Often mistaken as one and the same thing, recruiters, executive headhunters and hiring managers are anything but the same. Even headhunters and executive headhunters are two entirely different things! But when you’re searching for a job, it is important to know the difference between these to find the right person for your needs.
Recruiters
Recruiters are usually full-time in-house employees of the company advertising a position, although occasionally they may also be third-party recruiters with no affiliation to the company. Recruiters typically advertise a position and wait for candidates to apply to it. They then start sifting through the resumes they receive and start the interview process. Often, they are the point of contact for candidates who require more information about the role. They are also more involved in the hiring process as they conduct interviews and shortlist the best candidates before handing over the final decision to the hiring manager.
In case a recruiter is from a third-party recruiting agency, they are often going to be juggling to fill several roles at once. They may shuffle candidates who apply for a role they are not well-suited to try and fit them in roles they are more qualified in.
They are responsible for working with the hiring manager to create a job description, then advertising the position in job search websites, and will often be the one a resume is first sent to. It is their job to analyse resumes and cover letters to find candidates who have the required skills and expertise, and also fit the culture of the company. Additionally, they also verify police checks, licenses and certifications of successful candidates; and may be the one making offers.
Headhunters
On the other hand, headhunters are almost always externally hired by a company to find suitable candidates for open job positions. They offer more specialised services, such as executive headhunting, which is solely to fill very important executive positions. In contrast with recruiters, executive and non-executive headhunters start the screening process before the candidate applies. The advantage of this is that your business then gets access to more ‘passive’ candidates; those who might not be actively applying or seeking a new role but may be the best suited for the position.
The main difference between recruiters and headhunters is that a candidate will approach a recruiter to apply for a job, whereas a headhunter will approach a shortlisted candidate to ask them of their interest in the position. The headhunter will then forward the candidate’s resume to the hiring company and the company takes it from there.
Many headhunters have a niche they specialise in, such as tech or sales or education, which allows them to find the right person for a job in these fields much quicker.
When it comes to executive headhunters, they are usually the ones who fill in the leadership positions at a company, such as managers, CEOs, board members, chairs, head of departments etc. These positions are authoritarian positions, and can have significant impacts on a company’s image, revenue and culture. It is important to choose the very best candidate for these positions, but it can be quite difficult to find these candidates, which is where executive headhunters come in.
Most executive headhunters have extensive contacts and may have access to passive candidates who may not be actively searching for a new position, and would have never known about the position or applied to it had it not been for the headhunter.
Recruiters and headhunters may often even work together to find the best candidate for a position!
Hiring Managers
Hiring managers are typically the actual person who is doing the hiring. While headhunters and recruiters may shortlist candidates and recommend them, it is the hiring manager who has the last say in whether a person is hired or not. More often than not, this will be the person you report to should you get the job, and is the one who is likely to have the most information about what the role entails.
You’re likely to meet the hiring manager only after you’ve successfully cleared the screening process and have been shortlisted by the headhunter or recruiter. Hiring managers are very rarely the people sifting through the resumes received.
However, in smaller companies and businesses, the recruiter and the hiring manager could potentially be one and the same person.
Conclusion
Ultimately, when you’re searching for a job, it is highly likely that you’re going to be interacting with a recruiter. Most often, the only time you will be interacting with a headhunter is when they approach you themselves. Similarly, hiring managers often only get involved once a candidate has successfully passed the first round of screening, but are the most important person in the company for you when it comes to applying for a job.