Frequently Asked Questions

Working With HeadHunters NW

How is HHNW different from other recruiting firms?

RETAINED SEARCHES

  • HeadHunters NW Retained Searches specialize in filling challenging positions such as those in remote locations or requiring remote work. These roles require heavy travel, succession planning, and difficult-to-fill positions.

  • We differ from in-house recruiting departments because we’re not limited to only those actively looking for a new role. Most high-quality candidates are currently employed and, therefore, require the discretion of a third-party recruiter.

GUARANTEE & PROMISE

  • HeadHunters NW retained searches are guaranteed! Per our contractual agreement, we track the success of your new hire for six months after the offer.

  • HeadHunters NW delivers the highest-quality talent with a 99% placement rate.

  • HeadHunters NW contributes to your bottom line by supplying the ideal person at the right time.

  • Our retained searches average less than 90 days!

GLOBAL DEFENSE, SMALL ARMS, AND SHOOTING SECTOR EXPERTS

  • Our unique combination of industry expertise and state-of-the-art technology allows us to optimize the employer-candidate process and offer talent ideally suited to your situation.

  • The HeadHunters NW talent pipeline includes active candidates AND potential (passive) job seekers.

  • Acting as your eyes and ears in the marketplace, we have qualified candidates who are ideal for your company and are already in our pipeline. Consider us your “insider.”

  • HeadHunters NW is current on motivators for candidate relocation, remote workers, compensation packages, and market conditions based on geography and existing conditions in the global defense, small arms, and shooting sectors.

  • We also know the talent your competition has.

TECHNOLOGY

  • Technology is critical to our success in filling your crucial positions. Our state-of-the-art talent acquisition tools utilize data management to recognize those candidates who will have the most significant impact on your business while lowering the cost of recruitment.

AMBASSADORS

  • As your ambassadors, we strengthen and protect your brand, image, and reputation by recruiting talent suited to your culture.

  • By identifying and communicating what differentiates your organization, our candidates understand your vision and goals in advance and are well-equipped to produce successful results.

TIME-SENSITIVE

  • HeadHunters NW is accountable to you, so we produce swift results based on your time frame and communicate with you throughout the process.

Advantages of HeadHunters NW

How does HeadHunters NW add value to hiring practices & HR Departments?

RELIABLE

  • HeadHunters NW knows that building trust and rapport with your hiring manager is crucial, and we are committed to that relationship.

  • We go beyond transactional contributions and become your accountable team strategy and decision-making partner.

  • When we give our word, it is solid, and we follow through. Your time is valuable, so we don’t waste it.

CONFIDENTIAL

  • Clients and candidates require anonymity. They wish to keep their status unknown among employees, customers, and suppliers.

  • Keeping your competitors in the dark about strategic changes is also vital.

  • We recognize these matters from the organizations' and the candidates' perspectives and handle each placement with the utmost confidentiality throughout the process.

EXPERIENCED

  • Each search is unique and comes with its own set of challenges. HeadHunters NW is an authority on every type of hiring situation imaginable.

  • Our talent helps you scale faster, whether it is a long-term placement or a contract role.

  • We assist in your succession planning by mitigating risk and identifying and recruiting a pipeline of leaders.

  • HeadHunters NW’s reference checks discover potential red flags.

Why is technology important in executive recruiting?

SAFEGUARD

  • HeadHunters NW invests in the most advanced SaaS tools and AI-powered solutions, which produce impeccable talent choices for our client companies.

  • We invest in education and training on an ongoing basis to stay ahead of our client's needs in technology, trends, and more – all with a global focus.

  • We apply our niche expertise to quantify recruiting success and make business decisions that meet your specific hiring goals and improve outcomes without compromising the candidate's attributes.

COMMUNICATIONS

  • We start onboarding with our workflow management tools through communications with your HR team. Mechanisms include a collection of proven documentation, feedback reviews, straightforward contracts, and follow-up.

  • Because we manage all communications between you and the candidate, we can gauge and often predict potential issues and resolve them to everyone’s advantage.

Does HeadHunters NW “coach” candidates before interviews?

PREPARATION

  • HeadHunters NW works with our candidates and assists each one uniquely so they can share their relevant experience and the solutions you require when seeking results.

  • We prepare them to put their best foot forward.

  • We work with each candidate to coach them effectively, showing their unique experience.

GOALS

  • The overall objective must be to ensure the candidate you hire is the best qualified to perform successfully on the job, not necessarily the candidate who is the best interviewee.

  • Our candidate packets show how they will positively impact achieving your company’s goals.

SOLUTIONS

  • We work closely with our candidates, discussing the circumstances and results surrounding counteroffers. We educate and coach them toward a mutually beneficial path.

  • Concurrently, we work directly with the hiring manager at the time of the offer.

  • The HeadHunters NW retained search guarantee ensures new employee success throughout the initial transition period, then for an additional six months after their starting date.

