Glossary

Headhunting

Proactive, targeted outreach to passive candidates who are not actively job hunting, rather than processing inbound applicants.

Headhunting is the practice of identifying, approaching and engaging candidates who are not actively looking for a new role. It contrasts with inbound recruitment, which relies on job advertisements and applicant flow. Headhunting is the dominant sourcing approach for senior, niche or competitive SaaS roles where the strongest candidates are already employed.

Related terms

Executive SearchA retained, confidential headhunting process used to identify and hire C-suite and VP-level leadership.
Top of Funnel (Sourcing)The earliest stage of the hiring funnel: identifying and engaging potential candidates before they enter the formal interview process.

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