Why should I be open to being headhunted?

For many professionals, being headhunted can be extremely flattering and even lucrative. However, not everyone responds favourably to being contacted by recruiters and hiring managers – but why? And what are you missing out on if you choose to ignore these executive recruitment attempts?

Here’s why you should always be open to being headhunted, even when you’re happy in your existing role:

Many job vacancies are never advertised – some estimates put this as high as 70% - and often headhunters will reach out to target candidates before a role is promoted publicly. Sometimes this is due to confidentiality with the client and sometimes it is because of the networking capabilities of the recruiter. Whatever the reason, being open to being headhunted means you’ll likely hear about jobs that you wouldn’t otherwise know about. Even if you don’t take the opportunity any further, you’ll have made a connection with the recruiter and they will likely keep you in mind for future opportunities.

A specialist recruitment professional will know their market and client inside out. When they receive a brief from an organisation, they take the time to fully understand what that client is looking for and what type of candidate will be the perfect fit. By the time they reach out to you, they will have already established you meet at least some of the criteria for the role and will have a level of understanding about your career and skills. This means they can spend more time selling the role and company to you. Think of it as role reversal – being headhunted gives you a little more power to ask questions and make sure the role is right for you. Just make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and optimised for recruiters to be able to find out everything they need.

Workers who switch jobs experience higher pay growth compared to those who stay in companies, according to the Office for National Statistics. One of the biggest motivators for moving jobs is remuneration and being headhunted can lead to more lucrative opportunities than if you choose not to look elsewhere. You may also be presented with opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise considered – perhaps you wouldn’t have thought you were qualified enough or hadn’t thought about a different job role or sector. By being open to being headhunted, you might find your career taking off in a completely different direction than you’d imagined.

It can be extremely exciting and flattering to be headhunted, especially when it comes out of left field. However, some people find it stressful to have a new opportunity in front of them that they haven’t been looking for. If this is the case – and you are truly happy not considering any new opportunities – then you can politely say so to the recruiter. Similarly, even if the job sounds great and you’re really interested, it’s important to ask lots of questions to find out whether it would be a good fit. Take your time and do your research, just as you would if you were job hunting on your own. 

Whether you’re headhunted by one of our specialist recruiters or you’re proactively looking for a new opportunity, we might have the perfect role for you at QCS Staffing. With deep experience in ICT, renewables and life sciences markets around the world, we have strong relationships with our clients and take our time to match the right candidates with the right opportunities. View our latest jobs to find out more.