Headhunter Indonesia: Top 10 Companies
[2025 Market Guide]

Headhunter Indonesia: Top 10 Companies [2025 Market Guide]

If you just searched β€œheadhunter Indonesia” or β€œheadhunter companies Indonesia” β€” great, you’re exactly where you need to be.

In this article, we reveal our definitive 2025 list of the top 10 headhunter companies in Indonesia β€” genuine executive search firms that specialize in senior-level recruitment.

These companies have earned their spot through proven executive search methodology, long-term market performance, and deep authentic headhunting expertise.

But before we get to the list, we also share some key insights to help you better understand Indonesia’s headhunting landscape β€” including:

  • Why so many google results for “headhunter Indonesia” and “headhunter company Indonesia” are utterly misleading
  • How to easily identify recruitment agencies in Jakarta falsely using the title “headhunter”
  • And our expert advice to help you choose the right headhunting firm for your business

Whether you’re a business leader or HR professional looking to recruit for a critical leadership position β€” or someone that wants to learn more about the local headhunting industry and its key players β€” this guide will give you the clarity you need.

Right, let’s dive in.

Headhunter Indonesia vs Recruitment Agency: What’s the Difference?

The recruitment industry loves jargon!

But ultimately, there are only two main types of third-party recruitment business in Indonesia:

1) Headhunter companies β€” also known as executive search firms, executive recruitment agencies, or executive recruitment firms

And

2) Recruitment agencies β€” also known as recruitment firms, general recruiters, or recruitment consultants.

The difference between these two types of “recruitment business” β€” and how they operate β€” is substantial, especially when you’re hiring for senior-level or strategic leadership roles.

Headhunter Company β€” Quick Overview

They conduct discreet, confidential, and highly targeted executive searches β€” identifying and directly contacting all potentially relevant high-caliber senior professionals for each assignment.

They never use online job advertising.

Instead, they leverage comprehensive executive networks, built over years of industry experience, giving them direct access to all top-tier leadership talent.

Headhunters specialize in proactively engaging passive candidates: high-performing senior professionals who are already thriving in their careers and not actively looking for new opportunities online.

Recruitment Agency β€” Quick Overview

Recruitment agencies, by contrast, focus on filling a high volume of positions at the mid and junior level.

They typically rely on online job adverts β€” via job boards or social media β€” to attract active job seekers and also draw candidates from a pre-existing CV database, before submitting qualified profiles to their client.

This approach can be fast, but it’s centered on active job seeker candidates, not employed, passive professionals who often outperform their peers β€” these individuals aren’t browsing job boards or applying online.

In Indonesia, recruitment agencies are best suited for job vacancies with a salary budget between IDR 10 million and IDR 40 million gross per month.

Summary Table: Key Differences Between Headhunters & Recruitment Agencies

Headhunter companyRecruitment Agency
Critical senior roles such as C-level, Director, GM, Senior Manager & niche positionsHigh volume hiring at the Mid & Junior level
Directly targets all potentially relevant, employed passive candidates β€” proven high performersFocused on active job seeker applications
Conducts confidential, direct outreach. Never uses online job adsPublicly advertises job vacancies online
Has a fully comprehensive professional network. Performs deep talent pool mapping for each assignment, manually builds candidate long-listsUses pre-existing candidate CV databases
Focuses on precision and the best hire possibleFocuses on speed
Used for executive roles with a salary budget:

Exceeding IDR 40 million gross per month
Used for job vacancies with a salary budget:

Between IDR 10 million and IDR 40 million gross per month

Warning: Most “Top 10 Headhunter Indonesia” Lists Get It So Wrong

They feature recruitment agencies focused on volume hiring at the mid and junior-level, outsourcing vendors, manpower suppliers, payroll service providers, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) firms, corporate secretarial companies, and even job board portals.

These listings show up in Google search results because of search engine optimized blog posts that have been written to attract clicks β€” not to provide accurate guidance.

This widespread mislabeling creates a lot of confusion in Indonesia about what a real headhunter firm is β€” and what executive search truly involves.

