Executive search or headhuntig is the process of recruiting executives, typically by persuading them to leave their current employer and accept a position with another company which is usually a competitor.

When the client has no particular candidate in mind that he wants to recruit, the executive search company initiates the default process of identifying and attracting the potentially suitable candidates. Even though recruitment consultants always customize this process according to each client’s specific needs, there are however certain standard steps that need to be covered:

1. The consultant in charge with the respective recruitment mission meets with the client in order to determine the profile of the ideal candidate.
2. The recruiter and the client devise a list of target companies where the suitable candidates might be found and decide on the positions that correspond to the sought-for profile
3. The targeted candidates are contacted and invited in for meetings with the recruitment consultants.
4. The best candidates are presented to the client and client-candidate meetings are arranged with the recruitment consultants’ support
5. The successful candidate signs the employment contract with the client.
6. Follow-up: once the actual recruitment process has been concluded, the executive search firm keeps in touch with both the client and the candidate in order to make sure that everything is going according to plan.