Is Targeted Headhunting a Valid Choice – or Is a Job Posting Enough?

Many companies start their recruitment process by publishing a job advertisement. It creates visibility and attracts applicants – and for certain roles, this may be sufficient. But more and more often, I hear the same question from HR directors and business leaders: “Why aren’t we getting the right applicants from the posting, or why is the process dragging on?”

A job posting only reaches those who are actively looking for work at that exact moment. It’s valuable for employer branding, but random in terms of candidate quality. HR often ends up spending a lot of time screening applications and conducting interviews, yet there’s no guarantee that the role will actually be filled.

Targeted headhunting starts from a different angle. Instead of waiting for candidates to find the company, a headhunter directly approaches professionals with the right skills and cultural fit. This doesn’t undervalue HR’s work – quite the opposite. Headhunting complements HR by freeing up their time for development, employee support, and strengthening company culture.

Why targeted headhunting?

• Speed. When the right people are contacted directly, the process moves in weeks instead of months. The longer recruitment drags on, the more expensive it becomes – every week without a key hire is a gap in the team and a cost to the business.

• Precision. The search is directed toward specific skills and team culture. This reduces the risk of mis-hires and makes decision-making easier.

• Resource savings. HR doesn’t have to spend time filtering through dozens of random applications.

So, the question isn’t whether job postings are wrong. They work well in many situations. But when it comes to a critical role – one where finding the right person is essential to business continuity – job postings alone are rarely enough. Targeted headhunting ensures that the best talent in the market is reached – including those who aren’t actively looking.

In the end, it’s about whether a company wants to leave recruitment to chance or take control.

💡How has your company experienced job postings vs. headhunting – is a posting enough, or has targeted search brought added value?

👉If you’re wondering whether targeted headhunting could solve your recruitment challenge, feel free to get in touch.

Let’s talk about how we can help!

#executivesearch  #headhunting  #recruitment  #Noavalo