Headhunters: Matchmaking in the Labor Market

by James E. Coverdill and William Finlay

Book Overview

Headhunters--third-party agents paid a fee by companies for locating job candidates--perform a unique sales role. The product they sell is people, matching candidates with jobs and companies with candidates. Headhunters affect the professional lives of thousands of employees every day, and their work has a profound, though hidden, effect on the employment picture in the United States. William Finlay and James E. Coverdill draw on interviews with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801473799
• ISBN13: 9780801473791
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

headhunting in the labore market

It is amazing book. what is there writen it sounds like bible for recruiters!!!))) All info will be given into the heads to all my consultants asap)) Lubos

Very interesting read, even if repetetive on the main theme

I found the book to be full of useful material. Although sometimes one has climb around the author's ego, this will be one of the books that I re-read every few months.

Best comprehensive headhunting book for headhunters

I have been working in this field for 25 years, and read most of the major books. Although I am a big fan of Bill Radin, this book blew me away. Perhaps it's social science orientation rather than "war stories" that you find in other books of this ilk. True, as another reviewer says it does not have a major web focus, but the web is a tool and more for HR than headhunters. Companies don't pay 5, and occasionally, 6 figure fees for what they can get off of a $500 ad on Careerbuilder or Monster.com. The data doesn't lie. Anyone that wants to start, improve, or reach their peak in this often misunderstood profession should definitely read this book. It's a fairly quick read, but it tells you what you need to do to be a successful headhunter via in depth surveys of successful practitioners.

Excellent overview of how headhunters work, but in mind 90's

As a novice in the recruiting/headhunting industry doing research for a business plan, I found this book to be very informative. It has input from a lot of real time headhunters, so you get to understand how they work on an industry level and on a day to day basis. However, in spite of vast research the authors have put into this book, most of the research was carried out in mid nineties (although the book was published in 2002) so the word "internet" comes up only twice (or a few times) in the book. One gets an impression that the resume/candidate database is one of the most important assets for a headhunter, but I wonder to what extent that is relevant given that a few resume databases such as monster, careerbuilder, hotjobs (some of these sites are mentioned only once or not at all) will give anyone access to a greater number of resumes' than someone who has been in this business for a long time and relies on the resume's in their own database. But, is in any industry, certain things always remain the same, even with the influence of the internet, and this book does a great job of shedding light on how headhunters work in the marketplace.

A Must Read For All Headhunters

This book is really excellent. The authors have captured the essence of what it is to be a headhunter. Absolutely accurate. A must read for all headhunters, corporate recruiters, employers and employment professionals. This book is filled with perceptive insights, analysis and conclusions that accurately portray how and why headhunters do what they do. Headhunters, as well as people who use headhunters, will benefit greatly from this information. After reading this book you will know more about headhunting than many headhunters themselves.