Job Search: Headhunter vs. Directly Applying

Written by Erin Kelly

The value of working with a recruitment agency.

A headhunter calls you with your dream job, but then later while researching online you discover that the company has also posted that job on their website for direct applicants – What do you do? Do you wait on the headhunter or do you apply directly?

This is a question that a quite a few candidates face, and there are a number of advantages to being represented by a headhunter:

One of the biggest advantages of working with a headhunter is that we have spoken directly with the hiring manager and we know exactly what they are looking for. Initially, we use this information to determine if you are a suitable candidate, but after that we can use this information to coach you through the process! Just think about it, we have the inside information on the hiring manager, what they like, as well as what they don't like – this is a HUGE advantage in comparison to a candidate who just found the job online.

In addition to coaching, our company: Accelerate Executive Search, individually prepares each candidate for their initial interview along with providing additional feedback and coaching along the way. We prepare you for all types of questions you might be asked in the interview and we can also get your mind running on what the job expectations are and how you can meet these goals. We recognize that all of our candidates have successfully gone through interview processes before, but we can offer valuable tips on the position, on what the interviewer(s) will be looking for, and if it has been a while since your last interview we can also give you some honest practice before you interview with talent acquisition, human resources, or even the hiring manager!

A headhunter can also chase for interview feedback and next steps, which can be a very delicate subject if you are in direct contact with the company. We can call them as many times as we want because that’s our job, and you don’t end up looking desperate or needy. We can also coordinate and schedule all of your interviews, which can be very helpful when dealing with interviewers based in different time zones all around the world.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a headhunter can help in negotiating your salary. Salary negotiations are an essential step, but can be a sensitive topic; having a disagreement at this stage can leave a bad taste for both the candidate and the client. Luckily, when you work with Accelerate, you know you are in safe hands and that we will in fact negotiate the best salary for you, while staying within the outlined parameters of the company (i.e. we won’t demand an exorbitant sum and leave you wishing you had the job). We work on a “no win, no fee basis” and what this means for you is that we want you to get the job as much as you do, because if you don’t accept an offer, we just did a lot of work for no financial return. You can count on us to have the hard conversation and negotiate the best salary possible, which leaves you shaking hands with the company on good terms and ready to begin a strong and successful partnership.

There you have it, the benefits of working with a headhunter can be extremely advantageous when you enter a recruitment process and really can make all the difference in not only receiving but also in accepting the job offer.