How to Spot a Recruitment Agency in Indonesia Falsely Calling Itself β€œHeadhunter”

1. They Use Online Job Adverts

Recruitment agencies rely on online job board advertising to attract active job seeker applicants.

In Indonesia, they use platforms such as JobStreet, Indeed, Kalibrr, or LinkedIn.


2. Submit Many Candidates Who Are Actively Applying Elsewhere

Because recruitment agencies use online job ads, most of the candidates they submit are active job seekers β€” often interviewing with multiple companies at the same time.

If you’re seeing a lot of candidates who are actively applying to many firms, you’re likely working with a recruitment agency.


3. Rely on Internal CV Databases

Recruitment agencies are designed for speed and volume β€” they often pull candidates from an existing CV database to find individuals who are immediately available.

Their goal is to quickly fill mid or junior-level roles with β€œan OK candidate now.”

  • Use deep research to identify all top talent in the market
  • Tap into extensive professional networks, not CV banks
  • Map out competitor firms to uncover all potential target candidates
  • Directly approach each person individually and confidentially

4. No Mention of Direct Outreach or Passive Candidate Engagement

If the recruiting firm doesn’t talk about direct outreach, talent pool mapping, or passive candidate engagement, it’s not a headhunter.

Because recruitment agencies don’t use these methods β€” they rely on job adverts and CV databases.

Only genuine headhunters invest time and resources mapping out the talent pool, collecting contact details for all top performers, and personally reaching out to each candidate one by one.


5. Their Website Lists Job Vacancies and Heavily Promotes CV Submission

Recruitment agency websites typically feature dozens of job listings and buttons prompting candidates to β€œapply now”.

Their goal is to attract active job seekers through all available online channels β€” including their corporate website.

Authentic headhunters? They never post job vacancies publicly β€” that includes on their website.


6. Charge 10–17% of Annual Income as Their Recruitment Fee

Any firm calling itself a “headhunter” while charging 10–17% of a candidate’s first-year salary as their recruitment fee, is a recruitment agency misusing the title “headhunter”.

  • Months of discreet search work
  • A dedicated in-house research team
  • Senior consultants who understand your industry
  • The ability to engage and excite elite leadership talent that is not actively seeking a new role

Recruitment agencies play an important role β€” and they’re very effective when you need to hire quickly, at a lower cost, for mid-level or junior roles where β€œgood enough” is acceptable.

But when you’re hiring for senior-level, business-critical, or strategic leadership positions β€” where the goal is to recruit the best person possible β€” you need the services of a real-deal headhunter company.

Why So Many Recruitment Agencies in Jakarta Misuse the Term β€œHeadhunter”

Why So Many Recruitment Agencies in Jakarta Misuse the Term β€œHeadhunter”

Ultimately, in Indonesia, the term β€œheadhunter” is still often misunderstood β€” and as such frequently misused.

Unlike in more mature markets such as Europe, the United States, or Australia, where the β€œheadhunting” industry has existed for 50+ years and refers strictly to senior-level, proactive executive search β€” the recruitment landscape in Indonesia is still very much in its development phase.

Since then, the term “headhunter” has caught on and gone mainstream β€” and now it seems that anyone who handles recruitment… of any variety β€” refers to themselves as a “headhunter”.

Many “general recruiters” working for recruitment agencies in Jakarta β€” or for manpower staffing firms β€” incorrectly label themselves β€œheadhunter”, even though their recruitment process primarily involves posting online job ads and screening active job seeker applicants.

This usually isn’t done out of malice β€” it’s simply because they don’t fully understand what a headhunter company actually is, or how it fundamentally differs from a standard recruitment agency.

This widespread mislabeling generates a lot of confusion in the market, for both clients and candidates.

The fact is, headhunting is a highly specialized subset within the broader “recruitment industry” β€” one that involves:

  • Only targeting relevant high-level professionals
    β€” C-Level, Directors, GM, down to Senior Manager level
  • Using proactive, direct, discreet, research-driven outreach to contact all candidates
    β€” never using online job board advertising

Unfortunately, because the Indonesian recruitment market is still relatively immature, many firms blur these lines, incorrectly calling themselves “headhunter” β€” either out of misunderstanding or simply to appear more sophisticated.

