I think it will be interesting to share the results of the survey that was carried out in November 2023 in the Headhunter Spain Group on Linkedin, a group that already has more than 15,550 members.
The topic of the survey was:
“Is it normal for a HEADHUNTER to call the company where you work to contact you, obviously without giving you away or compromising your work?”
The survey received a total of 3,819 impressions.
The results were the following:
- 52% of the participants answered YES: it is normal, it is their job. These people believe that headhunters have to use all possible means to find the best candidates, and that there is nothing wrong with them calling the candidate's current company, as long as they do so with discretion and respect.
- 16% of the participants answered NO: I would tell it to my boss. These people believe that headhunters who call the candidate's current company are unprofessional and unethical, and that they put the candidate's employment relationship with their employer at risk. Therefore, they would not hesitate to inform their boss of the call received and reject any offer.
- 32% of the participants answered NO: but I would not say anything to the boss. These people also do not approve of the practice of headhunters calling the candidate's current company, but prefer to keep it a secret and not cause problems. However, they could be interested in the offer if it is attractive to them.
The result shows that there is a division of opinion about the normality and acceptability of headhunters calling the candidate's current company.
The majority of participants see it as something normal and part of the job of headhunters, more than 84% could be interested in the offer, but there is also a part, 16%, who reject it and consider it a lack of respect.
