How to Be a Good Headhunter

As headhunter, I earn my living by finding and evaluating job candidates for the benefit of my clients. After more than 5 years experiences in this job, now I understand what a good headhunter is and how to be. A good headhunter should be building a business based on reputation, relationships and trust — and on making a contribution to our professional community. You are in less of a rush, are more willing to take time to establish long term relationships, and seek to establish your credibility as much as to earn a buck. In order to be a good headhunter, you should have four features — knowledgeable, trustworthy, conscientious and effective. Knowledge As a good headhunter, you should share lots of knowledge and in doing so give candidates enough information to help them make a decision about whether they want to pursue the job (or recommend someone else). You should ask HR tons of valuable information about the company, about the job, the manager and his team, about why the job is open, and about the technology (if applicable), then share to candidates. You also should be able to tell candidates about the interview itself: how the manager evaluates candidates, how his team will be involved and how the selection process will play out. Most important, the good headhunter will be able to coach candidate in a way that will maximize candidates’ chances of winning an offer. Integrity As a trustworthy headhunter, you should be proud of your business and glad to talk about it, more over, you will demonstrate that you have good clients who respect you, and that you know the in's and out's of the industry you recruit in. Your success depends on clients’ and candidates’ trust, which means you should also reveal your trustworthiness by keeping your promises. You do call client or candidate when you promise to call; you do shortlist to client when you promise to. Conscientiousness As a good headhunter, you should try to locate and separate out the best qualified talent for your client company. You should never just ask for candidates resume without doing research by taking the time to ask candidates the tough, detailed questions that will reveal whether candidate fit the company, the manager, the job and the technology or not. Then write some objectively comments on their resume and shortlist to client. Effectiveness As a good headhunter, you should find the right candidate and fill the job in the shortest time. That's your business. To accomplish this, you will gain the respect of the client and candidate. And talking to just anyone isn't your job. Searching out the right candidates and talk with them, that will save your time and make your job efficient. It is obvious that a good headhunter should know client, position and candidate well, and try your best to right person to fill the right position. Meanwhile, you should also give the market information to HR and career suggestion to candidate. If you always do your job like that, success is not far away from you.