Share this post: Is your team being headhunted for?
Managers can be anxious just by the mention of “headhunting”. Managers see the idea of headhunting as a way to make their best people move to another company, or even to a competitor.

It’s normal to feel worried or fear when you learn that one or more employees of your company is being recruited by a headhunter. It’s not something you want to do. Anger might replace your initial feelings of concern or fear. It’s outrageous that someone would try to take your employees away! No matter if an employee makes a move, the simple fact that other people want the person you have will cause feelings of defensiveness.
What if you viewed headhunting in a different light? Instead of feeling offended and indignant that a recruiter is targeting your staff, what if you saw it with pride?
It’s true that headhunters will often target your staff if you have great people. You shouldn’t focus on keeping headhunters away. Instead, you should be focusing on keeping your staff from leaving for another opportunity. Headhunting is rarely an accident. If other companies aren’t looking at your employees you might want to look at ways you can strengthen your staff.
ITProTV’s whitepaper for IT leaders explains why headhunters leave and what ITProTV can do to help you.
Why Headhunters are so Attracted to Headhunters
It’s important to understand what attracts recruiters and gets them to pick the phone before you can think about how to keep your best employees on staff. It’s not about your employees being great at what they do, although that’s certainly the most important factor. It’s also about their reputation and visibility in the field. This is what it means in specific terms:

High-level skills. This is often the most important factor. It’s only natural for your employees to have high-level IT certifications and advanced degrees.
A strong network. Headhunters often rely on recommendations from others to find the right candidate. It’s more likely that recruiters will be attracted to employees who have extensive networks. This can be achieved through mentorships, membership in industry organizations, attendance at industry events, and other means.
Industry contributions. Headhunters are interested in the work history and contributions of your employees. Are your employees able to present at conferences? Do they have a strong online presence and are they able to communicate with the public? Are they thought leaders in their field? Your employees’ contributions are more visible, which makes them more likely to be noticed.
Learn how to keep your top people on board when a headhunter calls.