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Permalink Reply by John Goodman on November 18, 2008 at 5:06pm

If your intent is to do something unethical AFTER you get past the gate keeper then yes, you are acting unethically. As recruiters we are presenting opportunities to candidates that they will either perceive as possibly better than their current situation or not, in which case hopefully they can recommend someone else for the position we're trying to fill. If a company is providing an environment where the employees are for the most part happy then the company has little to fear from recruiters. If on the other hand the employer has a toxic, non-competitive, or for some other reason, negative environment then we are possibly offering alternatives that the candidate is free to pursue or not. One of the only ways we could be acting unethically in this situation would be not presenting an honest representation of our client to the potential candidate, and if we need to misrepresent our client we need to ask ourselves "Is this a client I want to represent?".

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Permalink Reply by Alex Austin on November 18, 2008 at 5:10pm

Yes, headhunting in its purest and most honest form is ethical. I've never understood why one associates headhunting with lying. I do not believe that headhunting requires lying. No way. If the "gatekeeper" asks who I am and why I'm calling I tell the truth. No lies, no ruse, simply the truth. That said, if I'm blocked, I'll find another way to my target that does not require a compromise of ethics, and...I will reach the individual. Always have.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Terretti on November 18, 2008 at 5:12pm

If the headhunter is successful, then something is not right or satisfying in the company where we recruit our candidate. Most passive candidates are too busy "making a living" to make a change on their own. Let's face it humans need to be wanted and like being pursued.

We make organisations better by allowing Candidates’ careers to grow at the same time.
We don’t coerce people into roles that aren’t right for them. So when we do place someone our conscience should be clear. We positively impact peoples lives daily.

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Permalink Reply by bill josephson on November 18, 2008 at 5:13pm

Clearly we're "breaking into" companies trying to purposely entice their best people away for a fee. The answer to this question is personal and subjective as to how one regards the Headhunting process.

If one's focus is it harms companies they'll unlikely be able to personally justify their actions likely feeling it's unethical. If one's focus is it gives people an option to better themselves hearing about other opportunities, then it's likely they'd see it as ethical.

I'm a Jew and been recruiting/sourcing for 29 years. Knowing no company wants to be recruited from always makes me queasy while doing so. I still feel awful when calling an unhappy to be called prospect or threatened with legal action when discovered. I still feel great when I've made a quality connection or placed a person happy that I found them. As long as recruiting remains legal I'm on the ethical side.

Just my two cents.

Bill Josephson

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Permalink Reply by MAGGIE on November 18, 2008 at 5:14pm

Ive been recruiting for 5 years - andhave never used these unethical techniques.

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Permalink Reply by Todd Noebel on November 18, 2008 at 5:38pm

You're asking 2 different questions. In response to the title and closing question as to whether or not headhunting is ethical, the answer is yes, it is. Just as applying for another job while you are currently employed is ethical.

Does someone question their morals when they "lie through their teeth"? My off the cuff remark is that the question, if truly internally asked, was answered as soon as they began to lie. The difficulty that I have with your question is the lack of clarity and specificity. Am I splitting hairs? Picking a nit? Yes. But then, so does your question. There is far too much information and context absent in your question to offer a very viable response.

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Permalink Reply by Bernard Kelly on November 18, 2008 at 6:13pm

Paul - I think your question is not related to the profession of headhunting at all - it can be applied to any job: "is lying to achieve the goals in your job ethical?". The answer to that question is "no". How can you start a proper, long-lasting relationship (in this case with a potential candidate or even a client) based on a lie - pretty difficult I would say.

The profession of headhunting is essentially ethical - it is how you do it (or any other job) that will determine whether you are ethical. Ask any investment banker! (sorry, cheap shot)

As to the "faith" factor - the question of ethics is not limited to a person with "faith" - it comes down to what your values and beliefs are (irrespective of your religion or lack thereof). The sooner the world recognises a person's fundamental beliefs and values are actually more imprtant than their religious "brand", the better we all will be - a lot of nasty things have been done over the centuries in the name of religion (and are still being done, whether it is improperly invading other countries or a suicide bombing). Sorry, I got a little off track there...

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Permalink Reply by David White on November 18, 2008 at 6:26pm

I’m tempted to dump all over this question – before becoming a financial and legal recruiter in Chicago, I spent 30 years in advertising as a copywriter (financial, pharma and consumer) – so I can be reeeely critical of mushy writing and thinking; with all due respect, the question is mushy.

