Definition of

headhunter

Hiring

A headhunter looks for the right people to fill a position.

The notion of headhunter comes from the English language. According to the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), it is a translation of headhunter or talent scout .

Before moving forward with the meaning of the concept, it is important to analyze its composition. The idea of ​​hunting can refer to the pursuit or following of something or someone with the intention of capturing or trapping it, while a talent can be mentioned as the individual who has the aptitudes or abilities to carry out a certain activity.

What does a headhunter do?

A headhunter is someone who works looking for the appropriate people to meet the needs of an organization . In other words: your job is to find and attract the right people to fill a position .

The first objective of the headhunter is to find the most qualified ( talented ) professionals. For this you can carry out different actions depending on the area or sector. Once the talent is detected, you must recruit them, getting them to accept the proposal to join your company.

Headhunters can work for a company or independently , responding to requests from different clients. In the latter case, headhunters usually create agencies or consultancies to offer their services, thereby intermediating between the contractor or employer and the contractor or employee.

Scout

In football, scouts are very important to detect young people with potential.

The search for emerging artists

The figure of the talent scout is common in the field of art . In this area, the goal of talent scouts is to discover singers, bands, actors, etc. that are not yet popular, but that show potential to develop and achieve fame .

Many times headhunting agencies make calls to analyze the competencies and skills of applicants. In these tests or castings , the conditions of those who come eager to show their suitability are observed.

These talent scouts sometimes attend festivals and other events in the hope of spotting previously unknown figures. This practice is common in music , with talent scouts going to bars and theaters where unknown artists perform.

Talent scout in sports

Talent scouts have great importance in sport . Clubs usually have their own scouts or observers or call on representatives to locate children or teenagers who show special talent. When they come across one of these precocious players, they seek to add them to their lower divisions or quarry so that they can develop within the institution until they are in a position to join the professional squad.

Numerous stories of world-renowned footballers began with the intervention of a talent scout. Former footballer and coach Carles Rexach , for example , is often mentioned as the talent scout who discovered Lionel Messi when the Argentine was just 13 years old. Rexach worked for FC Barcelona looking for players in South America and, after a recommendation, invited Messi and his family to a trial in Barcelona . Upon seeing the enormous ability of the young athlete, he signed a contract with the player's father on a paper napkin to ensure his signing.