Recruiting vs. headhunting: what is the difference and which method brings more benefits?
Are you looking for a new job in IT or would you be open to changing jobs if you get a better offer? In this article, we’ll discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of the popular recruiting technique and introduce you to the slightly less traditional method of headhunting. You will also learn the difference between a headhunter and a recruiter. Once the employer has advertised the job offers, it is necessary to find and then select a suitable candidate for the job. There are several processes that can help with this and today we’re going to look at recruiting and headhunting techniques.
In the article you will learn:
What is a recruiter, recruiting and recruitment?
Recruiting, in our case IT recruitment, is the process of finding, selecting and recruiting new employees. It focuses primarily on reaching out to active candidates for junior and mid-level positions, such as Java developer senior. A recruiter, or IT recruiter, is a highly skilled worker who does recruiting. An HR recruiter has the task of finding suitable candidates for open positions in a given company. Also, a LinkedIn recruiter presents themselves to candidates and companies with their professional resume in the form of a Recruiter CV. A “Recruiter LinkedIn profile” is an online profile of a recruiter on the LinkedIn platform, it includes professional experience, education, skills and achievements in the field of recruitment. The Recruiter profile on LinkedIn is used to showcase a recruiter’s qualifications and skills as part of the process of finding potential candidates and building strong hiring teams. LinkedIn recruiters are common and if you’re looking for a job, you shouldn’t miss out on this platform. Recruitment has a similar meaning to recruiting, it means hiring for a job. There are also an increasing number of junior IT recruiters emerging on the market who are adept at searching and working with online resources.
Who is HR recruiter?
HR recruiters are professionals or companies that specialize in finding suitable candidates for job vacancies. Their job is to find and approach potential employees, assess their qualifications and skills, and ensure that they are correctly matched to the job roles. HR recruiters can work at different levels and in different forms of employment, including temporary employment, selection and direct employment. Their aim is to find the best match between candidates and jobs, taking into account the needs and requirements of both employers and candidates.
How is the recruitment process?
Based on a list of open positions in the company and a meeting with the HR officer, the recruiter will find out all the necessary information about what qualifications, skills and prerequisites are needed to perform the specific job. They then write them down in a job description, which they publish together with the job offer, the necessary information and the requirements for applicants on the company’s website, relevant job portals or the professional social network LinkedIn. The job description usually contains information such as:
- job title,
- the roles and responsibilities for the job,
- required education, skills, knowledge and experience,
- offered employee benefits,
- information on how to send a job application.
Applicants may respond to the published job offer within the deadline and follow the instructions. The recruiter will then select a number of applicants from the candidates who meet the required conditions, or will approach professionals who may be interested in the job and invite them to a personal or online interview (check our article about online interview in msg life Slovakia). The number as well as the format of the interviews varies depending on the company, the job position and the selection and quality of the candidates. However, the key is not to underestimate the importance of a good impression and to do your research beforehand about how to prepare for a job interview.
Recruiting process disadvantages and advantages
The main benefits of searching for potential employees through the recruiting method include:
- enables you to find qualified candidates for a specific job with the required skills and experience in the field to move the company forward on the path to innovation,
- by taking on all recruiting responsibilities, the recruiter speeds up the hiring process and saves company resources.
On the other hand, however, recruiting can lead to job stagnation among existing employees, who work less efficiently as a result of recruitment of new staff, and are also forced to adapt to new technologies. Thus, older colleagues may have a negative attitude towards new employees, which in turn affects the overall atmosphere in the workplace. Recruiting also increases the costs spent on additional training for new employees who may not have all the required skills.
Who are headhunters, what is headhunting in recruitment and its benefits
Headhunting, also known as executive search, focuses on targeted and direct outreach to passive candidates who have been evaluated by professional headhunters in staffing companies as potentially suitable candidates for the selected job position.
HR headhunter meaning
A headhunter is one who carries out headhunting. Headhunters are recruitment professionals, or companies that are hired by employers to find talent for open positions. Their job is to identify and recruit qualified individuals who might be ideal candidates for a specific job position. Unlike recruiting, HR headhunting focuses on finding candidates for executive and leadership positions such as CEO, where both higher qualifications and professional experience in the field are required. A big part of headhunting is discretion and openness, especially when a candidate in a senior position in a large corporation is transitioning to a new job.
Headhunting process
Headhunter only starts looking for candidates for an executive position on the basis of a client’s suggestion. In order to find the best possible candidate, it is essential that the headhunter understands the scope of work and job description of the job position. In collaboration with the HR department and the company’s recruitment team, they will define the specific skills that their potential employee should possess. The IT headhunting industry is particularly challenging, where knowledge of this area is also required. As we mentioned above, headhunting is about reaching passive candidates, i.e. people who are not currently looking for a new job or are working in the same or similar position in a competing company. The headhunter’s task is to find these candidates, approach them with the given offer and ideally convince them to switch to the client’s company. A headhunter therefore search LinkedIn daily and is not discouraged by users who are not currently looking for a job. Selected candidates are then invited to a series of interviews to check their qualifications and suitability for the position being filled. However, candidates can also get on the list of potential candidates thanks to personal recommendations from friends. A headhunter specializes in a particular area or areas and builds up a network of contacts in that area as part of the process of finding suitable candidates. LinkedIn can also be used for headhunting purposes. If the headhunter’s client is planning to fill a position that might be interesting for one of their contacts, they inform them about the offer and familiarize them with the related benefits and the risks of switching. Thus, in a sense, the headhunter acts as an advisor for the candidates.
Headhunting disadvantages and advantages
A great advantage of headhunting is the possibility to reach candidates who would not normally know about the job position and thus recruit qualified people from the field. It also allows a discreet search for new employees in case the client does not want to inform the general public about the job offer. Headhunters also increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of the recruitment process by taking responsibility for finding, approaching and evaluating potentially suitable candidates. Despite being an effective method of filling executive positions, however, headhunting is extremely time consuming. Finding a suitable potential candidate who is not actively pursuing a job offer is difficult and requires a lot of time as well as energy. In addition, companies should also pay attention to whether the headhunter is oriented to their area of operation, so that they have the necessary knowledge to understand the job role, and specifically define the activities they will be involved in, so that the client is not left out of the recruitment process entirely. As you can see, both recruiting and headhunting bring with them a number of advantages and disadvantages. Whether you are interested in IT job without experience or you’re not currently considering a job change, your dream job could be waiting for you right here at msg life Slovakia. We offer our employees a wide range of employee benefits including onboarding in Slovakia and abroad. Join us today and participate with us in creating the future of digital insurance!
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