  • Whether the recruitment firm uses dedicated headhunting methods
  • Whether they specialize in senior-level roles
  • And whether their consultants are true executive search professionals, not just CV screeners

LIST: Top 10 Headhunter Companies in Indonesia (2025) β€” for Senior-Level Recruitment

Recruiting high caliber senior professionals in Indonesia is hard-work, it requires a lot more than quick-fired online job ads.

Because online job ads limit you to active job seeker talent β€” they do not help you access and attract top-tier employed passive candidates.

If you need to hire the best person possible β€” it requires precision focused proactive headhunting methodologies;

Below are ten of the most credible and proven headhunter companies operating in Indonesia in 2025 β€” real-deal executive search firms with a strong track record, companies that excel in senior-level recruitment.


1. ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia

Homepage of ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia – a leading headhunter company in Jakarta (June 2025)

Operating since 2014, ProCapita has successfully completed 1,000+ executive level hires. They headhunt across all industry sectors and job functions, throughout the Indonesian archipelago.

Over the years, with the support of its in-house research team, ProCapita has built a fully comprehensive senior candidate network, which includes 450,000+ executives and ensures quick access to all relevant talent.

ProCapita helps companies recruit elite talent for C-level and leadership positions – such as Country Head, Head of Sales, CFO, CCO, COO, CHRO, Director, GM, VP etc. – down to managerial roles.

By combining world-class executive search methodologies with a team of highly experienced bilingual consultants, ProCapita has become a go-to firm for any company seeking to hire high-impact senior talent in Indonesia.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Success-fee-only
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Deep experience across all industries & job functions, throughout Indonesia
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: C-level & leadership roles down to the Manager level
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Focused exclusively on executive headhunting


2. Korn Ferry Indonesia

Korn Ferry Indonesia website homepage (June 2025)

Korn Ferry, a highly regarded global executive headhunting and leadership consulting firm, has a long history in Indonesia.

They have been operating on-shore from their Jakarta office since the mid-1990’s.

Their team of senior consultants specializes in Board and C-Suite recruitment, organizational strategy, and leadership assessment.

Their core industry coverage includes the Industrial, Consumer, Life Sciences, and Technology sectors.

As a global executive search firm, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Korn Ferry operates a retained only executive search business model.

This means that clients pay a sizeable engagement fee upfront, at the start of a candidate search, and also in the middle of the process, regardless of whether a hire is made.

While more traditional, this approach suits various large corporations seeking deep market mapping documentation and succession planning exercises.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Industrial, Consumer, Life Sciences, and Technology
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: C-Suite, Board-level, organizational leadership
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Leadership consulting, organization strategy, assessment & succession


3. Egon Zehnder Indonesia

Egon Zehnder Indonesia website homepage (June 2025)

Egon Zehnder is another top-tier global executive search firm that has a long history in the Indonesian market.

Like Korn Ferry, they have been operating from Jakarta since the 1990’s.

Known for working with multinational companies, conglomerates, and large local groups, they specialize in CEO succession, Board appointments, and headhunting for senior leadership positions.

Like most global headhunters, they work on a retained only basis, meaning that clients pay a large element of the forecasted recruitment fee up-front, at the commencement of an executive search process.

Egon Zehnder Indonesia has 8 consultants that cover the following key industry sectors: financial services, telecom, agriculture, natural resources, mining, and consumer.

Alongside executive search, Egon Zehnder also provides leadership development and talent consulting services.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Financial services, telecoms, natural resources, and consumer
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: C-Level, Board, and strategic leadership roles
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Leadership consulting, organization strategy, succession planning


4. Pedersen & Partners Indonesia

Pedersen & Partners Indonesia website homepage (June 2025)

Pedersen & Partners is an international executive headhunting firm with offices in over 50 countries.

Their Jakarta office has been operating since 2012.

They offer retained headhunting services for the Indonesia market, requiring companies to pay an upfront engagement fee, and they utilize strong research-led methodologies to identify high caliber candidates.

