Marketing guru Seth Godin has embarked on detailed market research, concluding that ‘small has become the new big.’
He identified several reasons why smaller companies tend to outdo bigger firms, which include the following:
• Smaller businesses succeed because they excel at what they do despite their size. Therefore, smart, smaller businesses are often happy to hire.
• Smaller means the founder or the CEO makes a larger percentage of all ongoing customer interactions.
• Smaller operations mean you don’t have to lie about your employee base, customer numbers, or years of experience in the industry.
• Small implies that the founder has a hand in decision-making and can make important decisions quickly and efficiently.
Now, let’s apply this logic to headhunting and executive search. The recruitment industry has two main types of companies: mega firms catering to Fortune 100 clients and boutique firms that have specialised by function and/or industry.
Boutique vs global firms – What’s the difference?
As the job market slowly returns to its pre-COVID state, those on the hiring front have recorded greater want, forcing recruiters and headhunters to work double time. For those looking to make a career change, this is the time to do it, provided you have a good firm working with you.
Knowing what differentiates boutique firms from global firms can give you a much-needed head start. Here is how to understand the difference between the two:
| Topic | Boutique Firm | Global Firm |
| Focus | Specialises in hiring professionals within a specific niche or industry, allowing it a deeper understanding of the said category | Handles clients from a broad range of job types and industries |
| Cost | Their specialised focus makes them cost-effective. It also makes them more capable of offering targeted customer service. | They have high operational costs, which they transfer to their clients, making their services more expensive. |
| Service | Services are highly personalised and involve a recruiter working with clients to understand their company culture and recruitment needs. | Tends to have large client bases and may not be in a position to offer a bespoke service |
| Speed | Will do its best to quickly find you the right fit thanks to its specialised focus and enhanced understanding of the skills and expertise needed to fill each post | Its large pool of resources puts it in a better position to find a candidate at short notice. |
| Quality vs Quantity | It places a lot of emphasis on quality over quantity and will provide you with access to a smaller number of highly qualified and experienced candidates. | Prioritizes quantity and will present a larger number of candidates to choose from, even at a moment’s notice |
| Candidate Pool | Its clients comprise candidates with specific skills and expertise to match your hiring needs. | Thanks to its wide focus, it will provide you with a larger pool of candidates. |
Conclusion
Boutique agencies like Eagle Executive Headhunters here are cost-effective and will match you with the right candidate to fill your open positions. Their flexibility and dedication to quality means they’ll be there to grow with your company without overcharging you for their service. Their specialised talent pool means you can trust them to find employees who are versatile, flexible, and experienced at their jobs. Use their dedicated recruiters to find the best talent in the UK.
