How it works
How our executive search works, and what it costs
Headhuntly is an executive search firm that headhunts rather than advertises. We charge 15% of the placed candidate's base salary plus super, plus an engagement fee, the placement fee on signed employment contract, the engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call. We work exclusively: one client, one role, complete focus. A typical search takes 3 to 6 weeks. If the person doesn’t work out during probation, we hunt again.
- Fee: 15% of the placed candidate's base salary plus super, plus an engagement fee, the placement fee on signed employment contract, the engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call.
- Timing: 3 to 6 weeks for a typical search.
- Track record: 50+ senior roles placed over the last five years. 14 of 29 clients have come back to hire again.
What does Headhuntly charge?
15% of your new hire's base salary plus super, paid when they sign their employment contract, plus an engagement fee paid upfront when the search starts, which we walk you through on the first call. Tell us about the role and we'll talk you through what that looks like for it.
What does exclusive mean?
One client, one role, complete focus. Your search gets our full attention from brief to signed contract.
How does a Headhuntly search work?
- Define three profiles. Your company, the role and the person. We define all three before we start.
- Sharpen the brief. Don’t have one yet? That’s normal. We’ll help you define the role, set the KPIs and build a 30, 60, 90 day performance framework before the hunt begins.
- Hunt. We identify exactly who you need and find them wherever they are.Based on the Gold Coast, hunting Australia-wide. If the right person is overseas, we’ll find them too.
- Make the case. Rarely is it just money. We find out what would actually move each person, and that only comes from a human conversation.
- Place. Your new hire signs their employment contract and the placement fee falls due.
How long does it take?
Anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. It depends on the complexity of the role and how sharp the brief is. Candidates want all the details and deliverables, so a precise brief makes for a faster, more targeted hunt.
What happens if the hire doesn’t work out?
If the placement doesn’t work out during the candidate’s probation period, we start the hunt again.
What’s the difference between headhunting and recruiting?
Recruiting is reactive. A job ad goes up, candidates apply, you pick from who shows up. Headhunting starts from the brief. We go after the people who fit it, and most of them aren’t looking.
| Recruiting | Headhunting | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you meet | People who apply | People who fit the brief, looking or not |
| How they’re found | Job ads | Identified and approached directly |
| Suits | Roles with plenty of active candidates | Senior, complex or confidential roles |
Not every role needs a headhunt. We’ll tell you if you’re better off advertising. The role guides cover when each makes sense, and the salary guide shows what our placements have paid.
What does C-suite recruitment involve?
A C-suite search, COO, CFO, CSO, CCO, General Manager and similar roles, carries more risk than a management-level one. There are fewer people who can do the job, most of them aren’t advertising themselves as available, and a bad hire at this level costs a lot more than a bad hire further down. That combination is why C-suite roles get headhunted rather than advertised: confidentiality matters (a public job ad for a CFO search tells the market a company is restructuring), and reaching the right person means approaching them directly, not waiting for an application.
Over the last five years we’ve placed 11 C-suite and general management roles, base salary $130K to $350K, median $195K. Based on Headhuntly placements over the last five years. Small sample, base salary only, not a market survey. Same fee and process as any other search: 15% of the placed candidate's base salary plus super, plus an engagement fee, the placement fee on signed employment contract, the engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call, typically 3 to 6 weeks.
Questions, answered
What is a headhunter?
A headhunter identifies a specific person who fits a role, whether or not they’re looking, and approaches them directly. That’s different from a recruiter, who advertises a role and works through who applies. Headhuntly headhunts, we don’t recruit.
How much does Headhuntly charge?
We charge 15% of the placed candidate's base salary plus super, plus an engagement fee, the placement fee on signed employment contract, the engagement fee upfront, which we walk you through on the first call. Tell us about the role and we’ll walk you through it.
When is the placement fee paid?
When your new hire signs their employment contract.
How long does a search take?
Anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. It depends on how complex the role is and how sharp the brief is. That’s why we spend time defining the role properly before we start.
What if the person doesn’t work out?
If the placement doesn’t work out during the candidate’s probation period, we start the hunt again.
What roles does Headhuntly hunt?
Senior marketing, digital, technology and C-suite leaders, the roles we’ve always placed, now with an AI layer in each. We also hunt new AI titles such as Chief AI Officer and AI Compliance Officer. We don’t place junior roles.
What is C-suite recruitment?
Finding a business’s most senior executives, COO, CFO, CSO, CCO, General Manager and similar roles, where the stakes, confidentiality and cost of a wrong hire are all higher than for management-level roles. Headhuntly runs these as headhunts, not job ads, for exactly that reason.
Have a role to fill?
Tell us about the role. We’ll tell you straight whether it needs a headhunt, and what the search would look like.