At Compass Human Resources Group, we talk to many candidates every day and we try to contact even more, but many don’t reply – probably because we’re the fourth headhunter to call or write before the week has passed Wednesday.
Do you recognise the feeling of a red-hot LinkedIn inbox and new enquiries every day? Use it to your advantage. If you’re hunted by headhunters, it can feel like a waste of time if you already are happy in your current position and have no plans to leave. But what if you in the future might want to try something different, want new challenges or want to switch industries?
As a headhunter’s prey, you can open up for future career opportunities, help and expand your network and gain important knowledge about your profile.
It can be worth it having a professional headhunter or two in your network. But how do you spot if the approach is serious?
4 tips for assessing a serious approach from a headhunter
It is never a waste of time
If the timing is bad because you changed jobs six months ago or have exciting projects in your current position, it can be tempting to turn down headhunters. But in a world where networking is everything, it is important to keep your options open and have a good relationship with headhunters.
Do you have someone in your network who is looking for new challenges? Help them on their way! If the position you have been approached about is not right for you, you may have a former colleague who just happened to be made redundant, or who mentioned at the last coffee meeting that she was looking for new career opportunities. An informed call helps both your contact and the headhunter.
Maybe there will be a better offer
You can also reach out to the headhunter when you’re ready for new challenges again – or if, a month later, you regret not accepting the opportunity when you were approached. Just call back if you’ve changed your mind. Even if the position you were first introduced to has been filled, there is most likely another interesting position in the headhunter’s portfolio.
A professional and skilled headhunter always has many positions at once and they can often have common features. So always ask if there are other exciting job opportunities that the headhunter has in hand. That way you can find the best career match for your profile and what motivates you.
At Compass, we work broadly in the market and across multiple industries, which is to your advantage. If the headhunter you first contact doesn’t have something that interests you, his colleague probably does. At Compass, we are constantly sharing knowledge across industries. We work together to find the right solution for both candidate and company.
Is it time for a career change? Your timing is perfect right now and a industry switch can help you expand your career, find new challenges and develop yourself.
Boost your career – Change industry
Use the headhunter as an advisor
It is always a good idea to have a headhunter in your network. If you are in contact with a headhunter, you can use her as an advisor. When you do have the headhunter on the phone, see it as an opportunity to learn more about what motivates and drives you in your current job. And you can get guidance on future career options.
This is to the benefit of both you and the headhunter. You get the opportunity to benchmark yourself in the market and learn what you are worth. The headhunter, in turn, expands his network and gets a good profile in his talent bank, so you can have a dialogue another time when the timing might be better and you’re ready for a job change.
In Compass, we often use our talent bank with candidates we have previously been in dialogue with. A good headhunter gives advice and guidance and doesn’t just want to sell you a position at any cost. A Compass headhunter acts as your sparring partner – both when you are comfortable in your job and when you are looking for new challenges.
Join our talent bank here
