Headhunter vs Recruiter: The Differences Explained

The job market is a tough one, and now more than ever the competition is fierce. Even seemingly economically stable countries like Singapore have 12.7% of their workforce now looking for work.

Yet, there is good news. If you are a business looking for the right person to fill a role, there are a multitude of great potential candidates for you to select from.

But how will you do it?

There are really two routes to go down: headhunters and recruiters. But when comparing them, headhunter vs recruiter, what’s the right choice for you and your company?

Read on for a brief breakdown that will fill you in with all you need to know so that you get it right, the first time around.

What Is a Headhunter?

If you need to fill a niche position such as an executive or something confidential, then it’s time to turn to a headhunter.

A headhunter will actively search for a person who fits the profile you need filling, as well as go through the whole process of screening and interviewing candidates before presenting you with the best options.

Either individuals or executive search firms, headhunters are outsourced third-party agents, and while their expertise can be used for positions at all levels, they tend to work on urgent and specialist positions.

As a knock-on effect of the type of specialist positions they look after, when contacting potential employees, they may be privy to certain information that could make the role more appealing. That being said, because they are not in-house, they may not have all the information regarding the day-to-day workings of the role being presented.

The last thing to note is that despite doing most of the leg work, a headhunter is not in the position to hire anyone. This final step is the responsibility of the employer.

What Is a Recruiter?

If you are thinking of keeping your search in-house, then you will likely need the services of a recruiter. Although external recruitment agencies do exist, in most cases a recruiter works within a company as part of their Human Resources department.

Rather than a focus on specialist roles, recruiters deal with all available positions, and due to them being in-house, they tend to have ample knowledge on what the positions entail. They may even decide that someone is best suited to a different position than the one applied for due to their internal understanding of the company.

A recruiter is then subsequently involved in the whole process, from posting the job internally or on various websites, screening applicants, interviewing, and the final step, hiring.

Headhunter vs Recruiter: Same Goal, Different Aims

As we have seen, when pitting a headhunter vs recruiter, their roles are similar but different. The biggest difference, however, is in their focus.

Think of headhunters as working in sales. Very often, the people they search out are not looking for a new job. Yet due to their skills, a headhunter not only can source the best people but can also convince them to consider the new opportunity.

A recruiter, on the other hand, is preaching to the converted. The people that they are in contact with are actively interested, and in most cases, a recruiter’s wage is not dependant on whether the position is filled or not.

Working to Making Your Dreams Come True

Rather than thinking of it being a case of a headhunter vs recruiter, it’s best to think of them as 2 sides of the same coin. Both have the aim of filling your need of getting the right person in the right position.

But we hope that our article has served you in deciding which one is the right fit for your needs.

For more great business content, make yourself at home by getting familiar with the rest of our site!