Types of Headhunting
1. Direct: Direct headhunting is an internal talent acquisition strategy where organisations utilise their in-house recruitment team or hiring managers to identify and attract potential candidates for specific roles without external assistance. This method involves headhunters to directly get in contact with the candidate using the preferred mode of communication as mentioned in their CV.
- Direct headhunting relies on the skills and expertise of the organisation’s internal hiring team.
- The organisation maintains complete control over the entire recruitment process, from candidate identification to final hiring decisions.
- While it requires internal resources, direct headhunting can be cost-effective.
2. Indirect: Indirect headhunting involves leveraging external networks and relationships to identify potential candidates. This approach relies on existing industry contacts, referrals, and networks to indirectly source talent. In this method of headhunting, headhunters usually consider the profile that is being referred by internal employees. Headhunters check the eligibility of the candidate and check whether their skills match the requirements of the role.
- Indirect headhunting relies on external contacts, such as industry peers, alumni networks, or professional associations.
- Existing contacts play a crucial role, with individuals recommending potential candidates.
- The strength of relationships within the industry is pivotal for successful indirect headhunting.
3. Third Party: Third-party headhunting involves outsourcing the talent acquisition process to external recruitment agencies or professional headhunters. Organisations enlist the services of these external experts to identify and recruit candidates for specific positions. In this method of headhunting, the company used third-party entities which provide suggestions/candidate profiles based upon their exam/internal criterion. After the recommendation, Headhunters do complete verification.
- Third-party headhunters are external professionals or agencies with specialised expertise in talent acquisition.
- Headhunters possess in-depth knowledge of specific industries, allowing them to identify top talent more effectively.
- External headhunters dedicate their resources to the recruitment process, providing a focused and specialised approach.