Choosing a recruiter
What is the difference between headhunting and a recruitment agency?
A recruitment agency mostly works with people who are already looking — its own database, applicants to its adverts, and candidates registered with it. A headhunter starts from the job rather than the database, builds a list of the people currently doing that job somewhere else, and approaches them individually. Most UK agencies now do both under one roof, so the useful question is not which label a firm uses but whether anyone will approach people who are not applying, and whether you are paying a percentage of salary or a fixed figure for it.
The real difference is where the candidates come from
| Recruitment agency | Headhunting | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | The database and the applicants | The job, then a list of people doing it |
| The candidate | Is looking | Is usually not looking |
| First contact | They applied to you | Someone approached them |
| Typical fee | 15–25% of salary | 15–33%, or a flat fee |
| Best for | Roles with a healthy applicant market | Roles where the good people are employed and busy |
Almost every UK firm now offers both, and the words are used loosely. "Executive search" usually means a retained headhunt at senior level. "Contingency" usually means you pay only on placement. Neither word tells you how the candidates will actually be found, so ask.
Why it matters more than the label
If the people who can do your job are already employed, an advert will not reach them. They are not on job boards on a Tuesday afternoon. Someone has to find them and start a conversation, usually in the evening.
Across the 46 roles we filled, reaching one hire took a median of 26 people worked — sourced, screened and spoken to. Of the 1,542 candidates worked across all those roles, 235 were strong enough to present and 51 were hired. That ratio is the work, and it is the same work whichever word a firm puts on its invoice.
What to ask before you sign anything
- Will you approach people who have not applied, or search your database? Both are legitimate. Only one justifies a search fee.
- How many people will you actually speak to? A number, not "lots".
- What happens if it is not filled? A rebate, a replacement, or the money back. Rebate periods explained.
- Is the fee a percentage or a fixed figure? On a £50,000 hire that is the difference between roughly £7,500–£12,500 and £3,000.
Where an agency beats a headhunt
If your vacancy attracts good applicants on its own, paying search money is waste. A £399 advert puts it in front of the people already looking, and if 40 of them apply and three are strong, you have what you needed. The honest test is your last advert: if it produced nobody worth interviewing, the market is not looking, and that is when a search earns its fee. Why an advert gets no applications.
How we do it
We run one flat fee by salary band, from £1,500 to £4,000 +VAT, and it covers the search, the screening and the shortlist. If the role is not filled you get the whole fee back rather than a replacement candidate. The full method and the prices are on Guaranteed Hire; if you only need reach, a job advert is £399 +VAT.
FAQs
Is headhunting legal in the UK? Yes. Approaching someone about a job is lawful. What is restricted is a recruiter poaching from a client they are currently working for, which is a contractual matter rather than a legal one.
Do headhunters only do senior roles? No. That is a pricing artefact. At 25% of salary a headhunt only makes sense on a big salary; at a fixed fee it makes sense at £30,000 too.
Will a headhunted candidate cost more in salary? Sometimes, because they are being asked to leave something that already works. The counter is that they are usually not in three other processes at the same time.
Can I do it myself? Yes, and some employers should. It is a list, a lot of individual messages and a lot of evening calls. Can I hire without a recruitment agency?
Sources
Want the fixed price for your role?
Advertise it yourself from £399 +VAT, or hand the whole search to a dedicated recruiter — a flat fee by salary band with a 100% refund if the role is not filled.
See Guaranteed Hire Advertise a job
Or call 0161 327 2895.