How to attract headhunters
27 September 2007
Read by 1866 persons
Multiplying opportunities to get noticed increases your chances of being spotted.
Discreet approaches are recommended.
Never close the door after a refusal; a more interesting opportunity may arise. There are those who call and those who get called. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to be in the second category, that is, to be offered a job on a plate. When this happens, it usually starts with a phone call.
The person on the other end of the line wants to talk to you about your career: no doubt, it's a headhunter. At first glance, they know almost everything about you. Generally, these high-level recruiters have the advantage of having a large professional network. Their knowledge of the field is in-depth and their CV database is impressive.
Thus, their approach and their tracking system facilitate building trust with executives, even when the economic situation does not necessarily encourage them to change jobs. They always work for companies that most often want to poach a good player, mainly a high potential (or a sure thing), immediately operational, to entrust them with responsibilities. This is why there are a number of prerequisites to benefit from such a privilege.
To increase their chances of being spotted by a headhunter, an executive must mark their professional career with a number of imprints. And there is no shortage of opportunities. It is true that competence is essential and that remarkable human qualities are necessary. But the first targets are generally the most personally known.
Thus, to facilitate their identification, an executive will, first of all, make sure to be listed in the alumni directory of their school. Even if these documents are poorly indexed, they nevertheless represent a pool of information on local skills for recruitment firms. The latter even go so far as to target Moroccan skills abroad known through their associations.
Conferences, seminars..., opportunities to make your expertise known
However, the best way to ensure that headhunters hear about your background and skills is to simply send them a CV, notes Mohammed Bennouna, CEO of the F2V firm, specializing in sales force. It's about letting them know that you are actively looking, at least that you are listening to opportunities.
A priori, sharp executives should submit their applications to firms specializing in their sector of activity and, if possible, to consultants in charge of positions matching their search. Attention! This approach must be surrounded by the utmost discretion to avoid misunderstandings with the employer: a stealth departure (or something similar) is always perceived as betrayal.
But this approach is not enough. To attract attention, you must also become a "pro" in public relations. And consequently, give headhunters as many opportunities as possible to hear about you. Obviously, the media are a good opportunity to get noticed. And in this area, it is not necessary to aim for the evening newspaper to be spotted. You read an article about your sector in the professional and economic press?
Pick up your phone, contact the journalist who wrote the article and offer to meet them. If they cover your field, they will be delighted to have an informant. It is obviously not a question of giving them confidential information.
Play the sincerity card with the headhunter...
And then, when you change jobs, let people know. Don't neglect the "appointments" sections of daily or specialized weekly newspapers. It's a way to inform others about your professional career.
You can also take advantage of various public events, conferences, seminars, etc., on technical themes, to make appearances, give your point of view and show your expertise. In addition to the participants, some of whom may be useful contacts, the media will certainly relay your appearances if they are relevant. Be careful, however, not to dominate the press: too many interventions are likely to discredit you. In short, only intervene when it is useful.
Active participation in associative, political, sporting, and other structures is also a good way to give resonance to your abilities. Multiplying opportunities to get people talking about you thus allows you to multiply the chances of being spotted by a headhunter. It is still necessary that the latter have a position corresponding to your profile.
...but at the same time, try to learn as much as possible about the position to be filled
Once contact has been made with the headhunter, know how to play the sincerity card. The headhunter's proposal is unclear? It's up to you to find out more. Because they may not tell you everything about the client. At least, know the essentials about the position to be filled, the company culture, the reasons for the departure of the person to be replaced... Mohamed B., a senior executive in an IT company, was shocked when he discovered that the position he had initially been offered did not correspond to reality. "I later learned that the company did not have a clear idea about the position in question because it did not exist before. This did not help me later. Because after joining the new entity, I had difficulty, at least initially, in knowing my room for maneuver," he says. Result: you have to think twice before embarking on an adventure. So ask your contact for more details and take the time to carefully study the proposals before committing, even verbally.
If you have no intention of moving, it is better to say so clearly from the start. It is not advisable to go through all the interviews to withdraw, just because you were trying to learn a little more about the final client. Nevertheless, it is always advisable to leave the door open, even if the proposal is not interesting or if the discussions do not lead to anything.
Finally, always keep in touch with your headhunter. As a good professional, they will have at least had the merit of making you think about the different possible career options.
Good to remember
Precautions to take
- Maintain ongoing relationships with a limited number of headhunters, targeting them according to your affinities and their specializations.
- Give news even when everything is going well without waiting to need them.
- Do a favor for those you trust, if they need information about a candidate.
- Do a regular career review with them. Don't forget to keep them informed of your appointments.
- Update your profile in the alumni directory, attend conferences, talk to journalists...
- Don't get caught pretending to be interested in an offer when you have no intention of moving.
