Recruiting for leadership roles is one of the most critical challenges faced by any organisation, regardless of its size or specialism.
This is because leaders don’t just fill positions – they shape culture, drive strategy, and determine whether a business thrives or stagnates.
That’s why relying solely on job postings or passive recruitment often falls short when you’re searching for senior members of staff.
Headhunting is a proactive tactic that allows businesses to identify the best (and the right) candidates for an open role, and approach them to see if they are interested. Much of the time, headhunting targets C-suite individuals who are not actively looking for a new role, but who may be swayed by the right opportunity.
At Dartcell, we have introduced many of our clients to headhunters who have successfully sourced and placed perfect candidates into open leadership roles, from Operations Directors to CEOs and everything in between. We’re proud to have made connections that have resulted in successful matches for both parties and enabled these businesses to thrive with the right kind of specialist expertise behind them.
Here’s how the process typically works, and the tactics and techniques you can expect your headhunter to employ when they’re instructed to work on your behalf.
But first – why does headhunting matter for leadership roles?
Unlike entry-level or mid-level positions, leadership vacancies require a more nuanced strategy, because:
The person will have a big impact on the business. A single leadership hire influences the entire organisation, which means the quality of the appointment is absolutely critical.
Passive talent will wait for you to make the first move. Many qualified leaders aren’t actively applying for jobs—they’re already employed and must be approached directly.
Finding the right culture fit is easier said than done. Hiring leaders goes beyond assessing their technical expertise. These people need to be naturally aligned with the company’s values and vision; this is sometimes more important than choosing a candidate with a great deal of experience.
Headhunting ensures you’re not just fishing in the pool of active candidates but reaching the leaders who could make the biggest difference.
The steps your headhunters will take to finding your ideal candidate
Step 1: Define what “ideal” looks like
Before they even begin approaching potential leaders, your headhunter will need to be crystal clear on what they’re looking for. Too often, businesses cast the net too wide, only to waste time on candidates who were never going to be the right fit.
Your headhunter will typically ask you:
What specific expertise does this leader need? Strategic vision? Industry knowledge? What is their desired technical background?
Does your organisation thrive under collaborative, hands-on leadership, or do you need a visionary who can drive transformation?
What are your company’s core values, and how will you assess whether a candidate shares them?
What should success in this role look like after 12 to 18 months?
They will then add these insights into a candidate profile, which will act as something of a North star when sourcing and evaluating talent and can be referenced by everyone who’s involved in the recruitment process.
Step 2: Build and leverage talent networks
The most successful headhunters don’t wait until a vacancy arises to start looking for talent. Instead, they cultivate strong professional networks long before they’re needed. They will:
- Attend gatherings where leaders congregate. These aren’t just networking opportunities, they’re fertile ground for observing leadership qualities in action.
- May be members of relevant industry bodies. Doing so gives them access to exclusive databases and forums – and they often house senior members of staff.
- Look beyond candidates’ job titles. Your headhunter will take a look at the person’s thought leadership, engagement, and how they position themselves within their industry on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
- Ask for recommendations. High performers tend to know other high performers, and referrals can be invaluable in this sense.
Step 3: Research and identify potential candidates
Headhunting is about precision. Instead of trawling hundreds of profiles, your headhunter will need to invest time in deep research to find candidates who genuinely match your criteria.
They will do this by:
- Looking at who holds leadership roles in competitor organisations and map out senior employees in each company. They may already have the skills and industry knowledge you need.
- Researching case studies, press releases, and LinkedIn updates to find the leaders who have driven measurable results (ie: genuine success stories).
- Using advanced LinkedIn or Google search queries to narrow down candidates by skills, location, and experience.
- Looking for number-twos or rising stars in other businesses. They may be ready to step up into a top leadership role.
This stage is about quality, not quantity. Any seasoned headhunter will tell you that ten highly relevant names are worth more than a hundred generic ones.
Step 4: Develop the right approach
Reaching out to senior leaders requires finesse. These are busy professionals who are often loyal to their current organisations, so generic messages are unlikely to turn heads.
