Headhunting vs. Recruiting - or Both

A Hiring Manager asked me the other day:  "What is the difference between a Headhunter and a Recruiter?"  To which I replied:  "We can call ourselves either one or both, but asking the difference between headhunting and recruiting as a business practice is probably more applicable to your question."  As a third party recruiter, my business model is to actually partner with clients - then I act as a Headhunter and Recruiter for them.  A true Headhunter conducts research through his or her own network/database/tools to identify the talent a client needs.  They seek out the best of the best and then vet the candidates from a skill set, experience, knowledge and personality standpoint.  Seek and find.  Once we find them, the recruiting begins.  The majority of the candidates with whom I work are passive, so the next step is to "sell" the client and opportunity (if it truly is a potential fit) and help candidates understand why this may be a great career step - and life step.  And then, hopefully, the full-cycle process comes full circle and we've connected an individual with an organization that bring one another value and exceed others' expectations.  It's really like hunting and gathering - we just don't go in for the kill!

Social Media and Procurement - What the Heck?

There is another blog I started writing - Tweeting in our 40s - for fun.  After reading the book Trust Agents, I realized I needed to get with the program.  As an Executive Recruiter, much of the research I do is on the internet and I use Linked In religiously.  However, I wasn't involved in Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, the list goes on and on.  My question was:  are the people I try to reach in MY professional life using Social Media in THEIR professional lives?  Well, small reader group, the answer is:  YES. 

More than ever, Procurement and Strategic Sourcing are a huge focus to most companies.  It might be stressful now, but just think of the value you are bringing your organizations in this economic mess - you will be stars and then the rest of them will listen to you when you present your long-term, strategic plans!  Okay, I was sidetracked for a moment, so now back to task... 

So after realizing that I needed to dive into the social media ocean (and it IS an ocean with many waves and undercurrents) for my business, I started sharing my plan with my peers and one of them brought an article to my attention:  Purchasing 3.0 (http://www.purchasing.com/article/447246-Purchasing_3_0.php?rssid=20271&q=purchasing+3.0+article).  Please take a read and let me know your thoughts.

I have learned that Facebook and Twitter are not always silly social outlets with a plethora of mundane messages about what someone did 5 minutes ago - like feeding their cat after planting a flower.  In addition to Linked In, they are an incredible source of research and information for whatever subject matter you desire, an awesome means of networking and a terrific tool in growing businesses.  Professionals in your industry today are overwhelmed and working many hours, and learning and launching Social Media takes a lot of time.  But I promise, it's worth it in the end....