
Headhunters in Job Search Strategy: How This Channel Works and What to Expect from It
You contact headhunters, send your CV to Executive Search firms and occasionally have a conversation, but nothing happens in the weeks that follow. You may then conclude that this channel simply doesn’t work. The problem, however, may lie not in the channel itself, but in what you expect from it and how you use it.
Executive Search firms are one of the four main channels worth including in the job search strategy of experienced managers and executives. At the same time, the way they operate differs significantly from applying for job ads, networking or contacting companies directly.
One of the most common misunderstandings is the assumption that it’s enough to send your CV to several Executive Search firms and wait for the right opportunity. In practice, the headhunter’s client isn’t the candidate, but the company that has commissioned them to find someone for a specific position. A consultant therefore doesn’t look for a job for every person who enters their database. They look for candidates who match the requirements of the specific recruitment assignments they are handling.
Understanding this difference helps not only to use this channel more effectively, but also to assess its effectiveness realistically.








