Job search for top managers

How to answer the headhunter's call

How to avoid reputational risks during the conversation with the headhunter, Vedomosti took an interest at the manager of projects of Ward Howell Victoria Skidan and the consultant of Morgan Hunt company Marina Vasilyeva. We integrated their comments in 10 short councils.

1. Never hang up. First, it is uncivilized. Secondly, the second time the headhunter can not call back, and, on the contrary, recommend to colleagues not to deal with you. Even if at present you are not interested in other work, Hunter's call — chance to learn about the price and about the market a little more in general.

2. First of all specify with whom exactly you speak, ask to tell the name, a surname, a position and the company which your interlocutor represents. The headhunter is always represented. Otherwise you have bases to suspect that you deal with the speculator who is interested in your personal data, or your own employer checking your loyalty. There is a probability that it is a false call, the call from the unauthoritative agency or the headhunter just tries to find through you information necessary to it, for example structure of department, structure of bonuses, etc. (there is a lot of options).

3. Never speak with headhunters by the business phone — there is no guarantee that your device is not wiretapped by your employer. To be reinsured, one may say, that you always look at the market, as well as any sane candidate, but now you suits everything in the current company. Also ask to send information on mail.

4. Even if you were called on the mobile phone, ask to call back, having referred to what it is inconvenient to you to tell (that in most cases the truth). Thus you receive time to inquire and make sure of gravity of intentions of your interlocutor: whether really this call intended to you.

5. Inquire about the company which is represented by your interlocutor — all known companies at all their closeness have the official sites in network. Besides the vast majority of modern hanter have the profiles on such social networks as Linkedin and Facebook. At the same time you learn how your interlocutor looks.

6. Be not afraid to ask the specifying questions of the interlocutor, his company and the vacancy. There is no guarantee that to you at the first conversation will call the potential employer at once, and especially — an exact salary, nevertheless it is necessary to check reaction of the interlocutor. Suspicious can be both excessively indistinct offers, and the rectilinear statement from first minutes.

7. If there are concerns that not the headhunter calls, it is possible to ask the interlocutor to tell in more detail about the project that you, perhaps, will be able to recommend it someone. Thus, you get more information about a position, without advertizing that you look for work or are ready to consider options actively.

8. Let know to the headhunter that your communication requires especial confidentiality. It is important that the headhunter also informed of this rule the employer to whom you are going to be provided. Remember, authoritative executive search the agency always initially is guided by these rules. Without your consent nobody will send your summary to the client, the consultant will begin to save confidentiality.

9. You monitor the speech. The talkative candidate hanter concern with bigger suspiciousness, than the one who speaks chilly and briefly. Does not command great respect and people, ready to tell about itself everything and at once to the first comer. However, haughty rude fellows are loved too by nobody — it eventually can cost you reputations in the market (the gossip hotline among personnel officers works perfectly).

10. If you are not interested in job change now, can openly tell about it. But to improve good relations with the headhunter and meet him can be much more useful to you, than you think. The market quickly changes, and often happens so that the person who also did not want to talk about vacancies himself calls back in a month and proposes the candidacy.

And still you remember: desire to get acquainted on the future and to maintain the relations with you distinguishes the headhunter from^[1].

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