Their Jakarta office focuses on senior and leadership-level hiring across industry sectors including FMCG, industrial and natural resources.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: FMCG, Industrial, Food & Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas, Textiles
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: C-Suite, functional leadership
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Leadership consulting, board level advisory services


5. Boyden Indonesia

Boyden Indonesia website homepage (June 2025)

Boyden is a global executive search and talent advisory firm with 75 offices spread across the world.

They have a dedicated Indonesia presence and have been operating on-shore from Jakarta since 2012.

Their team specializes in headhunting for C-level down to mid-level positions, they work on a retained basis and often engage with fast-growth companies, family businesses, and multinational corporates.

Boyden also offers interim management services.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Covers all sectors
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: Mid to Senior leadership roles
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Interim management, leadership consulting


6. Mandate Executive Search

Mandate Executive Search website homepage (June 2025)

A Jakarta-based boutique executive search firm, Mandate commenced operations in 2009.

Mandate Executive Search focuses primarily on assisting financial service firms, including banks, fintech platforms, asset management businesses, and insurance companies.

They offer retained search for leadership roles within both local and multinational financial institutions.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Financial services
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: Mid to Senior leadership roles
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Focused on executive headhunting


7. Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles website homepage (June 2025)

Heidrick & Struggles is a globally recognized brand in executive search headhunting and leadership consulting.

While they don’t have a physical office in Indonesia, they offer retained executive search services for the Indonesian market that are led and executed by their Singapore regional hub.

They headhunt for Board and C-level positions, particularly for regional or global mandates where Indonesia is part of a wider APAC scope.

πŸ”Ή Location: Singapore
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Consumer, Healthcare, Technology, Industrial
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: Board & C-level roles
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Organization & culture consulting, leadership planning, coaching


8. Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart website homepage (June 2025)

Spencer Stuart is one of the world’s most prestigious retained search firms.

Similar to Heidrick & Struggles, they do not have a dedicated Indonesia office and serve Indonesia focused clients from their Singapore regional hub.

They perform CEO, CFO, and Board level searches for Fortune 500 and large regional firms.

Their strength lies in deep boardroom-level advisory and succession planning.

πŸ”Ή Location: Singapore
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Retainer
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: Technology, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: C-level and Board room hiring
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Board and leadership consulting, assessment, talent advisory


9. PT Headhunter Indonesia

PT Headhunter Indonesia website homepage (June 2025)

PT Headhunter Indonesia, with offices in Jakarta and Surabaya, is a locally owned and managed HR consulting firm that offers executive recruitment services alongside other consulting services.

They commenced operations in 2009.

PT. Headhunter Indonesia provides headhunting services for a wide range of industries and specializes in mid-to-senior level hiring, particularly for local corporations and family-owned businesses.

Their consultants combine local market understanding with targeted search capabilities.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta & Surabaya
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Flexible
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: They work across sectors
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: Manager to C-Level roles
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Employer branding, recruitment process optimization consulting

10. Jakarta Executive Search (“JES Consulting”)

Jakarta Executive Search ("JES Consulting) website homepage (June 2025)

Jakarta Executive Search (or “JES Consulting”) is a locally-managed executive search firm based in Jakarta. It has been operating for over 15 years.

They focus on senior recruitment for Indonesian companies and multinationals across industries such as consumer goods, energy, and industrials.

They offer personalized, relationship-driven headhunting with flexible pricing models.

πŸ”Ή Location: Jakarta
πŸ”Ή Billing Model: Typically retainer or hybrid
πŸ”Ή Industry Coverage: They work across sectors
πŸ”Ή Recruitment Focus: Senior hiring
πŸ”Ή Other Services: Business consulting, corporate training


Comparison Table: Top Headhunter Companies in Indonesia (2025)

CompanyLocation / BILLING MODELIndustry Coverageheadhunting FocusOther Services
ProCapita IndonesiaJakarta

Success-fee only
All industries & job functionsC-level down to Manager levelOnly provides executive search services
Korn FerryJakarta

Retainer
Industrial, Consumer, Life Sciences, TechnologyBoard, C-SuiteLeadership consulting, strategy, assessment
Egon ZehnderJakarta

Retainer
Financial, Telecoms, Resources, ConsumerC-level, Board, strategic rolesLeadership & succession consulting
Pedersen & PartnersJakarta

