Ich bin ein ”Head-hunter“

For two weeks now, and for coming 3 months, I’ll be learning the ropes as an international head-hunter. (If you are wondering “What is international head-hunting?” click here)

I am doing an internship with Kienbaum Executive Consultants (more about Kienbaum). Our corporate headquarter is in Gummersbach, a short drive outside of Köln, where I live. (more about Gummersbach and how I get there every day)

They are very good at keeping me busy, with increasingly challenging tasks. So far I have been doing Client analysis, Created target lists, Worked on Ads, Identified candidates, Vetted said candidates, Interviewed references, and well pretty much everything else (except things that require me getting on a plane, such as Direct interviews, but maybe that will change also).

Of course, I have already developed some deep insights into this headhunting thing ;-)

Three things have struck me so far.

1) How incredibly open Scandinavian companies are. It is extremely easy to get access to people, whom we want to lure away.

2) God bless the Americans! One of the best sources of people is companies recently taken over by US Corporations. Disgruntled managers are more than willing to make a move.

3) Sometimes the most unlikely people will aid our efforts. One company’s HR manager even supported our recruiting of her CFO. Strange, to say the least.