When the right candidate is not looking
A search is not a hunt. It is a judgement.
Finding the names is rarely the hard part. Reading them correctly is.
Headhunting sounds like a chase. In practice it is advisory work: understanding the business situation, translating it into a profile the market actually contains, and then having a straight conversation with the few people who can carry the role.
We also push back. If the role is badly constructed, if the salary does not match the market, or if the right answer is an internal promotion rather than an external hire, we say so before we start. It costs us an assignment now and then, and it has given us clients who have stayed with us for decades.
That position comes from specialisation. We work only in the digital field, and we have completed more than 1,000 assignments inside it. It lets us calibrate expectations instead of promising everything.
When does headhunting make sense?
Four situations where an advertisement is rarely enough.
The role is critical
The hire has a direct bearing on strategy, growth or operations. Getting it wrong costs far more than the search itself.
The candidate field is narrow
Few people in Denmark combine the right technology, business and leadership experience. They know each other, and they know us.
The candidates are not looking
The strongest leaders and specialists do not read job ads. They have to be approached, qualified and convinced in a confidential conversation.
The process has to stay quiet
When an incumbent leader is being replaced, or the role has not been announced internally, we keep the search closed all the way through.
Headhunting with GlobeSearch Connected Methods
- 01A Senior Consultant and two researchers on every search
- 02Candidate shortlist within six weeks of an approved job profile
- 03Access to candidates who are not looking for a new job
- 04Confidential process, also when an incumbent leader is being replaced
- 056 month evaluation after the hire
- 06Specialised in IT, digital, AI, sales, marketing, finance and legal
We have done this before. More than 1,000 times.
- 35+
- Years of search inside the digital field
- 1000+
- Assignments completed since 1989
- 6 weeks
- From approved job profile to shortlist
- 3
- A Senior Consultant and two researchers per search
- 6 mths
- Evaluation after the hire
How we work
One method, three phases and a fixed team on every search.
- 01
Calibration
We define the job profile, the success criteria and the realistic candidate field together with leadership.
- 02
Research and approach
A longlist is built through network and structured research. We talk to people who are not looking.
- 03
Shortlist and landing
A calibrated shortlist within six weeks, close support through negotiation and a 6 month evaluation.
Two ways on
More about headhunting at GlobeSearch
The long answer, for when you want to go deeper.
01What is a headhunter?
A headhunter is a specialised recruitment partner who approaches and attracts leaders and specialists who are not looking for a new job themselves. Unlike classic recruitment, where a role is advertised and the company waits for applications, a headhunter works systematically with research, networks and direct dialogue with candidates already in the market.
Companies use a headhunter when the role is critical, when the right candidate rarely reads job ads, or when the process needs to stay confidential.
02How we work as a headhunter
GlobeSearch is a digital headhunting firm based in Copenhagen. Since 1989 we have specialised in leaders and specialists within IT, digital, AI, sales, marketing, finance and legal. Our method, GlobeSearch Connected Methods, combines structured research, a strong network and transparent candidate dialogue.
A typical engagement: first we calibrate the job profile and success criteria with leadership. We then build a longlist through our network and targeted research. We present a shortlist within six weeks of an approved job profile, and follow up with a 6 month evaluation after the hire.
03Headhunter in Copenhagen and across Denmark
We are based in Copenhagen and recruit across Denmark. Many of our mandates are for Danish subsidiaries of global tech groups, Danish SaaS scaleups, PE backed software and digitally driven companies in transformation. We also work across the Nordics for Danish clients hiring in Scandinavia.
04Which roles do we use headhunting for?
We recommend a headhunter when at least one of these factors is in play: the role sits at leadership or specialist level, the candidate pool is narrow, the hire carries high business impact, or the process must be discreet. That typically covers roles such as CEO, CTO, CFO, CIO, VP Engineering, Country Manager, Head of Sales and Head of Product, as well as senior specialists within software engineering, AI, data, cyber security and enterprise architecture.
05What sets us apart from classic headhunters and global executive search firms
Classic headhunters and global executive search firms typically work across many industries and focus mainly on top executives. We have chosen a different path.
GlobeSearch has a strong focus on the digital space and has solved more than 1,000 assignments over the years within that relatively narrow field. That depth means we know the market, the challenges and the talent far better than a generalist headhunter.
We always work in depth with our clients. The better we understand a company's strategy, leadership team, culture and business, the better we can secure success with the right people. That is why we recruit both leaders and senior specialists from a holistic understanding of the client.
Our track record in building companies is fairly unique. Microsoft and Public.com are great references for us: we helped them grow from a handful of people in Denmark into very strong results. Microsoft is enormously widespread and successful in Denmark compared to almost any other country, which underlines what the right people can create. It supports our core belief that people, not technology, are the most important and most strategically valuable resource in a modern company.
06Technology and domains we recruit within
Over the years we have recruited leaders and specialists across virtually all core business technologies. Our assignments range from SAP, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central (BC) and Finance & Operations (FO) through Microsoft CRM, HubSpot, marketing automation and Salesforce, to commercial sales profiles across many different domains.
On the software side we have delivered assignments within .Net, C#, C++, C, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Angular, Vue, Java Spring Boot, EJB, iOS and Android. We have also recruited cloud and data specialists on Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, MS Fabric, Power Platform, business intelligence, master data management, SQL Server and DBA. We have experience with ServiceNow, RPA, data lakes and ETL, as well as infrastructure and networking: Unix, Linux, backup, SAN, datacenter, network, firewalls, routers, Cisco, Palo Alto, UC, IPT, API, integrations and BPR.
Our experience also covers AI/ML, LLM, embedded, cyber security and enterprise architecture. In short: we know both the technology and the commercial profiles that create value with it.
Questions about headhunting
The questions we are asked most often before a search begins.
01What is the difference between a headhunter and a recruitment agency?
A headhunter actively approaches candidates who are not looking for a new job, and typically works on leadership and specialist roles through direct search. A classic recruitment agency more often runs ad driven processes with applicants who respond themselves. GlobeSearch is a headhunting firm and delivers both executive search and agile search.
02What does a headhunter cost?
The fee depends on the agreement. We work both with a model where our fee is calculated from the candidate's first year gross salary, and with volume agreements at fixed prices. We give a concrete proposal once we know the role and the scope.
03How long does a headhunting process take?
On executive search we typically present a calibrated shortlist within six weeks of an approved job profile. Specialist searches through our agile search are often faster, with candidates presented continuously.
04Which roles do you headhunt?
We headhunt leaders and specialists within IT, digital, AI, sales, marketing, finance and legal. That covers the full C-suite as well as VP Engineering, Country Manager, Head of Sales, Head of Product and senior specialists within software engineering, AI, data, cyber security and architecture. The full picture is on our roles page.
05Do you work as a headhunter across Denmark?
Yes. We have an office in Copenhagen and deliver headhunting across Denmark, as well as in the Nordics for Danish clients hiring across Scandinavia.
Is there a situation you would like to discuss?
It does not have to be a finished mandate. Tell us about the role or the situation, and a Senior Consultant will come back within a day with an honest view of what is possible.