Choosing a Head Hunter/ Executive Search Firm (Client & Candidate)

This selection needs to be handled with caution and care as you would in choosing any specialist solution service provider.

Engaging the services of an ineffective or inexperienced Headhunter thus resulting in a bad executive appointment will cost you greatly in both money and time as well as incur stress, wasted energy, conflict and damaged reputations. Your headhunter (be it an organisation or individual) needs to understand your personal, career development needs, environment, culture and values, become an extension to your team and have world class resources and methodologies to ensure results.

When choosing a Search Firm, the following guidelines should be used:

Exercise caution when short-listing any professional you need to solve a specific problem
Don’t underestimate personality fit or chemistry. A great relationship between your Consultant and the C.E.O. or Line Manager, or H.R. Executive is paramount to the success of any assignment / opportunity
One ought to think carefully about the advantages and disadvantages of engaging large, international, small or niched firms. The bigger International FIRMS may not necessarily deliver “better” results – they may offer a wider coverage, but the smaller, niched or specialized firms are often better connected and have large networks at the tope end of the market and offer exceptional quality input and control and often more so in their local environment.
It is recommended that you never hire more than one, two at the most head hunting firms on any one search – industry sources and candidates find it unprofessional and irritating to be called endlessly by consultants and people working in the same space.
Your Head Hunter or Executive Search Firm should be selected on the basis of their research expertise, subject matter expertise, job type knowledge and industry knowledge. The essence of a successful search is ability to innovate and to be creative in identifying sources and information from which suitable candidates and opportunities may be sourced regionally, nationally or globally.

You should ensure that you understand “off limit” or “hands off” factors on any decision-making processes. As a Client or a Candidate, you will have ideas of which areas to target or not. Selective process is invaluable to executive search and can save both time and loss of credibility.

Always aim at working on a close relationship with your Headhunter and facilitate open communication and involvement throughout the executive search process to ensure success!

Target TalentWorX prioritises integrity over profit. We identify and select a limited number of clients per industry sector for whom we work exclusively. This ensures total confidentiality, mutual commitment and professional integrity. This extends to the way in which we manage our relationships with leading business, social and political figures.