Saiyō framework
The Headhunting Spectrum
Every hiring method reaches a different part of the market. Professional headhunting sits at the far end of the spectrum.
What the framework says
A horizontal continuum from Job Advertising through Referrals, Database Search, LinkedIn Outreach, Email Outreach and Relationship-Based Outreach to Professional Headhunting. Each stage extends access into a less accessible slice of the market. Professional headhunting is the discipline designed to reach exceptional, market-leading talent that would not otherwise participate in a recruitment process.
When to use it
You need to show why two searches using different methods produce very different candidate pools.
How to apply it
- 1Place each of your current methods on the spectrum and note where the last five hires came from.
- 2Match the method to the scarcity of the role rather than to habit or supplier availability.
- 3Expect cost and effort per conversation to rise as you move right, and quality of access to rise with it.
- 4Reserve the far end of the spectrum for roles where the market is genuinely inaccessible.
The common mistake
Calling database search or templated outreach headhunting, then judging headhunting by those results.
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Professional Headhunting Explained
Professional headhunting is not defined by the tools used or the messages sent. It is the discipline of reaching exceptional people who would never otherwise enter a recruitment process.
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