Question 1

Why should senior candidates contact headhunters before applying to job boards?

Accepted Answer

Most director, VP and C-suite appointments are handled by retained executive search firms working on exclusive mandates, and many are filled before being advertised. By the time a senior role reaches a job board, the consultant's own network has usually been exhausted first — building relationships with the right firms gives you access to roles that never appear publicly.

Question 2

What is the difference between retained and contingency recruiters?

Accepted Answer

Retained search firms are paid an exclusive fee by the employer to run a senior appointment end to end. Contingency recruiters are paid only on placement and typically compete on mid-level roles. For C-suite and board positions, retained firms hold the vast majority of mandates, which is why this tool weights the retained model heavily.

Question 3

How does the Headhunter Finder grade search firms?

Accepted Answer

Each firm is scored out of 100 across six weighted criteria: sector specialism match (30%), seniority fit (25%), retained versus contingency model (20%), geographic coverage (10%), recent placement activity (10%) and reachability (5%). The tool researches the live market for your specific role, sector and geography.

Question 4

How should I approach a headhunter for the first time?

Accepted Answer

Lead with positioning, not availability: open with one specific, quantified achievement their clients would value, frame the contact as relationship-building ahead of any live mandate, and make a small ask — fifteen minutes on their terms. Your goal is to be the candidate they think of when the right brief lands.

Question 5

Is the Headhunter Finder free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The graded top 10 and approach playbook are free, delivered on screen and by email. Named consultants at each firm and personalised outreach are part of AuthBuild's paid Opportunity Engine.

The job boardis the lastto know.

The job board
is the last
to know.