- Don't trash your company or your boss: this could be misinterpreted.
- Don't direct a headhunter to an incompetent candidate.
Three questions
Never say no outright and focus on the essentials: "what are they offering me?"
How can a sharp profile seduce a headhunter?
Ali Serhani: First of all, "headhunter" makes you think of a safari or a western. I personally prefer the term "skills hunter." I would say that the latter does not wait to be "seduced" by anyone since they favor a direct approach. This means that they decide who they approach. Generally, they work in the shadows; they do not use advertising to make themselves known.
Their advertising is done through their clients, who are generally structured companies and who appreciate their added value. But also through the high potentials they have placed.
But it is true that some high potentials try to attract the attention of skills hunters.
Attracting the attention of a skills hunter can be done simply by the image you build for yourself. Diplomas are important, but the image you convey is also important. You may be a graduate of a prestigious school and be technically excellent and recognized in the field, but if you are execrable, be sure that you will never be approached because if the recruiter is looking for a suitable profile for a given structure, they are first of all looking for a team player, a leader, and above all a "leader" who will contribute to the growth of the company, in terms of turnover, market share, and above all, in terms of the image it conveys in turn.
Many candidates have understood this fact. They make themselves known through interviews, conferences, seminars, or their participation in charitable work within highly publicized organizations, or simply by anticipating, via a well-established network. In the latter case, this is called "networking."
How should you proceed when you are approached?
You cannot blame an approached person for being wary. It is perfectly legitimate and understandable because you don't know who or what you are going to encounter! However, nothing prevents them from learning more about the skills hunter, without having to go into details on the first phone call. The details will come later.
The skills hunter, in turn, must absolutely take certain customary precautions: for example, introduce themselves and state the purpose of their call and suggest that the approached person inquire about the firm before a next contact, left to the initiative of this person in question. Provide web and email addresses as well as phone numbers.
It is only when the said person decides to call back that the selection process can begin.
What to do after this first contact?
The answer is simple: remain who you are, without artifice, because the skills hunter knows how to discern false arguments. Similarly, the approached person must know that they already have an idea about their profile.
From that moment on, both parties enter into a selection process that constitutes a preamble to all the interviews that will follow.
Finally, two important pieces of advice: the approached person must focus on the essentials, namely: "What are they offering me?", and never say no outright, even if they are happy in their current job. They will not lose anything by studying the recruiter's proposal.
Entreprendre.ma
Discreet approaches are recommended.
Never close the door after a refusal; a more interesting opportunity may arise. There are those who call and those who get called. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to be in the second category, that is, to be offered a job on a plate. When this happens, it usually starts with a phone call.
The person on the other end of the line wants to talk to you about your career: no doubt, it's a headhunter. At first glance, they know almost everything about you. Generally, these high-level recruiters have the advantage of having a large professional network. Their knowledge of the field is in-depth and their CV database is impressive.
Thus, their approach and their tracking system facilitate building trust with executives, even when the economic situation does not necessarily encourage them to change jobs. They always work for companies that most often want to poach a good player, mainly a high potential (or a sure thing), immediately operational, to entrust them with responsibilities. This is why there are a number of prerequisites to benefit from such a privilege.
To increase their chances of being spotted by a headhunter, an executive must mark their professional career with a number of imprints. And there is no shortage of opportunities. It is true that competence is essential and that remarkable human qualities are necessary. But the first targets are generally the most personally known.
Thus, to facilitate their identification, an executive will, first of all, make sure to be listed in the alumni directory of their school. Even if these documents are poorly indexed, they nevertheless represent a pool of information on local skills for recruitment firms. The latter even go so far as to target Moroccan skills abroad known through their associations.
Conferences, seminars..., opportunities to make your expertise known
However, the best way to ensure that headhunters hear about your background and skills is to simply send them a CV, notes Mohammed Bennouna, CEO of the F2V firm, specializing in sales force. It's about letting them know that you are actively looking, at least that you are listening to opportunities.
A priori, sharp executives should submit their applications to firms specializing in their sector of activity and, if possible, to consultants in charge of positions matching their search. Attention! This approach must be surrounded by the utmost discretion to avoid misunderstandings with the employer: a stealth departure (or something similar) is always perceived as betrayal.
But this approach is not enough. To attract attention, you must also become a "pro" in public relations. And consequently, give headhunters as many opportunities as possible to hear about you. Obviously, the media are a good opportunity to get noticed. And in this area, it is not necessary to aim for the evening newspaper to be spotted. You read an article about your sector in the professional and economic press?
Pick up your phone, contact the journalist who wrote the article and offer to meet them. If they cover your field, they will be delighted to have an informant. It is obviously not a question of giving them confidential information.