Headhunters know that successful outreach often comes down to:
- Personalising the first communication. Headhunters will reference each candidate’s career achievements, publications, or projects. This shows they have actually looked at their skills and experience as an individual and helps to establish a strong connection.
- Being discreet. Leaders value confidentiality, so your headhunter will need to emphasise that any conversation will be handled with complete professionalism.
- Positioning the opportunity in terms of the impact they could make, not just the job description.
- Keeping the initial message short and intriguing. It needs to be enough to spark curiosity without overwhelming them.
Step 5: Sell the organisation as well as the role
Convincing a leader to leave their current role isn’t about salary alone. It’s about purpose and alignment.
When ‘selling’ your position to a potential candidate, headhunters will often mention:
- The company’s vision and mission. Leaders want to know they’ll be part of something meaningful.
- The impact they might have, and the opportunities that are ahead. Your headhunter will want to share the long-term direction of the company and highlight the difference the candidate can make in shaping strategy, culture, and results.
- Your company culture – and specifically, what it means to you and your customers. After all, new leaders want to know if they’ll thrive in your environment.
- The potential for growth, and how the role might fit into the candidate’s career trajectory. Ambitious leaders look for new challenges and scope for influence.
- The support that’s waiting for them. They will make a point to outline the resources and team that the candidate will have access to.
At this stage, your headhunter will often push to meet the person face-to-face, perhaps during their lunch break or at the end of their working day.
Step 6: Build relationships, not transactions
Not every leader your headhunter approaches will say yes immediately, and that’s to be expected. The most effective headhunters nurture relationships over time and appreciate that this is a long game.
They will work to keep your organisation front of mind by:
- Keeping in touch. If someone isn’t ready now, they will make a note to check in periodically with updates about your organisation’s progress.
- Adding value wherever you can. They will typically share industry insights, reports, or introductions that benefit them.
- Staying visible. They will encourage you to – and help you to – position your company as a thought leader through content, events, and PR, so when leaders think of career moves, you’re the first person they reach out to.
Step 7: Refine the selection process
Once a candidate expresses interest, how your headhunter handles the process can make or break the hire.
Any good headhunter will know the importance of:
- Streamlining the process, because time is precious. They will avoid excessive interview rounds and focus on the quality of your interactions with them, not the quantity.
- Prioritising professionalism and respect. The candidate wants to feel valued!
- Considering panel diversity. They will ask to involve a mix of stakeholders in the interviews to give candidates a holistic view of the organisation.
- Engaging in a two-way dialogue. They will encourage candidates to ask as many questions as they need, because these individuals are assessing your organisation and your position as much as they are being assessed themselves!
Step 8: Close the deal
When your headhunter is confident they have found the right leader for your role, they certainly won’t want to lose them to a clumsy offer process. So, they will help you:
- Put together a competitive package. Salary matters, but also consider bonuses, equity, and benefits that align with leadership expectations.
- Send a tailored offer that reflects the candidate’s personal motivations, whether that’s flexibility, international exposure, or resources to build a new team.
- Share your onboarding plan, which will outline to the candidate the ways in which you will support their transition into the role from day one.
Step 9: Support the new hire
Successful headhunting doesn’t end at the contract signing. To make your investment worthwhile, your headhunter will set plans in motion to ensure your leaders thrive once they’re in place and aren’t tempted to move elsewhere anytime soon.
They will often assist you with:
- Setting measurable goals and supporting your new leader in achieving early wins.
- Facilitating connections with key stakeholders and team members to make sure they integrate well into your company’s culture.
- Providing executive coaching, training, or peer networks and making their ongoing development a priority.
- Regularly checking in on their experience and addressing concerns early. Feedback loops can work wonders for keeping leaders engaged and invested in the venture’s success.
Headhunting isn’t just about filling vacancies. It’s about strategically securing leaders who will shape the future of your organisation. By defining what “ideal” means, building deep networks, approaching candidates with respect, and selling more than just a role, headhunters can attract and retain the leadership talent that sets your business apart from the rest.