Feeling Stuck: How Should I Handle Headhunting Pressure from My Boss?

Hi all,

I'm working in an IT company as an HR executive. I'm finding it very difficult to search for candidates on portals, but my boss is asking me to do headhunting. However, I'm not interested in doing it, and they are not allowing me to give the requirements to consultants either. Please suggest what I should do.

I believe headhunting is unethical for an HR executive to engage in, but I need some guidance on this matter.

Regards,
Rekha

There are two ways of looking at it.

One, to get the job done, you must go to any extent.

Two, headhunting might wreck the employer's name. I guess having an anonymous phone line (a company-sponsored mobile, etc.) would be the best way to go without compromising on points one and two.

With the way the market is heading towards a shortage of employable talent, I guess headhunting cannot be considered unethical. Rather, it is something that would provide a competitive edge to employers.

Go on, pick up the phone and hunt them down. Moreover, headhunting is not the only way you can recruit inaccessible talent. Think of alternate means to attract people. Devise an attractive referral scheme. Let the employees brand the company and recruit (to a great extent) for the company.

Dear Colleagues,

Getting people employed is basically the job function of HR; the way you go about it is a different ball game entirely. With reference to comments made by Vindixit, I think Remi should go out of his way to headhunt, poach, and cajole if possible to fill that position if it is important to the organization. In as much as I do not want to encourage poaching, I suggest that Remi moves close to competitors in the industry, attends related exhibitions, and workshops where he can come across people who can fill these positions.

One thing of note is that even if you make an employment offer, it is up to the candidate to accept or reject; you cannot force someone to work for you. These days, to get the right candidate, HR will have to apply all necessary recruitment mixes and strategies. The days of being prim and proper have long gone; CEOs want the job done and they want it now!

Thanks.

Hi,

Headhunting is not an unethical practice, but if you are inexperienced, you may not execute it perfectly. Instead, you can explore forums and groups (such as Yahoo, Google) where techies discuss their issues. Identify a few individuals and reach out to them personally, also attempt to obtain references from them.

Maintain good relationships with these contacts.

Regards,
Vijayakumar

Hi Rekha,

I understand your problem, but if you are saying that you are not finding resumes in the job portal, that would be incorrect. This may sound rude, but believe me, even I used to say the same thing. You have to refine your search differently and spend a lot of time in the portal; only then will you get resumes. Believe me, it works. You will get relevant resumes; just have patience. You will get resumes, but you have to really brainstorm on that.

Regards,
Dinesh Shankar