A candidate's guide to being headhunted

The call usually comes at an inconvenient moment. A voice you do not recognise, a careful introduction, and a question about whether you might be open to a conversation about a role.

For many senior executives, being approached by a search firm is a familiar experience. For others, it is the first time. Either way, how you handle that conversation can shape your career long after the particular opportunity has passed.

Take the call

Even if you are content in your role, it is almost always worth a brief conversation. You will learn something about the market and about how you are perceived, and you will begin a relationship with someone who may be useful in the future. Saying "not now, but I would be glad to stay in touch" is a perfectly good answer.

Ask good questions

You are entitled to understand the opportunity before you commit to anything. Useful questions include:

• Why is the role open, and what happened to the previous incumbent?
• Who will I report to, and what is their view of the role?
• What does the board believe needs to change, and why?
• Where is the search in its process, and what is the timetable?
• Why have you approached me specifically?

A good consultant will answer these candidly, or explain clearly why they cannot yet.

“The best candidates interview us as carefully as we interview them.”

Protect your confidentiality

A reputable search firm will never share your name with a client without your explicit permission. Before you agree to go forward, confirm how your information will be used and who will see it. If you are approached about a role at a competitor or a client of your current employer, it is reasonable to ask how the firm will manage that sensitivity.

Be honest about your circumstances

If you are in the middle of a significant deal, have commitments to your current board, or would face long notice periods or restrictive covenants, say so early. These things can almost always be managed, but only if they are known.

If you decide to proceed

Prepare as carefully as you would for any important meeting. Read the annual report, understand the strategy, and think about what you would bring that the organisation currently lacks. Be yourself in interviews: the purpose of the process is to find the right fit for both sides, and pretending to be someone you are not serves neither.

If it does not work out

Most candidates who enter a search do not get the role. That is not a failure. Ask for feedback, thank the consultant for their time, and keep the relationship warm. The runner-up in one search is often exactly the right appointment in the next.