch themselves to arrange, while senior candidates will be very busy. Being on time also increases the value of the business in the eyes of candidates, and at the same time increases the efficiency of the recruitment process of headhunters.
3. Business attitude
According to many headhunters, the attitude of the business is the biggest obstacle in the profession that they have to overcome. Not all businesses are willing to cooperate with headhunters.
Not all businesses are willing to cooperate with headhunters
Businesses don't like headhunter
It sounds subjective, but this reality exists in many fields and industries. The differences in history and culture develop different regions, so there are many businesses in the South that don't like Northern headhunters and vice versa. Therefore, headhunters need to be more careful in communication, need to behave professionally with customers.
Businesses want to show off, not listen to Headhunter
With these types of customers, if not careful, headhunters can be "captured". Therefore, the headhunter needs to keep a cool head with the attitude of "I am bringing the best to the business" in communicating with them.
Businesses do not like candidates or are unprofessional
Many headhunter experts have shared that there are candidates who quit after only 3 days of work. Most of the surveyed reasons are because businesses do not receive them attentively. At this time, the headhunter has to find a replacement candidate for the business. That means headhunters will return to the starting point and start a new recruitment process, which consumes time and money.
Above are the basic difficulties that headhunters often face. Hopefully, through the article, we have had a more comprehensive view of the job of headhunter - a "headhunting" specialist for businesses and corporations.
Navigos Search - Vietnam's leading
middle and high-level talent hunting company