How to attract the headhunter
Headhunters are specialised corporate recruiters employed by businesses to find top management talent for new jobs. Many managers dream of being phoned by a headhunter seeking an appointment or luncheon meeting to canvass interest in a too-good-to-refuse offer to join another organisation. Seldom, however, do dreams come true without planning and preparation...
1. Know how the headhunter finds a candidate.
Headhunters stalk their prey by word of mouth, through data banks, in current business directories, by compiling press clipping files on any newsworthy high-flier, and by keeping tabs on all sorts of industry sources that might turn up the names of likely candidates. The best candidate is often an executive who is not only employed, but happily employed and not even thinking about leaving.
2. Take your first step to being hunted.
If you want to attract the attention of a headhunter, you will need to identify what you want to gain a reputation for - setting up new companies, cost-cutting, planning mergers, strategic planning, troubleshooting, and so on. The best thing you can have going for you is to be acknowledged by your peers as being good at what you do.
3. Assess demand for your skills.
The familiar supply and demand concept applies to headhunting. If you can satisfy a demand or create a new one for your services, you are in the box seat and have progressed a long way toward attracting an offer.
