Thanks for your comment, but you’ll hardly be surprised that I don’t go along with you, although I can see your point. The reasons I think I should offer a guarantee are:

1. I wouldn’t have confidence in any brand that wasn’t prepared to stand by their work.

2. In the UK headhunters have acquired a reputation for being costly and slow. If I can differentiate our service and demonstrate some level of commitment to the client, then I may stand a better chance of getting the sale.

3. The business risk is low. I have only delivered on a guarantee once, and still have that client giving me repeat business.

4. The offset to the guarantee is, to some extent, set in the form of the retainer fee we invoice at the front end of any assignment. This is an investment the client makes in advance, and it’s simply good practice to make some level of commitment in return.

5. I grant you that the client brief is absolutely critical, but having the guarantee also gives me a tool to say to a client who wants to rush the brief, “Look, I’m giving you a guarantee here, but to make that work, I have to have a tight brief for the job you’re looking to fill. If we can get that sorted from the outset, that improves the chance you’ll get the person you need, and I won’t have to deliver on the guarantee”.

The guarantee is simply good business practice and helps us differentiate ourselves from our competitors. There are other tools we can use, but my experience is that I have sold more business with a guarantee than if it wasn’t provided.

Thanks for your feedback. You made me think for a while, but I am now more firmly set that this is the right way to go.

Regards
Martin

Its interesting to know your views.

I’m a headhunter myself and I strongly disagree with you.

Sure, the headhunter should be sure of their work and be totally convinced that the person they are advising the client to hire is the right fit.

However, are we assuming here that the hiring authority has no say/opinion on the person they are taking on board? I haven’t come across a client who blindly hires a candidate which the headhunter refers!

Its ultimately the call of the client and by all means, they should demand more options from the headhunter if need be.

Then why should the headhunter ALONE take the guarantee of the candidate working out with the organization?

Its a not a matter of a guarantee of 6 or 12 or 24 months. Its about sharing responsibility between the client and the headhunter. The clearer the brief given to the headhunter (and likewise, the more clarity the headhunter demands of the position), the lesser are the chances of the search going awry.

Hope you appreciate my perspective.

Thanks-
Manmeet

I am after some advice as to what would be an expected head hunter fee for an annual salary of approximately £35k ifor a design consultant within the construction industry.

I require this information as I am in the process of writting my final year dissertation on the effects of good office lighting. One of those effects would hopefully see a reduction in staff turnover, I hope to be able to link a saving in headhunter / recruitment fees if turnover were reduced to the build cost of a new lighting system.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards

Andrew Selwood

thanks for the question.

No the franchisees do not need to be sports trained – they will develop and manage their own sports coaches for the hands on work. Sales and Management ability is a must though – as is an ability to get on with all levels of people – including children.

Certainly it is a “business in a box” and the company will provide full back up resource, including training and advice on all aspects of the business.

Successful franchisees can expect a return of £100,000 – £200,000.

I have all the details, and anyone considering the business is welcome to call me or email me.

(cp@samheadhunting.com / 07778 353203)