Headhunters – executive search firms – are the extended arm of your company and are your best connection to the outside world when it comes to finding top candidates. Headhunters are not magicians though and cannot present relevant candidates from one day to the other.

By definition their assignments are difficult-to-fill positions, but keep in mind that this is where headhunters excel. They have the capability of finding talented candidates and put them in front of you. It is going to be up to you to attract them to your firm. These candidates will typically be accomplishers, currently employed, with good futures where they are.

Candidates are a perishable commodity. It is the only product I know that can speak. They can say no to being “sold” to a client. The better ones are quickly turned off by unresponsiveness which is interpreted as a lack of initiative or seriousness on behalf of the hiring company. Resumes may look like a pile of paperwork on your desk but they really are not. Each resume is a real person that has been cultivated, screened, and convinced to meet with your company.

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