What is a headhunter?
Headhunters are hired by companies to find candidates for open vacancies. Translated as “headhunters”, personnel consultants look for suitable applicants for a position. As a rule, headhunters work for companies and address candidates on business networks such as LinkedIn or Xing, for example. Engineers and IT specialists in particular are often poached away.
Why do companies hire a headhunter?
'As a rule, it is about filling a popular position. Some companies may have placed an ad beforehand.' The companies are also aware of the difficulty of filling vacancies and the resources involved, according to the headhunter. 'Sometimes the competition should not have any knowledge of the development of a new business area', adds Jochen.
Engineers are often seen as sought-after workers who have no trouble choosing jobs. Jochen reveals whether they actually respond to direct inquiries. ‘Before sending a message, a thorough research of the profile is required. There's a lot of work behind it. The contact also receives many inquiries. Interest must have been aroused by then.’
Headhunting: Personal development is important for candidates
Whether the new position represents a career advancement is important to Jochen as a headhunter. In addition, there would be the specified location and how far away it is from a possible new employer. ‘The approach shouldn't contain too much information either, because that can quickly bore the candidates,’ in Jochen's opinion.
In the VDI podcast, Jochen reveals how you can imagine the everyday life of a headhunter: Podcast Talentor Germany (only available in German)