Play the sincerity card with the headhunter...
And then, when you change jobs, let people know. Don't neglect the "appointments" sections of daily or specialized weekly newspapers. It's a way to inform others about your professional career.
You can also take advantage of various public events, conferences, seminars, etc., on technical themes, to make appearances, give your point of view and show your expertise. In addition to the participants, some of whom may be useful contacts, the media will certainly relay your appearances if they are relevant. Be careful, however, not to dominate the press: too many interventions are likely to discredit you. In short, only intervene when it is useful.
Active participation in associative, political, sporting, and other structures is also a good way to give resonance to your abilities. Multiplying opportunities to get people talking about you thus allows you to multiply the chances of being spotted by a headhunter. It is still necessary that the latter have a position corresponding to your profile.
...but at the same time, try to learn as much as possible about the position to be filled
Once contact has been made with the headhunter, know how to play the sincerity card. The headhunter's proposal is unclear? It's up to you to find out more. Because they may not tell you everything about the client. At least, know the essentials about the position to be filled, the company culture, the reasons for the departure of the person to be replaced... Mohamed B., a senior executive in an IT company, was shocked when he discovered that the position he had initially been offered did not correspond to reality. "I later learned that the company did not have a clear idea about the position in question because it did not exist before. This did not help me later. Because after joining the new entity, I had difficulty, at least initially, in knowing my room for maneuver," he says. Result: you have to think twice before embarking on an adventure. So ask your contact for more details and take the time to carefully study the proposals before committing, even verbally.
If you have no intention of moving, it is better to say so clearly from the start. It is not advisable to go through all the interviews to withdraw, just because you were trying to learn a little more about the final client. Nevertheless, it is always advisable to leave the door open, even if the proposal is not interesting or if the discussions do not lead to anything.
Finally, always keep in touch with your headhunter. As a good professional, they will have at least had the merit of making you think about the different possible career options.
Good to remember
Precautions to take
- Maintain ongoing relationships with a limited number of headhunters, targeting them according to your affinities and their specializations.
- Give news even when everything is going well without waiting to need them.
- Do a favor for those you trust, if they need information about a candidate.
- Do a regular career review with them. Don't forget to keep them informed of your appointments.
- Update your profile in the alumni directory, attend conferences, talk to journalists...
- Don't get caught pretending to be interested in an offer when you have no intention of moving.
- Don't trash your company or your boss: this could be misinterpreted.
- Don't direct a headhunter to an incompetent candidate.
Three questions
Never say no outright and focus on the essentials: "what are they offering me?"
How can a sharp profile seduce a headhunter?
Ali Serhani: First of all, "headhunter" makes you think of a safari or a western. I personally prefer the term "skills hunter." I would say that the latter does not wait to be "seduced" by anyone since they favor a direct approach. This means that they decide who they approach. Generally, they work in the shadows; they do not use advertising to make themselves known.
Their advertising is done through their clients, who are generally structured companies and who appreciate their added value. But also through the high potentials they have placed.
But it is true that some high potentials try to attract the attention of skills hunters.
Attracting the attention of a skills hunter can be done simply by the image you build for yourself. Diplomas are important, but the image you convey is also important. You may be a graduate of a prestigious school and be technically excellent and recognized in the field, but if you are execrable, be sure that you will never be approached because if the recruiter is looking for a suitable profile for a given structure, they are first of all looking for a team player, a leader, and above all a "leader" who will contribute to the growth of the company, in terms of turnover, market share, and above all, in terms of the image it conveys in turn.
Many candidates have understood this fact. They make themselves known through interviews, conferences, seminars, or their participation in charitable work within highly publicized organizations, or simply by anticipating, via a well-established network. In the latter case, this is called "networking."
How should you proceed when you are approached?
You cannot blame an approached person for being wary. It is perfectly legitimate and understandable because you don't know who or what you are going to encounter! However, nothing prevents them from learning more about the skills hunter, without having to go into details on the first phone call. The details will come later.
The skills hunter, in turn, must absolutely take certain customary precautions: for example, introduce themselves and state the purpose of their call and suggest that the approached person inquire about the firm before a next contact, left to the initiative of this person in question. Provide web and email addresses as well as phone numbers.
It is only when the said person decides to call back that the selection process can begin.
What to do after this first contact?
The answer is simple: remain who you are, without artifice, because the skills hunter knows how to discern false arguments. Similarly, the approached person must know that they already have an idea about their profile.
From that moment on, both parties enter into a selection process that constitutes a preamble to all the interviews that will follow.
Finally, two important pieces of advice: the approached person must focus on the essentials, namely: "What are they offering me?", and never say no outright, even if they are happy in their current job. They will not lose anything by studying the recruiter's proposal.
Entreprendre.ma
