H E A D H U N T I N G

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1 H E A D H U N T I N G I N D U S T R Y O V E R V I E W Executive Recruitment & Headhunting is renowned for being highly lucrative. It is also known for being very challenging with many exiting the industry within their first 12 months. Our clients pay us a premium to reverse this trend by delivering intensive coaching and training to the most exceptional graduates and young professionals. We have an enviable track record of creating the industry s future superstars. This document gives you a brief overview of this wonderful industry. P r o d u c e d b y S u p e r G r a d

2 Overview Executive Recruitment is a specialised recruitment service used by organisations to source candidates for senior, executive or other highly specialised positions. A career in Executive Recruitment can be really good fun, rewarding and will arm you with many transferable business skills wherever your future takes you. The industry is vast and there are many different career paths available to you. While our clients vary in culture, seniority and sector expertise, most are relatively small entrepreneurial firms seeking outgoing, business-minded candidates with underlying tenacity and drive, and possessing superb communication skills. Our clients work across all areas of industry including Legal, Oil & Gas, Investment Banking, Technology, Creative, Luxury, IT and Financial Services - the list is endless!

3 Starting Out Whether you kick off your career as a Researcher, Resourcer or Trainee Consultant you will be assisting your colleagues in identifying, organising and approaching candidates who may be suitable for a client s job opportunity, or at least be a good source of information. During this period you will pick up the technicalities of your role and how the industry hangs together, and importantly develop your communication and influencing skills. Your promotion to a full Consultant could be in as little as 3 months, but ultimately it depends on your performance.

4 Progressing A full Consultant works a client role from start to finish (known as a 360 degree process). Initially jobs will likely be passed to you to work on by senior colleagues, but once you have learned to manage the process from briefing through to a candidate agreeing to join your client, you will have to start to win your own work. This is challenging, sometimes very challenging. However make no mistake, it is just the same as any Consultancy business. Whether you are selling Strategy advice, Accountancy or Legal Services, those who make the serious money will be those who can win their own business. It is eat what you kill sometimes you ll get lucky, sometimes it s a dogfight with rival firms. Recruitment is unique among consultancy businesses, as you are invited to join the business winning battle from an early stage. By comparison, in accountancy you have to spend 10 years doing endless spreadsheets before you start the fun!

5 Career Paths Successful recruiters tend to build their career in one of three directions: 1. Take on Management responsibilities and head a business unit i.e. a team of recruiters supplying a certain market. This is great for your CV, but on a day-to-day basis, other people s problems become your problems. 2. Become a big billing, one person show - you will probably just get more admin support and perhaps a permanent researcher, but you re left to spend all of your time on clients, candidates and deals. It is not very transferable, but you do own a Porsche and every firm will try to hire you. 3.Take on a new market. This means taking yourself out of your comfort zone and trying to break down a new market or geography. You will probably get a decent basic salary for this or some sort of long- term incentive scheme to reward your success. This is very transferable to other industries and requires a lot of tenacity.

6 Recruitment Methods There are 3 main recruitment methods: Interim / Temp Recruitment Recruiters in this space have to be able to source candidates very quickly, it is an aggressive, exciting, fastmoving market, you can earn your week s money in just a couple of frenetic hours! Fees are charged on top of the candidate s day rate, so income is therefore gradual, but can be huge if you have enough people working through you.

7 Recruitment Methods Contingent / Permanent Recruitment The majority of recruitment is done on this basis, whereby a fee is only paid if the client hires someone. This is less about speed, but more about using market research and traditional networking to locate the right person for a client, but ultimately making a decision based on imperfect information and with limited research time. This is the work of a classic recruiter and requires topclass salesmanship as well as good business understanding. A Consultant must find an effective way to approach people and persuade them to consider the merits of a new employer, project or even country!

8 Recruitment Methods Retained Executive Search This methodology is used for filling very senior positions, where a discreet approach is required. A client will explain their needs and challenges in depth and pay a large fee upfront to secure just one Executive Search firm to research the market thoroughly and compare the available experience / style / dynamism of other people with those already working for their client. This is a relatively slow process, with less transactional deal focus and lots of detail. In general this sector pays good basic salaries, but has less emphasis on commission. You will typically work as a researcher for many years, or even become a career researcher, supporting the lead consultants who deal face-to-face with clients.

9 People You'll Meet It s a mixed bag, much like stock broking or equity trading. You have the educational elite, those who are passionate about their sector (fashion or charity being examples), hard drinking wide-boys and serious professional types from all walks of life. All share the desire to be commercial people and control their own financial destiny. There is no type! Good consultants become part of the fabric of the market in which they work and in time become a respected source of knowledge and advice by even board level professionals. Check out interviews with some of our latest trainees on the SuperGrad website to hear what they have to say.

10 The Good Stuff Fun and Pure Commerce You re a dealmaker between individuals and clients. Doing deals can be really good fun; you generate income and are very much part of the cut and thrust of business. Offices are typically fast-paced and full of life. Recognition & Reward In most careers, earnings and status are tightly aligned to the level at which you joined. In this industry, if you have proven your ability to make money, you can take on team leadership or new markets at an early stage. Everyone starts at the bottom and has the opportunity to have their results recognised and rewarded, at any age.

11 The Good Stuff Travel Experience of Executive Search in the UK is highly valued overseas - it is possible to take this career anywhere. Hong Kong, Australia, New York and Zurich are all currently buoyant markets. Meeting People Good consultants will try to spend time out of the office, meeting clients and candidates - if you are sociable, friendly and flexible company, you ll be very successful. No day need be the same!

12 Money You can expect a basic salary between 18k and 25k, with an attractive commission and bonus structure on top - this is where the real money is made! It is not uncommon for an excellent Consultant to earn over 40k in Y1, over 70k in Y2 and 100k in Y3. Consultants on a lucky streak or in a buoyant market have earned over 200k per year. Consultant commission and bonus structures are commercially sensitive information so don t expect to receive a detailed breakdown until you are employed.