Recruitment consultants and headhunters

What's the difference in Spain?

Recruitment consultants and headhunters

When a candidate receives a call offering them a job interview, they usually think the person calling is a headhunter. But in the Spanish job market there are many different agents offering recruitment services – and not all of them are headhunters.

There are some clear differences that need to be taken into account in order to put yourself in a good position in the Spanish job market:

  • Recruitment or HR consultants generally post adverts for their vacant position. These adverts usually contain information about the company sector, the name of the person in charge, the roles and responsibilities of the job and the requirements for the successful candidate (training, education, languages, experience, etc.).
  • Headhunters don't publish adverts. They work in what is known is known as the “hidden market”.
  • Headhunting companies don't work for the candidates. It's the recruiting companies that pay their fees.
  • One difference between Spain and other European countries is that in Spain, headhunters don't look for work for their candidates. They usually only contact a candidate when they have a client looking for someone with their skills and experience.
  • Recruitment consultants generally focus on technical and middle-management positions, while headhunters generally make their living by placing top-level candidates.

Entrenando tu Talento can prepare you for a successful interview with any type of recruitment professional.

This article was written by Marta Díaz Barrera.

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Other comments

  • Luis, 31 August 2012 Reply

    A list of Spanish members of the AESC

    The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) is the worldwide professional association for the retained executive search and leadership consulting industry. The AESC promotes the highest professional standards in retained executive search and leadership consulting through its industry recognized Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Guidelines.

    The list of Spanish members can be found here: https://www.bluesteps.com/executivesearchinformation/Espana-Spain.aspx

    Saludos,