Collaborating With A Headhunter

Collaborating With A Headhunter

Éric Bernard has been a real estate talent hunter with Recrutement Performance since 2019. Passionate about culture and well-being in the workplace, he draws on more than 30 years as a commercial real estate professional in roles as manager, broker, lender and business development manager. He has extensive knowledge of the various trades in real estate and non-residential construction.

Article originally published on page 34 of the magazine , Gestion Immobilière – Volume 12 | No. 3. Written by  Éric Bernard. 

As a specialized headhunter for over three years now, I'm happy to share my expertise in the recruitment industry with you, through this column, to help you take advantage of these little-known, but very useful professionals to guide your career or find your next job.

First of all, you need to know that the industry isn't really regulated or subject to a professional order, let alone a code of ethics. Anyone can become a headhunter overnight. In this context, the recruiter's experience and reputation come into their own. We must also remember that the client is first and foremost the one paying for the service, i.e. the employer.

Professionals can work on their own or for very large companies. Headhunting involves seeking out, qualifying and proposing a specialized candidate to an employer. Agreements with employers may be exclusive or non-exclusive. Exclusive agreements, generally reserved for executive positions, are less urgent in nature and subject to fees at various stages of the process. Most headhunters work on a contingency basis, without exclusivity, and are paid only on hiring. These agreements also allow employers to recruit candidates directly. All agreements generally include a guarantee clause that provides for the replacement of a candidate who does not remain with the company for an agreed period.

In the job market, 15-20% of workers are said to be unemployed or actively seeking work; these people have left or have decided to leave their jobs in the near future and are actively applying to employers. At the other end of the spectrum, the same 15-20% would not change jobs for any reason. The headhunters' bread and butter lies mainly in the 60-70% of other employees who are semi-active to very passive.

Choosing your Hunter

Not all headhunters are created equal, and many may represent the same company. Some are Maurice Richards, others minor leaguers. You should carefully seek out the best headhunters in your field. Most candidates have a reactive approach when engaging with headhunters, responding only to messages they've received from them. The problem is, there's no guarantee that the people who have contacted you are the right ones! Before replying, or even worse, submitting your curriculum vitae (CV), take a proactive approach. Take control of the situation by seeking out the best professionals and companies who post ads for relevant jobs and have a presence in your area. You can approach them directly for a preliminary interview and ask about their experience, knowledge, services and available positions.

Submit your CV: Think Twice

Whether a headhunter has contacted you or you've contacted them directly, don't submit your CV until you're fully engaged and confident in the person's abilities and ethics. Why not? Because some unscrupulous headhunters might take advantage of your CV for what we call “the right of first representation”. Once someone takes possession of your CV (which includes your name, address, e-mail and career details), they can submit it to any employer they choose. So, whether you like the hunter or not, once your CV is in their hands and they submit it to a company, you can't go through another recruiter for that same company. What's more, when you apply directly for a position, you'll have to go through the headhunter who submitted your CV if it was submitted within a year - a typical “candidate ownership” period.

This is an excellent reason to keep track of the jobs you've applied for directly or through a headhunter. Be frank about this with new headhunters and employers, and the employers you come into contact with, depending on the situation, which you need to keep under control. Never hesitate to follow up and communicate regularly with the recruiter. Let them know what you're interested in, what time you're available, what your concerns are, what your salary expectations are, what you're hoping for from them, and how you'd like the interviews to go.

The best companies have the resources and experience to work with headhunters. So it's likely that the best jobs will be represented by these recruiters. In rare cases, some companies do not work with external professionals. A good headhunter who knows his market will be able to tell you and direct you. He'll be able to tell you which companies he works with, which ones he avoids, and why. He'll be grateful if you contact him about a job you're interested in before applying for it directly.

If you're the best candidate for a job, a headhunter can be your best ally. They'll be constantly on the lookout for winning conditions for both you and the employer.