Not Necessarily What You Think : Comparing Candidates’ Expectations and Perceptions for Executive Recruiters

While the importance in the labor market of executive recruiters, or headhunters, is well documented, there is a glaring gap in the literature regarding the relationship between headhunters and candidates. This relationship has been framed around the point of view of executive recruiters and their concerns. In this article, we outline theory to explain differences in expectations and experiences concerning the relationship that candidates may expect or perceive when interacting with executive search firms. To assess our predictions, we surveyed 295 individuals from a professional online network. Our findings indicate significant differences in both relationship expectations and perceptions depending on whether candidates were contacted or not contacted by executive recruiters to engage in potential employment opportunities. Importantly, we found specific relational themes between executive recruiters and prospective candidates, such that contacted candidates expressed more transitional relationships with recruiters, while non-contacted candidates seldom expected these types of relationships