(Updated Feb. 2, 2021)
Recruiters and headhunters and career coaches…oh my!
The employment world is chock full of choices when it comes to people who can help you get the job of your dreams. And while they are related, there are some important differences. Here’s a closer look at each.
Recruiters
Recruiters generally do not work for the company that has the job opening. Many of them work for staffing agencies or are independent contractors.
- Their job is to search out people to fill vacancies within the company, but they have no authority in the hiring process.
- Larger companies with a big human resources department may have their own in-house recruiter.
- They may have industry-specific knowledge…or may not.
Headhunters
“Headhunter” and “recruiter” are virtually the same thing. They try to find people to match specific job vacancies. 
Headhunters typically work for a staffing agency. Well-qualified people in hot industries, such as technology, may find themselves approached by many headhunters for particular job openings. And while it’s nice to feel the love, it can be pretty daunting.
Some things to remember about headhunters:
- They get paid for placing an employee, up to 25% of the successful candidate’s starting annual salary. That can be a good thing or a bad thing – the more money the job candidate makes, the more money the headhunter makes. The downside is that job candidates could be pressured into taking a job that isn’t a good fit so the headhunter can make a fee.
- May not have an inside track on jobs that are not posted.
- They are generalists who work for anyone who needs help filling certain jobs. That means they may not know much about the company that’s hiring, its culture or how this particular job fits into the overall structure. Or even the more nitty-gritty details of what the specific job entails.
Human resources professionals
Human resources departments handle much of the nuts and bolts of employment. Those things generally include:
- Creating job descriptions, in conjunction with department heads and other company stakeholders
- Advertising vacancies
- Checking resumes to make sure candidates have the experience, education, etc., called for by the job description
- Handle the initial interview, trying to determine how well the prospect would fit into the company
- Testing (skills, drugs, etc.), if required
- Forwarding top candidates to the hiring manager for the next level
Hiring managers
This management-level employee has the authority to hire someone for a specific role within her department. Depending on the size of the company, she will:
- Talk to candidates passed along by human resources department, or do everything herself, from advertising to interviewing to hiring to training
- Focus on your skills and experience to see how well they match her needs
- Ask specific questions about your previous jobs and duties. She may also ask behavioral interview questions to find out how you have reacted to specific, sometimes challenging circumstances.
Career coaches
A career coach:
- Focuses on you and what you want
- Helps you figure out what you want if you don’t know
- Works for you, not the hiring company or the staffing agency
- Reviews your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, other materials to make sure they are appropriate
- Creates with you a plan of action to help you find the job you want
- Keeps you moving forward
- Can plays the hiring manager in mock job interviews with you
- Assesses your dress, body language, tone of voice, etc.
- Assist with negotiations
Depending on where you are – physically and in your career – one or more of these options may play a role in your job search.
In all cases, remember this: No one cares more about your career than you do. Do your research, learn as much as you can about the company before even applying for a job.
What’s been your experience in this area? Have recruiters or headhunters worked out for you? Please add your wisdom in the comments below!
This is a terrific breakdown of the various titles and job descriptions. It does seem that you save the best for last – Career Coach, who is solely focused on the client. I also like your final words of wisdom: “No one cares more about your career than you do.” This is important advice to remember in this and in many other circumstances. Do your due diligence, and get the best situation for YOU.
Thanks, Reba. My own confusion was the impetus to write about this and I’m glad I did. Anecdotally, I had heard the independent recruiters and headhunters were not necessarily a job-seeker’s best friend. Which was confirmed after research. And by the way, thanks for reading to the very end — that’s the greatest compliment you can pay a writer!
Excellent explanation of the various roles and what they do, Jackie. We have recruiting agencies in Australia and I have heard so many horror stories about how they mismatch jobs and employees. It can be really disheartening for some. A career coach sounds like the most positive option as they focus on you and what you want and help you achieve that every step of the way.
At the risk of beating my own career drum, Tami, I agree with you. Just as some people come to career coaching, expecting a mentor (an experienced expert in their own field), so people come to career coaches looking for someone who can place them in a job (or at least recommend one) like a headhunter. It’s all about knowing your options — and definitions — and then making the best choice for you. BTW, I have, in some cases, told people they would be better off seeking therapy than coaching.
My days of dealing with headhunters or recruiters are over and so I wondered if I cared about difference as I read. Then I got to part about career coaches and it started to feel so much better. That really is what a coach can do for you. Care more and help you to help yourself.
I’m glad you found something useful, Teresa. 🙂 And if all else fails, maybe someone you know could benefit from learning more. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Jackie, as a 25-year corporate escapee, I’ve been on both sides of all of the above. I like how you broke down how career coaches really focus on the client and their needs. The smaller businesses that don’t have an HR department could really use someone that has the skills to be that HR person for their business. In my experience, companies without a strong HR department have more struggles along the path to success and profitability. A strong career coach can help prepare someone for all of the above scenarios. Great article and breakdown!
I appreciate your comments, Tandy, and am with you on the “corporate escapee” piece. 🙂 My research helped clarify my own thinking on what kind of assistance there is for job-seekers.
I agree. “No one cares more about your career than you do.” That is why I tell my friends who are looking for opportunities to find a part time work while they are looking for the best offer so that their mind is busy and they would not be feeling depressed and worthless.
I think the career coaches are good cheer leaders, too as long as they have your back.
That’s good advice, Lorii. Or stay busy with volunteering, if you have enough financial cushion between jobs to do that. It will help on your resume, too. If your coach doesn’t have your back, get another coach!
The presence of a carer coach as a guide to chose the right path is as important as the oxygen to breath. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks, Bob. I really does help to have a career coach help you determine which path to take — especially when you have lots of options and are trying to make sense of them all.
Thanks for informing the job roles of a career coach. Such professionals provide proper guidance to their client to help them to get their dream job. Everyone reaches a point in their life at which they face difficulty to make a career decision and assistance from experienced professionals could be very helpful to make a decision. However, one should be very careful while hiring a career coach. Only experienced and certified professionals should be hired for that purpose.
Thanks for your comments, Kate. I agree completely. And great point about experience and certification for coaches. Definitely check their credentials.