Headhunting
Headhunting is targeted research and direct contact to find potential candidates for a role, often including people who have not applied; the search may be internal or external.
A search starts with a role
Headhunting means actively identifying and approaching people who may fit a vacancy. A search can begin with the work to be done, required experience and relevant organisations, then build a field of potential candidates to contact. It is not limited to one named person, senior executives or a retained agency mandate.
The AESC’s guide to executive search describes research and market mapping, an initial prospect list, outreach, assessment and a shortlist. Executive search is one specialised application of direct search, with its own client and process context.
Build and assess a field
The person doing the search can work inside the hiring organisation or for an external provider. The work may draw on public information, professional contacts and direct conversations. After the first response, the process still needs to establish interest, assess job-related evidence and agree who owns the next step.
That is where headhunting meets, but does not replace, recruiting. A sourcer may conduct direct research across roles; an executive-search firm may run a defined search; an in-house recruiter may use direct contact as one channel among others. The label alone does not settle the handoff or the commercial terms.
Where the method can strain
Targeted contact takes research and individual communication. A weak role brief can make a search broad without making it useful, while an early assumption about one ideal profile can exclude other plausible candidates. Keep the criteria tied to the work and review them as evidence comes in.
The AESC guide is about executive-search engagements, so its process should not be treated as a universal contract or fee model for every direct search. Scope, exclusivity, milestones and payment terms belong in the agreement with the provider.
Decide what the search adds
Before commissioning or assigning a search, name the gap it should address: relevant candidates the team has not reached, specialist research capacity, or time to run a focused approach. Then agree how prospects will be assessed and how the work will hand over to the hiring team.