I have been working as an Executive Search Head Hunter in Jakarta since 2012. I also grew up in Jakarta as a teenager in the 1990’s.
This article presents some of my thoughts and opinions, having witnessed the local recruitment landscape evolve with time, as more “head hunters” set up shop…
And the proliferation of a pest “Fake Head Hunters in Jakarta“.
First of all – lets clarify, what is a Head Hunter?
Head Hunters play a critical role in the world of executive talent acquisition.
Their 3rd party recruitment services provide client companies instant & direct access to all potentially relevant senior talent for their executive job vacancy.
In essence, Head Hunters connect businesses to the top quality elite professionals that they need and want to hire.
Head Hunters allow corporations to quietly and discreetly target and recruit key talent from their competitors.
They enable client businesses to onboard the very best person possible for a Critical Hire of Value.
The Name “Head Hunter” Sums it up Beautifully!
They are “Hunters”, seeking out top tier executive talent for their client firms, targeting specific individuals that exactly match their clients hiring requirements – in terms of skillset, experience, leadership style, character.
Once identified, a Head Hunter quietly and discreetly approaches all targeted individuals to directly market their client business and the executive job vacancy.
A Head Hunter must be a skilled marketeer, able to excite happily employed passive candidates, get them interested and motivated to explore a clients job vacancy, to have an interview with their client.
Everything that a Head Hunter does… is with confidentiality at the top of mind, they work 100% behind the scenes, out of public view.
A Head Hunter must be a senior, experienced professional themselves, able to converse with leading industry professionals, knowledgeable about a clients industry, able to talk to candidates in their “industry language”.
Head Hunters must have great people skills, the ability to get senior candidates comfortable. They must be able to answer any question raised.
Ultimately, they are experts at guiding and navigating business leaders – both on the client and candidate side – through the complexities of an executive recruitment process.
A Head Hunters job is only complete once a client company has successfully recruited and onboarded a new executive hire, someone that can drive their business forward and generate corporate results.
A Head Hunters reputation is built on the quality and longevity of senior hires that they facilitate. They always aim to create long term working partnerships between a client business and an executive candidate, a relationship that spans many years to come.
Another title that is frequently used to describe the work of a Head Hunter is “Executive Search Consultant“.
Because once again, “Executive Search” summarises the job perfectly!
Each time a Head Hunter executes a new hiring assignment, they must perform deep and extensive “Executive Search”… to find the very best, most suitable executive candidates possible.
In a nutshell, a Head Hunters job is to Identify, Approach, Excite and Secure top class professional talent for their client companies.
But Not All “Head Hunters” are Built the Same…
Be Warned there is an Abundance of Fake Head Hunters in Jakarta
As a real McCoy Old School Head Hunter Agency, ProCapita lives and breathes Traditional Executive Search Headhunting.
Therefore, it frustrates us no end to see LinkedIn Job Ad Recruitment Agencies, which are designed for quick hiring at the Junior and Mid Level, refer to themselves locally as “Head Hunters”.
Which is just completely wrong.
I believe they don’t realise that they are totally misusing the title…
Because the recruitment market is still very immature locally.
From what I see, 99% of “Head Hunters in Jakarta”, are Not Head Hunters, they are just Normal Recruitment Agencies.
They do Not operate behind the scenes, they do Not identify, target and directly approach passive candidates, instead they simply issue Public Online Job Adverts and wait for Active Job Seeker Candidates to “Click Apply”.
Their “Head Hunters” are young fresh graduates embarking on their career.
Nothing that they do follows Traditional Headhunting Work Methodologies.
They are a great low cost recruitment solution for what they are designed to do – Volume, Junior Hiring…
Where speed and an “OK” candidate are the key focus points.
Where active job seeker candidates are more than enough.
They are Not elite corporate weapons fully optimised for senior executive search recruitment.
They are Not Head Hunters.
They are LinkedIn Job Advert Recruitment Agencies, regardless of the fancy “Head Hunter” title that they use to promote themselves.
