Headhunting: Opportunity or Threat?

How can an employer protect its staff against headhunters?

This is a curious thing: on one hand, employers are afraid of losing their staff as a result of headhunting, and on the other hand, they are conscious of its advantages for own recruitment purposes and do hire external recruitment agencies. Formally, the company gets more vulnerable for its recruitment partner.

Still, obviously from the point of view of business ethics the use of client information with the objectives other than specified in the contract is not acceptable. Thus, confidentiality clause is included to the SGS Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, which is an integral part of any agreement signed with a third party. As to the contract for recruitment services we often specify this clause by including the notice that throughout the contact’s duration and for a certain period after the contractual obligations are terminated SGS is not allowed to employ or to make any attempt to employ, in a direct or indirect manner, our clients’ staff.

As to the recruitment agencies that have no obligations vis-à-vis your company, it would be quite problematic to protect your staff against them. A well-prepared legend would help to overcome the secretarial barrier, CV could be sent from a personal e-box, and the interview can take place beyond working hours. The only effective way for an employer to protect its own personnel against recruiters is to increase employee’s loyalty through optimization of working space, good social package and other available HRM tools.

Author: Lyudmila Kazimirova