Guide to Executive Recruiters and Headhunters

Define your needs

Take the time to carefully define who you need before you start looking.

I recommend: Consult the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics' handy rundown of responsibilities associated with each executive's role. Review sample executive job descriptions at HR.BLR.com. Review some common hiring mistakes on Chally International's Web site. And visit online job sites — for instance, The Wall Street Journal's CareerJournal site, which posts professional and executive-level positions — to see how your colleagues and competitors are defining their executive roles.

Find an executive recruiter

In most markets you'll have plenty of recruiters to choose among, and their business has slacked off in recent years. You can afford to be choosy.

I recommend: Start with the members directory of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), which helps ensure a quality membership by promoting a code of ethics and conduct. Search the Career Portal Online Recruiters Directory, which enables you to find recruiters by industry, type (contingency or retained), and keyword, or check out SearchFirm.com. The Lucas Group offers tips for choosing a recruiter (one key: ask if the recruiter who will be assigned to you has searched for similar positions in your industry before).

Explore other recruiting options

Assuming you're not completely sold on hiring a recruiter, here are other options to explore.

I recommend: It's likely you already know about Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, the two largest online job sites. Even if you decide not to use them, they both offer a trove of free information to help you define your needs and select the best candidates. Check out the Web sites of your industry's professional and trade associations, which often have targeted job postings.