Their low prices may appeal for senior recruitment… but you get what you pay for in life.
So if an average hire is all that you need, if you are happy to focus your candidate selection to Active Job Seeker Candidates alone, then great… they are ideal!
But if you actually need to recruit the “Best of the Best” for a Key Leadership Hire, well you absolutely need the services of a Real Head Hunter in Indonesia.
So in this Article I will share a magic 1 second rule, that will allow you to instantly identify a Real Head Hunter in Indonesia Vs what is actually just a LinkedIn Job Advert Recruitment Agency falsely promoting themselves as a Head Hunter.
I will also share a List of Real Head Hunters in Jakarta, companies that operate as Proper Old School Executive Search Head Hunter Agencies.
Because using a LinkedIn Job Ad Recruitment Agency for an important senior hire, to secure your Key Leadership Talent – work that requires a Real Head Hunter in Indonesia – will lead you down a long and painful path.
You will have an executive job vacancy that is left open for months and months on end, you will waste countless hours interviewing inappropriate Active Job Seeker Candidates…
You will suffer reputation damage – because senior candidates find it ridiculous when a business attempts to use cheap, tacky, $15 Online Job Ads to handle its key executive recruitment… it smells “desperate, low value”.
Ultimately, you will lose a lot of money due to the opportunity cost associated with long term vacancies and also a tarnished brand name.
I know all of this, because those companies then come to ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia… to fix their executive recruitment mess.
So How Do You Spot Real from Fake
In the world of Indonesia Head Hunting?
This is the magic 1 second rule that will allow you to instantly identify a Real Head Hunter in Jakarta Vs a Recruitment Agency falsely promoting themselves as a Head Hunter:
Anyone or Any Firm that Publicly Promotes Job Vacancies Online
Whether it be on LinkedIn, Job Board Portals or on its Website…
Is a Recruitment Agency.
They are Not a Head Hunter.
If you go to any country that has a mature, highly developed Head Hunter industry, such as the UK, Australia or the USA, you will see that No Head Hunter Agency / No Executive Search Agency ever markets it’s client job vacancies in Any Type of Public Forum.
Why? Because it simply isn’t Executive Search Head Hunting Etiquette or Work Methodology; Head Hunters always work quietly, in a highly targeted manner, confidentially, 100% Behind the Scenes.
Because you can Not hunt or attract elite senior… happily employed professionals… via cheap, tacky Online Job Ads…
They are busy working, not “Clicking Apply”.
Other Warning Signs of a Fake Head Hunter in Jakarta
Low Fees: A real Head Hunter Company in Indonesia will charge a recruitment fee of between 20-30% of a hired candidates 1st Year total cash compensation.
The work that they perform is incredibly specialist, complex, time consuming and “manual”.
Any “Head Hunter Firm” that charges super low fees in the 10-18% range… works as a Recruitment Agency.
Lack of Transparency: Another common red flag to watch out for when dealing with fake head hunter companies in Indonesia is lack of transparency.
Fake Head Hunters will not provide clear information about their services or how they work, they will be vague, have few proven success stories to share and evidence.
How to Protect Yourself From Fake Head Hunters in Jakarta
Research: Before engaging with a head hunter agency, research their reputation, candidate network access & client testimonials.
Don’t get blindsided by super cheap rates… If something is cheap there is a good reason!
Are they Legal: Ensure that any agency you use is registered and licensed to operate as a legitimate head hunter service provider in Indonesia.
Ask Questions: Clarify their recruitment process, their fees, their timeline for submitting qualified and interested candidates & hold them to account.
Do They Charge Candidates: There are so many horror stories in Indonesia about fake head hunters charging candidates to submit their CV to a company.
NO Real Head hunter ever charges a candidate, all fees are 100% paid by their client company.
Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off or too good to be true… chances are high it is! Trust your instincts and proceed with caution.
By being aware of the presence of fake head hunter companies in Jakarta and by taking proactive measures to verify the legitimacy of a potential agency, both companies and candidates can safeguard themselves against potential scams and unethical practices in the local recruitment industry.