When colleagues and friends learn Your team has an opening - Ugh…

MANAGEMENT

  • When you hire HeadHunters NW, we manage 100% of the search. You can depend on us as the point of contact for your well-meaning friends and colleagues.

  • Every candidate participates in our vetting process, removing you from potentially awkward situations.

UNDERSTANDING

  • We communicate with all candidates regardless of whether they are selected for consideration.

  • HeadHunters NW gently keeps your company reputation intact and stands on communicating honestly.

  • We understand your company’s reputation is critical. With that in mind, we treat all referrals and applicants with dignity and respect.

Hiring An Executive Recruiter

When is the ideal time to engage a recruiting search firm?

SUCCESSION PLANNING AND GROWTH

  • The sooner, the better.  It takes time to find the right person, and then it takes more time for that person to learn the ropes so they can start taking on the responsibility.

TIME-SENSITIVE

  • Every week without your role filled is costly. Contact us and let's talk about it. We can help you set a timeline so you are not caught by surprise.  

UNIQUE OR CHALLENGING ROLE

  • We are not afraid – we know how to fill challenging roles.  We have been doing this for over 20 years and have filled many “impossible” positions.  

  • We work most discreetly and know how to make the connections you need with absolute confidentiality. 

UNCERTAIN?

  • If you aren’t sure and want to discuss your unique situation, contact us; we would be happy to brainstorm with you!

What does a bad hire cost?

EMPTY CHAIRS COST TIME & MONEY

  • Hiring talent that doesn’t fit your company's role can cost hundreds of thousands annually.

  • We fill vacancies and newly created positions that maximize assets and provide measurable results.

  • How much does that ‘bad apple’ cost you and your team lost revenue and wasted time?

  • What about the person who doesn’t perform to your standards?

ASSET EXPENSES

  • Decreased productivity

  • Compromised quality of work

  • Damaged morale

  • Lost time to recruit and train another worker

  • More time spent assisting bad hire

How does a retained talent search pay for itself?

HOW MUCH $$$?

  • The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that a bad hire can cost 30% of the employee’s potential first-year earnings. For businesses where employees are responsible for various duties, those costs can build to $190K per year!

SAVE THOUSANDS

  • Every day, your company does not fill a position when it is not operating at optimal capacity. Hurrying to replace critical employees with candidates who aren't the ideal fit results in turnover, lost resources, and precious time.

PRIORITIES

  • Imagine for a moment you, your spouse, or your child have a life-threatening illness. Would you hire a less experienced or inexpensive doctor? What if your loved one was wrongly accused of a serious crime? Would you hire the cheapest lawyer or seek the best money you could buy? The answer is easy. You hire the best!

  • HeadHunters NW only works with customers and candidates who match our culture—the best of the best! Our work is at an A+ level—ONLY the best every time.

Why is a contingency search a colossal waste of time?

PAY FOR HIRE DOES NOT PAY

  • The business model of contingency recruiting (only pay if you hire) is void of value.

  • You rarely, if ever, get the top talent with contingency recruitment. It’s a flawed business model relegated to entry-level recruiters who learn while you pay them. They throw resumes at the wall until one sticks.

  • This model does not appreciate the experience and investment in long-term relationships, insight, culture fit, skill sets, or precious information required to make critical hiring decisions. You must have that intel before you hire talent, not 90 days later.

Executive Search Process

What should I ask before hiring an executive recruiter?

  • Do you specialize in the global defense, small arms, or shooting sectors?

  • What positions have you successfully recruited and filled for your clients recently?

  • How long did it take to fill those recruitments?

  • What trade organizations are you aligned with?

  • How does your firm invest in our industry?

  • What is your process from start to finish?

  • What happens after the hire?

  • Do you offer a guarantee?

  • What are your rates and terms?

When should we out-source recruiting?

IN-HOUSE OR OUT-SOURCE

  • Often, utilizing your in-house recruiters to place ads, call people you know, or pursue other general recruitment efforts to fill your role makes more sense. When those efforts do not result in the top talent in the market, look to HeadHunters NW.

REACH

  • HeadHunters NW’s reputation is well-regarded in the global defense, small arms, and shooting sectors. Our influence among top talent is broader and more profound than that of recruiting firms that are generally focused or specialize in other sectors.

  • Every day, we build relationships with highly qualified, confidential individuals.

  • When you choose HeadHunters NW, we will know who to call. We are the experts in our field and move quickly and quietly within the inner marketplace.

  • We rapidly identify the talent pool, recruit the top choices, engage them in the search process, and secure the perfect candidate to deliver our clients' desired results.

INVESTMENT

  • HeadHunters NW has the reach inside the unreachable market—we know which organizations to recruit from so you can hire the talent you need.

  • We stay abreast of prevalent compensation packages and what it takes to hire the individual who can push your company to the top.

  • We invest in you and your company – true business partners. We guarantee successful talent placement.