A headhunting agency is an organization that helps businesses hire specific roles. Using a network of professional headhunters, they search, screen, and interview candidates on behalf of their clients.
Unlike BPOs and staffing agencies that act as (expensive) middlemen, a headhunting company simply shortlists candidates and presents them to the client. Once the candidate is hired, the headhunter hands over the relationship, and the client can fully integrate the employee into the company.
Here at Shepherd, we specialize in hiring a wide variety of remote talents from the Philippines. To date, we’ve hired 1,000 Filipinos and connected them to US businesses in industries like real estate, marketing, logistics, and more.
Learn more: Why founders love working with remote Filipino staff
How much time does it take you to create a job description, post an ad, scour social media, review resumes, send out assessments, do a background check, and conduct an interview for a single candidate?
If your answer to that question is “way too much”, then using a headhunting agency like Shepherd might be a good fit for you.
A headhunter agency uses headhunters — or in our case, talent scouts — to do the heavy lifting: they screen, interview, and test candidates on your behalf. You don’t have to spend hours hunched over your desk, reviewing dozens of resumes. All you have to do is let us know what you’re hiring for, wait for at least a week, and then show up to interview the shortlisted candidates.
Posting on job boards is one way to attract talent, but it’s often a hit-or-miss. Job boards and marketplaces unfortunately don’t screen or vet candidates thoroughly. The skill ratings and competencies displayed on a job seeker’s profile are often self-reported, so there’s no way to tell if they’re legit unless you devote time to screen them.
With a headhunter agency, you’re assured that you only get candidates that:
There are different methods to vet candidates. Here at Shepherd, each candidate goes through the following stages:
Some roles require a more technical skills test, which we also conduct on behalf of the client. Overall, this screening process ensures that we only shortlist and present the best candidates to employers.
Some roles are simply hard to fill, which is why some businesses turn to headhunting services for help.
Instead of casting a wide net, headhunters specifically seek out individuals with the right skill set and qualifications. We tap into our existing database of talents and reach out to qualified folks instead of waiting for people to apply.
Headhunting services are especially helpful if you’re hiring for leadership roles, executive positions, or jobs in very specific niches. Here are some interesting roles we’ve hired for our clients over the past couple of years:
And yes — hiring remotely means you can save as much as 80% in hiring costs.
Learn more: How much can you save when you hire remotely?
Headhunting agencies only require a one-time finder’s fee for each candidate. Shepherd does take a small fee to kick off a project, but that’s fully refundable. This means that you’ll only pay us once we find you an excellent new hire.
Marketplaces and job boards allow you to post for free, but to make your job post visible to more applicants, these platforms encourage you to upgrade to a paid plan or spend money on ads. This can set you back anywhere between $70-$500+ per month, depending on:
If the role is hard to fill, for example, chances are you’d spend more to keep the ad running until you find the best person for the job.
BPOs and staffing agencies also charge recurring fees. Since they tack on their operational costs on top of the remote worker’s salary, you end up paying anywhere between $1500-$2000 per month. The downside is only a percentage of that amount goes to the actual remote worker.
Bottomline: if you don’t want to bother with monthly bills and ad budgets, a headhunting agency’s one-time fee might be a boon for your business.
Using headhunting services means nixing the middleman. After you pick a candidate, we hand the relationship over to you and you can then start onboarding your new assistant into your team. Without a staffing agency or BPO to act as a go-between, you’re free to fully integrate your new remote team member into your company.
This means:
Related: Learn to delegate like a pro with our free course, The Delegation Leap
Lastly, hiring through a headhunting company means working with employees who’ll likely stay in your company for a long time. Since the candidates are thoroughly screened and matched to your specific needs, you’re likely to collaborate better. They’ll have the knowledge, attitude, and skills that meet your expectations.
Jan Paul, one of our recent hires shares:
“Things are great with the client. So far, I love the work set up and it's amazing how flexible my schedule is. My direct supervisor is also approachable with concerns regarding work-overall it's been the best. Thank you so much for connecting me with them, it's a perfect fit indeed.”
Without a middleman, you’ll be able to offer more competitive rates as well.
96% of the employees hired through Shepherd stayed in the company for at least a year. But don’t take our word for it — here’s what some of our clients have to say:
If job boards, marketplaces, or social media referrals aren’t cutting it anymore, try using a headhunting service like Shepherd to hire top remote talent. By leveraging experienced headhunters, you’ll be able to save time and get the best candidates for the job. Tapping into the extensive Filipino talent pool also means you’ll be able to build a robust remote team at a fraction of the local cost.
Let us know about the positions you’re hiring for today and let’s build the remote team of your dreams.
Headhunting agencies are time and cost-effective. By leveraging a wide network of professional headhunters, you can save time and get candidates that match your needs. They can also help you hire highly-specialized roles without any recurring fees.
Shepherd is a headhunter agency for remote talent. We help our clients hire remote staff by screening, testing, and interviewing candidates on their behalf. Once a client hires from our list of candidates, we hand the relationship over to them. The client and employee can then start working together.
The client determines the salary of Support Shepherd hires. Depending on the level of skill and experience needed, this could range from $900-$1200. Salaries for highly technical or leadership roles can go beyond that, still at the client’s discretion.
We are a headhunter agency. Unlike BPOs or staffing agencies, we don’t manage remote staff. We simply find them for our clients.
We'll find you amazing remote employees in the Philippines.
