How Much are Head Hunters Hurting PR?
Executive Search: In Need of a New Coat of Paint
It’s a familiar story – a seasoned PR veteran is approached by an executive search firm, hyped over an attractive-sounding corporate position, strung out through a series of interviews, and then, told that the evaluation process is too far down the road for further consideration … or some other lie.
For the communication pro, it turns out to be largely a waste of time. For the head hunter, they make their fee.
PR agency leaders are peppered often by calls from job head hunters, seeking names of possible candidates. It’s not unlike realtors seeking leads except the threshold for competence and knowledge in executive search is much, much lower. Anyone with ordinary hygiene can be in executive search.
Executive search is, indeed, a sales job that requires little authentic competence. It is a fairly generalized business, and most people assigned to filling corporate communications slots lack experience, contacts and knowledge. I never met one … or know of anyone else who knows of a head hunter … who possesses more than a thimbleful of savvy about the field they are placing people in. They are merely seeking warm bodies who might interview well.
Let’s call it what it is – Executive search is a field that attracts ego-driven demigods, no intelligence, education or training required. Yes, there are exceptions … there are some people who work hard at doing a good job for clients and candidates … but in the field of communications and PR, they are in a tiny minority, in my opinion.
Executive recruiting in the PR/corporate communications field is more a beauty contest than search for competence and expertise … and it is a disservice to corporate clients of the search firms and an insult to communications professionals. I think it’s a business badly in need of an ethical and professional makeover.
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- ¿Están los head hunters dañando la Comunicación? | wellcommunity | March 24, 2010
You have brought to light a serious situation, one that has effected so many more during these difficult economic times. It is a shame that there are no professional standards or ethics to turn to, unless one considers what is being done as fraud. In very general terms and for our purposes here, and of course, it may mean something different in each legal jurisdiction, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain. So one might ask, if there was never a real opportunity for a position, and the head hunter received a fee, was a fraud committed? You again have raised a matter that should be of concern to many.
Hello David,
Interesting piece.
However, I think you’re attempting to demonize the messenger (the headhunter), without having all the relevant facts at hand.
The relationship between candidate, headhunter and client is not as simplistic as you would have your readers believe.
In my 30 years of PR headhunting (and 15 years before that as a PR database marketing executive), I have always found that the most successful PR executives are largely people who understand and nuture the relationship and roll that a headhunter plays in this dance called recruiting. For the most part, they are people who realize that the usual give and take one encounters in every business, is certainly alive and well in the headhunting business.
As for the lack of certification or rigorous testing from a recognized state or federal entity I would certainly agree that just about anyone can call themselves a headhunter. However, PR “professionals” as well can put out a shingle, make unrealistic promises to both their clients and media people, with little to no experience in PR or the industries they specialize in, without ever being certified or sanctioned by any state or federal governing body. Case in point – what day has gone by without a member of the media railing about the lack of knowledge or sheer ineptitude of the PR people that besiege them every day?
In both PR and headhunting there are numerous success stories from clients and candidates alike who will gratefully attest that they owe some portion of their success to the efforts of either a PR professional or PR executive recruiter.
Until both businesses are sanctioned by a state or federal entity we all must continue to move forward to offer the best and most ethical service we can provide to our clients – until the free marketplace deems otherwise.
By the way, I’m 65 years old and have been in and around the PR business since I was 19 years old. I believe I know PR as well as anyone.
David, keep up the good work.
Best regards,
Dennis
Dennis,
Maybe you are right … I am demonizing run-of-the-mill executive search people, even those at the largest firms, because they by and large do a poor job in the area of PR and communications.
My blog posting was written more from the perspective of feedback I have received from many colleagues than my own experience (because I am an independent consultant).
I must say, however, that you have a superb reputation. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
David
David and Dennis, this article and response bring up a topic I had never known about during my years teaching university PR courses.
Dennis, if you can contact me, I’d like to find out more about what it was like “in your trenches.”
When I talk with my students, I’d love to be able to tell both side of the story. You can find me on LinkedIn.