Real Head Hunters in Indonesia:
The Best Executive Search Agencies
When it comes to selecting a head hunter agency in Indonesia, several factors come into play, including their industry knowledge, track record, expertise and the quality and depth of their executive talent network.
The following are legitimate, real Executive Search Head Hunter Agencies in Jakarta:
1) ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia
ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia is a highly regarded, well established, Indonesia focused, Head Hunter Agency.
They have been operating from Jakarta since 2014 and have completed 1,000+ Executive Hires.
ProCapita is a boutique, it is focused on quality over quantity, it provides a premium customer service.
They start to deliver the CV’s of Qualified and Interested Candidate’s within 7 days of commencing any Executive Search in Indonesia.
They are well known in the local market for their exceptional executive search skills and senior talent acquisition services.
They have earnt a strong reputation for successfully matching top-tier senior candidates to client job vacancies, across all major industry sectors and job functions.
As a business they are C Level Recruitment Experts but they work down to the Manager Level, assuming that minimum salary budget thresholds are met.
Their specialised knowledge allows them to provide tailored Indonesia Executive Search Solutions to meet the specific requirements of any client.
One key factor that sets ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia apart from other headhunter agencies in Jakarta is their commitment to building long-term working partnerships.
By taking the time to deeply understand the unique challenges and goals of each organisation that they serve, they are able to deliver highly personalised solutions that drive executive recruitment success.
ProCapita is led and managed by James Umpleby, a British national who has been leading Indonesia Executive Search Recruitment since 2010.
Prior to establishing ProCapita, James was a Senior Business Leader for Korn Ferry International, the worlds largest Retained Only Executive Search Head Hunter Firm, based in Jakarta and Singapore.
James’ mission is simple – to make Indonesia Executive Recruitment Simple.
ProCapita offers companies the expertise of senior, highly experienced Head Hunter Consultants that are masters of the art of Indonesia Executive Recruitment.
ProCapita’s Professional Network is the largest in Indonesia, standing at 450,000+ Candidates.
ProCapita believes in Action and Results. As such it provides Success Fee Only Head Hunter Services (Contingency).
2) Korn Ferry International
Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm that offers executive search head hunting, leadership development and other talent management solutions.
Korn Ferry has been operating in Indonesia since the 1990’s.
They have a team of highly experienced Head Hunters in Jakarta, professionals that specialise in various industries and functions.
Their Head Hunters come from professional corporate backgrounds and understand their industry of focus very well.
Korn Ferry offers Retained Only Head Hunting Services in Indonesia.
3) Egon Zehdner
Egon Zehnder is a global leadership advisory firm specializing in executive search head hunting, leadership development, and board consulting.
They have a team of highly experienced Head Hunters in Jakarta who work closely with their clients to identify and attract top talent in Indonesia.
Their Head Hunters come from professional corporate backgrounds and understand their industry of focus very well.
Egon Zehnder offers Retained Only Head Hunting Services in Indonesia.
Do You Need to Hire Senior Talent in Indonesia?
Please Contact ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia
We are Your Partner of Choice for Executive Recruitment Success;
Jakarta’s real McCoy Head Hunter Agency.
Check out our client and candidate reviews at the bottom of our Website Homepage.
To learn more about our Head Hunter Services and how our executive search consultants can help your organisation to find, attract and secure top tier talent, please Contact Us.
A Senior Executive Search Head Hunter will respond shortly.
While you are here, for businesses that are looking to make a Senior Appointment in Indonesia, please have a look at This Article which gives our overview about why so many companies in Indonesia Fail when they perform Executive Recruitment.
Similarly, please check out This Article which gives our Head Hunter Tips for how to successfully handle a C-Level Hire in Indonesia.
And if you want to read more about the BIG Differences between a Head Hunter Agency and a “Normal” LinkedIn Job Ad Recruitment Agency please have a look at This Article.
You can also View My Executive Recruiter Bio Here or connect with me on Linkedin.
