When you hear the words “headhunter” and “recruiter,” you might think both are the same process. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Headhunters are individuals or headhunting firms NYC that find job candidates and arrange interviews with potential employers. They may or may not work for a company that requires a new hire.
On the other hand, recruiters are hired by a company to find and interview good candidates for possible employment within their firm. They may seem much alike at first glance, but it’s not. There are a lot of ways in which these two are completely different. Before learning how recruitment and headhunting differ, let’s first clarify what each phrase signifies.
Headhunter: What Is It?
A headhunter is an expert who works with clients’ companies to fill unfilled positions. Executive search is a term used to describe the headhunting process. The way headhunters work is that they go after the job that companies offer. Unlike recruiters, they go out of their way to approach potential employers and initiate conversations. A headhunter does their job effortlessly with potential skills. They can be hired on a specific hourly or fixed-fee basis by companies who are hiring. They are usually paid through a combination of fees and commissions on the salary they bring in for the company.
Recruiter: What Is It?
Companies hire recruiters as their employees. A recruiter works for a company’s HR department or, as it can be, as an independent contractor. Recruiters are supposed to assist in filling available job positions. They can take care of any aspect of the hiring process, such as screening and interviewing possible candidates. A recruiter looks for candidates from multiple sources, analyzes their credentials, and submits their findings to potential employers. They shortlist and interview suitable candidates and present them to the company that posted the job opening. In other words, it is more detailed than headhunting, which focuses on locating people to fill specific positions.
How Do Headhunters And Recruiters Differ?
Recruiters and headhunters are responsible for finding the top applicants to fill open vacancies. They occasionally even collaborate. Despite the similarities between the two titles, there are significant variances between them, including:
1. Positions Filled:
Headhunters find people for specific positions. They specialize in one-off roles like chief exec or sales manager. Recruiters deal with several positions and look to fill multiple vacancies, such as administrative assistants or graphic designers. Furthermore, the headhunter approaches the already employed professionals, and the recruiter approaches freshers and candidates open to work.
2. Methods Used:
Both headhunters and recruiters work with different methods, including informational interviewing and cold calling. But headhunters’ approach is direct communication via phone call or email. At the same time, a recruiter works with the company’s HR department making it easy for them by giving the position and type of candidate needed.
Headhunter uses the method:
- Looking Up Their Contacts In The Business World
- Reviewing A Company’s Employee List
- Participating In Business Networking Events
On the other hand, the recruiter uses the methods like:
- Post Open Job Position For Recruitment
- Use A Company’s Job Boards
- Conducting Meetings With HR Department
- Filling Out An Application To Attach With Resume
3. Hiring Procedure
Compared to a headhunter, the recruiter is not free to select the candidate based on their discretion. On the other hand, the recruiter receives pre-screened candidates selected by the HR department or hiring committee.
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Hiring Procedure of Headhunter
Headhunters ensure their clients have all the necessary information about the position, like the job description and qualifications required. They also provide their clients know the interview process, including an introduction to candidates and an interview schedule. Once they are done with all of these tasks, headhunters take a seat in front of their clients, who then present those applicants to hire based on Product Management Interview Questions. In other words, they only act as a recruiter who finds out the necessary details to fill a position before they go ahead with their work.
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Hiring Procedure of Recruiter
Unlike headhunters, recruiters perform their role as an interviewer. They conduct interviews and hire their candidates on the spot. Therefore, they are in charge of interviewing candidates based on eliciting information and making strategic decisions to fill vacancies. It also depends on the job type posted, as some companies need specific skill-set whereas others have specific roles that need to be filled.
4. Internal Or External Work
The recruiter primarily works in the HR department as they are not hired to find employment but to fill vacancies. This way, they can be more flexible with their role and take on various positions to help future employees. On the other hand, headhunters work independently, which means they don’t have any obligation towards the company that made it possible for them to find a job.
5. Compensation
The way headhunters are compensated is different from how recruiters are paid. Headhunters receive payment only if they successfully get their client a new employee. In contrast, recruiters receive a fixed reward even if they don’t find any suitable candidate to fill the position. Headhunting is a business venture, so it comes with uncertainty, but it can be more lucrative than recruiting if you have the skills to close deals.
Conclusion
Headhunters and recruiters function completely differently, meaning they don’t perform the same work. However, they are both professionals who work in an environment of candidates and employers. Headhunters are sometimes called on to find candidates with the unique qualities needed to fill a vacancy. On the other hand, the recruiter works in HR departments to fill open job positions when companies post a room for hire.
