A CEO's View of Headhunters

Happy Friday,

This isn’t a subject worth spending much time on, so I’ll just briefly share my view with you, and we can both move on.

My view - headhunters are leeches on the industry. If you're a capable person, you don’t need them. Figure out where you want to work and pick up the phone. Forget about advertised positions. There are always more opportunities than advertised. Don’t call HR. Call the person building the business in your area of interest. Easy to figure that out.

Tell them why you want to work there and what you bring to the team. Thoughtful reasons and a little enthusiasm help. If you have to leave a message, no problem. Someone will call you back in a day or two if there’s any possibility of a job there. That's the way to get a job.

As CEO, I had instant respect for every person who called us directly. It demonstrated self-confidence and initiative. Most importantly, it told me they wanted to work for us, not just anyone offering a paycheck. That's big.

Likewise, I took a dim view of anyone engaging a headhunter to shop them around town. Why didn't they just pick up the phone and call? It’s a weak move to engage a headhunter.

Then there’s the ridiculous price tag. We have to pay this completely unnecessary intermediary ~25-30% of your salary upfront, then keep our fingers crossed for at least a year that you work out before we claw our way back to even.

If I do hire you, I'll have that dollar figure in my mind every time I see or think of you, probably for years. Especially at bonus time... So if you do get a job using a headhunter, know that you may have a big hill to climb.

Headhunters routinely and purposefully exaggerate people's qualifications to close the deal and maximize their fee. So six months later, when everyone figures out that you're getting paid way more than you’re worth, the likelihood you'll get dismissed is going to be high.

Punchline: Engaging a headhunter tells quality employers you’re weak sauce. If you can’t even pick up the phone to represent yourself, why should any top firm hire you to represent them? You don't need a headhunter. Pick up the phone. Don't be weak.

Have a great weekend.

Dave

Attention on the macro economy and AI

Feedback and blowback are always welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

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