3Hunters Logo
phone
1209-6523
email
contacto@3hunters.info
Lines open M to F from 9am to 6pm
FacebookLinkedInTwitterYouTube

What impresses a headhunter?

What impresses a headhunter?

On several occasions I have been asked as director of a headhunting company what impressed us the most? First of all I would like to clarify that I run the company, but I am not a headhunter myself. My background, like many country managers, has to do with the commercial and administrative thrust of the firm, but of course over the years I have had the opportunity to recruit talent for this and other companies.

Personally, what impresses me the most is when a candidate shows passion and conviction, it allows me to see that he/she will be able to overcome challenges and difficulties that are put in front of him/her, that is, many times we encounter problems, there are people who stay with the same problem, in a sort of freeze and there are those who look for ways to solve things, it is clear that along the way they will not always solve it in the best way but they will look for alternatives. 

Also the conviction and passion you talk about your work vs. apathy, see when they are enthusiastic and understand that their work and attitude make a difference, that's the kind of profiles we look for our clients.

I am not very interested in the candidate saying what he thinks we want to hear, a typical one is to ask what are some defects or opportunities for improvement and the candidate says "I am too much of a perfectionist" all a cliché that says nothing and tries to convey that they are to pursue perfectionism to the hilt, what it says to me is that he really has no self-criticism, learning from mistakes, etc..

In this sense the "be yourself" counts, the truth is that I lose attention when the polite statements begin that actually say nothing about the candidate.

It is also rare sometimes, as candidates often read that eye contact is recommended, it is often exaggerated and it seems that we are being scanned at every movement, it is something more natural without exaggerating.

Spare me the ambiguous mission statement, generalist and lacking in depth, particularly inviting me to meet a candidate who takes controlled risks, who tells me that he understands and knows the job boundaries and moves within them ethically.

Open up, tell us what excites you, in short what have been your big successes and big mistakes, in an interview I ended up having a lot of fun sharing mistakes with a candidate and that created a bond with him. Even if the implementation failed let us see what you did differently, what you would do differently today looking back, what plans do you have to move forward!

I try to make the interviewee feel comfortable, as the situation is usually a bit tense because the person feels scrutinized and there are usually situations of economic future at stake, but we have to create that space that allows us to show ourselves. You don't have to be afraid to ask about the company, there are no dumb or wrong questions or at least in 3 Hunters.

As always you can contact us at pedro@3hunters.info or through our contact form.