I thought that a good way to introduce you all to this blog is to talk about one of the main reason why headhunters exist in this market , which is “scouting the best rockstars”.
But , what really is a “rockstar”?
If you landed this page in need of discovering the slickest techniques to cross bridges in your job seeking adventure , or to you hoped to land in a sort of wizard CV making page to make your old resume look fresh and cool , regret to say but you better off sailing away to one-of-the-others recruiters blog , and maybe you will get to what you’re up for.
The main reason why I decided to open up this window on headhunting it is not just to sell secret recipes to nail the perfect job interview, or to match your best suit and tie combo to impress your next boss: guess it’s time to explain what an headhunter is, what an headhunter does , and most importantly what an headhunter craves for: scouting rockstars !
No, I am not an avid music talent show watcher, although I really love to have my daily routine filled with punchy grooves, filthy vibes and tunes: a RockStar for us is the genuine reason why a client is willing to pay a good fee, in other word an A+ candidate, someone who can bring an alpha value.
In my 8 years of experience I have met, interviewed thousands of candidates both in Tokyo or in other cities , and although have been blaming myself for spending too much time in some cases, as many would say – time is money – I came to the conclusion that true RockStars come short in number , being (making an optimistic guesstimate ) 1 to 2% of whole candidates universe.
You might get surprised , but that’s the sad but true reality in today’s market, believe it or not.
Straight back to the topic, I have learned that a Rockstar is that unattainable type of candidate with excellent track-record, great academic background and with strong self-awareness, somehow really over-confident arrogant – those individuals looking from top-to-bottom all the others in the room.
Too cool to mention, popular among the peers and competitors, possibly idolizing themselves sometimes: a top notch candidate in such diversified jungle-like market would resemble like a proper idol, and fair to say , would be the same correlation that there currently is in the music industry.
How
many Michael Jacksons, Noel Gallaghers or Bruce Springsteens would you spot among those bunch of weird strummers across the streets ?
I must say that these are the most annoying profiles to deal with, and given that an headhunter himself tends to be a “primadonna”, building relationship with ego-headed RockStar could be edgy and difficult; but guess what: I love to deal with such individuals!
Unlike all the average candidates who are spamming recruitment firms’ inbox, overpopulating career websites and writing fancy but hilarious Linkedin profile titles, such as “Hire me!” or “I am looking for a good opportunity” a RockStar does job hunting on Stealth mode, while they will show superficial happiness at one’s firm, being too busy to cope with recruiters, by talking to them you will soon learn that denial is the greatest sign of interest.
So many times I happened to cope with cocky managers too cool to hear about market updates, as they thought that was not needed , or that they were really happy where they were.
I finally learned that by definition a human being , and then also a RockStar, can never be happy 100% , therefore, digging into the personal turmoils would be interesting as many times there are so many factors that create unseen reason to look for a new job.
Whenever you will meet a headhunter you will be asked so many questions: about jobs, compensation, about technical stuff and so on. I’d like to summarize and crack into a new relationship with a top notch RockStar using only one question:
How Happy Are You?
I can tell with great satisfaction that getting close and personal with a RockStar would be the best way to crack the code of the relationship , let them come down their shiny pedestal and let them feel what they are , which is real human being. If I may share a bit of wisdom , or a simple advice to my fellow colleagues or competitors who would be willing to share a minute and read my thoughts, I would just say fear not to ask such question and break the God-like barrier between you and your RockStar, because at the end of the day , it is not the business card that makes or defines the individual in front of you.
It might come all dressed up , super flashy, with 10 inches of Ego but guess what: end of the day, is a human being just like the others, and like them for sure he will not be happy about something , then it’s your turn to turn the magic on, and wear the hat of a RockStar Recruiter ,or Happiness Maker.
I love to define myself like that, as must say I am not a conventional type of headhunter you would find on the street: this job it is not about how many JDs can you send to your candidates , but is how good are you to gain and increase trust and respect from your pool of beloved rockstar, so to be the right man , at the right time, giving them the role of their life!
Final note to all the candidates , or wannabe ones: make sure you stand out from the crowd , be a rockstar and will love you for that !
Marco
The Banking Insider 