Retainer
FMCG, Industrial, Mining, Oil & Gas, AgricultureC-Suite, Functional leadershipBoard-level advisory
BoydenJakarta

Retainer
All sectorsMid to Senior leadership rolesInterim management, leadership advisory
Mandate Executive SearchJakarta

Retainer
Financial servicesMid to Senior rolesFocused on retained executive search
Heidrick & StrugglesSingapore (covers Indonesia)

Retainer
Consumer, Technology, Healthcare, IndustrialBoard, C-levelOrganization consulting, leadership coaching
Spencer StuartSingapore (covers Indonesia)

Retainer
Technology, Consumer, Financial Services, HealthcareC-level & BoardBoard advisory, assessment, talent strategy
PT Headhunter IndonesiaJakarta & Surabaya

Flexible
Cross-industryManager to C-LevelEmployer branding, RPO consulting
Jakarta Executive Search Jakarta

Retainer / Hybrid
Cross-industrySenior-level hiresBusiness consulting, corporate training

How to Choose the Right Headhunter Firm for Your Business

  • Highly qualified, senior, professional headhunters β€” good executive search consultants typically have years of experience, from both traditional industry roles & then headhunting. This experience allows them to communicate effectively, and with authority, with senior-level professional talent.
  • Remember, you rely on your headhunter to attract, excite and secure top-tier talent, usually these individuals, the best of the best, are currently employed passive candidates β€” to do this well the headhunter consultant you use can not be a junior professional themselves.
  • Strong client testimonials β€” this tells you what other companies have to say about working with that executive search firm, about their experience. Look for detailed reviews β€” it is easy to spot real testimonials vs. fake.
  • A clear process and timeline β€” if the headhunter company is vague or non-committal about their executive recruitment process methodology, or the time it will take them to reach certain milestones β€” such as introducing the initial batch of qualified executive talent β€” it indicates lack of experience, lack of industry specialization or a weak senior-level candidate network.
  • Industry & function expertise β€” you should choose a firm that already has solid talent-pool mapping in place for your specific industry segment. This ensures they have quick & direct access to all the professionals that you may want to hire. Ask them to confirm their network size within your specific industry segment / the number of similar roles that they have completed.
  • Transparent fee structure (success-fee vs. retainer) β€” Real headhunter services are not cheap β€” to deliver authentic executive search is very time consuming & requires a lot of resource investment.
  • Any firm that charges less than 20% is most likely a normal recruitment agency β€” not a genuine headhunter company.
  • At the same time, different headhunter firms operate different business models β€” some are happy to work on a success-fee basis, which means they must perform before they get paid. Others charge a retainer fee upfront, before commencing the search.
  • Pick the business model that works best for you and your company’s needs. Make sure all payment items are clearly detailed in the headhunter contract.

More About ProCapita β€” an Authentic Headhunter Company in Jakarta

ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia - a leading headhunter company in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Operating from Jakarta since 2014, our highly experienced headhunter consultants have completed 1,000+ leadership hires.

We have extensive experience recruiting game-changing professionals across all major industries and job functions – for critical roles located throughout the Indonesian archipelago.

ProCapita is British-owned and managed, one of Jakarta’s most trusted executive search partners.

Our professional network is market-leading, currently standing at 450,000+ executive candidates.

Our consultants manually identify and directly contact all relevant senior talent for every headhunter assignment that we execute.

Our outreach is always discreet, confidential, professional, and effective.

Over 95% of our placements involve passive candidates β€” top-tier employed senior professionals who are not job hunting when we contact them about our clients career opportunity.

If you need to make a critical hire in Indonesia, we deliver results quickly and seamlessly, professionals that deliver business growth and advancement.

➑️ Read this article for a detailed breakdown of how authentic headhunter companies operate in Indonesia β€” including their executive search process, how much they cost, business models, and what to expect in a headhunter contract agreement:

Headhunter Indonesia: How They Work [Full Industry Breakdown]

James Umpleby, Managing Director of ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia
Written by James Umpleby, Managing Director and Owner of ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia. You can read more about James on LinkedIn.

ProCapita Headhunter Indonesia