But it is interesting to ponder what tactics are ethical or appropriate or fair in recruiting.

As recruiters, we’re paid to perform a service just like the people who perform executions in prisons. If you direct your life using a religious compass, and I realize a lot people do, you can’t do either job; thou shall not kill, thou shall not bear false witness, right? (BTW: Shouldn’t Christian be capitalized?)

I think the question can be tightened up by asking at what point are tactics unfair or inappropriate or harmful and I believe the answer could be based on the Golden Rule (also knows as the Mom Rule, the “How would you like it if someone did that to you?” rule).

Business and professional people know recruiters exist and that we make money by tempting those individuals with offers. The people who support those individuals know that too. Whole industries such as LindedIn and FaceBook and Spoke and who-knows-what-else exist to help people to make connections – and connections is our business. So telling a fib to a person in order to get information is just another tactic (in this case, out-smarting someone) used to reach a goal. Was any harm done? Don’t think so.

I don’t worry about being unethical because I’ll lose my job and my credibility if I am. I do worry about being out-smarted and out-maneuvered, neither are ethical issues. Besides, the recruiting industry (ASA) and the government have standards we have to follow, or at least be aware of (right, so we can break them).

Now let me be really base: Recruiters are sometimes called flesh peddlers – you know business pimps. When we’re trying to develop new business, we usually present our business credentials and one or more attractive candidates. Once we get a new client, we then become pimps for the company and try to lure likely candidates into their fold. And we get paid for that, just like Sidney Barrows Biddle, the Mayflower Madam.

We’re procurers, we’re pimps. Get over it. Don’t take yourself too seriously but do take your job and your clients and your candidates very seriously because they help you put food on the table. That’s why we do what we do. Personally, I love recruiting and I look forward each day going to work, frustrating as it can be.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Levy on November 18, 2008 at 7:45pm

and RBC finally "grows up" and becomes the the new bully pulpit...

KarenM / Hirecentrix.com said:

My thoughts...

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Permalink Reply by Will Branning on November 18, 2008 at 8:27pm

It is an interesting question. At the end of the day I ask myself if I did "lie" to anyone. For me I try to use the approach of asking for a specific personand telling the gatekeeper that I want to talk with them about a "technical issue." And this is the truth... my recruiting is for technology professionals!

If I have lied, I confess it to God, receive His forgiveness & move on. Thankfully, as a Christian I believe my God forgives me - this is a true blessing!

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Permalink Reply by Julia Stone on November 18, 2008 at 8:58pm

I find it fascinating that you have predesginated morals only to those of a faith based background without even making it the topic of your discussion.

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Permalink Reply by Al Siano on November 18, 2008 at 9:31pm

First question; are we harming anyone? If the answer is yes, stop causing harm and be ethical. Recruiters, who are unethical or just very irritating, get caught and the world is smaller than ever. Plus, we have to get though our days, is emotionally intelligent to be ethical, it just is more rewarding and feels good.

Second question; as a recruiter if someone thinks or feels we have to lie they don't know enough about recruiting tact. We have other options - keep an open mind, keep learning more. More is accomplished with trust and honesty - really, people who trust will want to you help you and that is an absolute truth. By the way, often a better way to find out who our target is in a company we need to build a decision tree in is through a candidate who has worked in or is working in the target organization. Build a rapport with insiders, some may be surprised how secrets become known to us and we become referred.

Third question; should we refuse to do things we feel are unethical? Let me suggest an answer - Absolutely! Good recruiters are talented professional people who should make good such choices even if they are hard to make. Then have pride in moving on. We can not become top-notch if our processes are based upon a need to be unethical - it is simply dumb in the long term. If you are reading this, chances are you are not a dummy. Your career should not be based upon a series of things you are NOT proud of! There might even be some bosses or employers we should walk away from as they are not raising us up, but holding us down.

This question simply underlines a problem we have in our industry with newcomers espeically who are not given quality direction or training to get results the right way. The top recruiters who are sought after to build rapport and have high level clients because they can navigate and execute better than most when recruiting. Typically they have amazing relationships at the top because they have done well along the way. We help to build companies and careers - powerful stuff. These top performers are most satisfied in their work as executive recruiters. Most of these top-performers will tell you they are ethical and that they must be.

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