Many people get confused between recruitment agencies and headhunters. When looking to hire, they do not know the difference between the two positions. If your company is hiring and you are looking to recruit candidates or a specific type of employee, you will benefit from the services of a recruitment agency or headhunter. But what is the difference between the two?
Headhunter
Partnering with a headhunter is a great way to get the candidate you need. Headhunting is related to executive positions as expert headhunters will have candidates in mind for certain top positions when openings appear. Headhunters in Bangkok go after specific individuals to fill senior positions in an organisation. This type of recruitment is generally undertaken by a boutique recruitment agency, board of directors, or HR executives.
Recruitment Agency
Recruitment agencies tend to deal with lower-level jobs although some have departments dedicated to headhunting for senior roles. If you are approached by a headhunter, you are in the enviable position of being a sought-after candidate. Recruiters advertise jobs and are then contacted by potential candidates. They also try to match a pool of candidates to an opening, even if it is outside of their sector or specific talent field.
Benefits of Using a Headhunter Over a Recruiter
- Specifics – Headhunters go after specific clients, they do not wait for them to contact the agency, they go after their target and try to fulfil their client’s brief. They only deal with candidates who fit the bill, they do not bother with anyone else.
- Client Brief – Recruiters are interested in giving every client a fair deal whereas a headhunter is only interested in satisfying the client’s brief.
- Focus on the Role – Headhunters are in the business of finding candidates that fit the client’s needs. They focus on the role and only go after candidates who meet a certain type of criteria. It is more targeted than recruitment. Most of the time they will not consider candidates outside of a specific sector.
- One Industry – You will often find that headhunters usually specialise in one industry as opposed to many. Recruitment agencies deal with job openings in a wide variety of industries.
As you can see, there is a notable difference between recruitment agencies and headhunters. Some recruitment agencies have separate departments that specialise in headhunting, so if you are looking for this service, you should contact them and ask about it.