In taking on a recruiting assignment headhunters shoulder an enormous responsibility within the framework of the search for competent qualified executives. Thanks to the development and expansion of a wide range of social media platforms, there are numerous, partly unknown, possibilities and means available to meet this challenge and select and identify suitable candidates who are willing to perform and also have a personal integrity. This master thesis examines the exciting question of whether social media are suitable for the recruitment of executives by headhunters, what new opportunities and tasks result from their use and to what extent they are already being used by headhunters, in particular in their search for executives for the fashion business in Germany. Using social media purposefully and systematically, the suitability of potential candidates can be verified prior to probationary periods or even personal interviews in a much better way than in former times. In these times of demographic change, skills shortage, "War for Talents", companies increasingly doing their own recruiting conducted by personnel managers, growing significance of social media and resulting increase in information about persons and companies on the Internet, headhunters in particular must prepare for these old and new trends. The empirical study presented in this master thesis analyses the current situation with regard to this development. Taking into account the results from the research discourse on the topics of headhunters, social media and the fashion business and including the results of the analysis of the study, concrete recommendations for action and potential for the future use of social media in the recruiting of executives by headhunters are made and elaborated.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Initial situation und problem description
1.2 Objective of this thesis
1.3 Methodological approach
1.4 Layout and structure of the thesis
2 Basic principles and preconditions
2.1 Importance of the German fashion business
2.2 Theoretical basic considerations and assumptions
3 Tasks of personnel consultancies and headhunters
3.1 Headhunting as a service provided for the human resources area
3.1.1 Terms used
3.1.2 Development of a secretive business sector
3.1.3 Economic explanation of the development
3.2 The task of a headhunter – How does the daily routine work?
3.2.1 Consulting procedure
3.2.2 Legal basic conditions
3.3 The executive search sector: Recruiting trends and social media
3.4 Headhunters and the fashion business
4 Characterization of the term "social media" - Definition and development
4.1 Characterization of the term "social media"
4.2 Social networks
4.3 Significance of social media for personnel work
5 Online instruments for personnel recruitment
5.1 The traditional Internet approaches – E-recruiting
5.1.1 General online job databases
5.1.2 Online job databases for specialists and executives
5.1.3 Industry-specific online job databases
5.1.4 Summary
5.2 Social media in personnel recruitment
5.2.1 Reasons and possibilities for the use of social media
5.2.2 General communities
5.2.2.1 Facebook
5.2.2.2 Twitter
5.2.2.3 Google+
5.2.3 Business communities
5.2.3.1 XING
5.2.3.2 LinkedIn
5.2.3.3 Anangu
5.2.4 Summary
6 Empirical survey: Detailed analysis of interviews conducted with headhunters in Germany
6.1 Introduction of the questionnaire
6.2 Presentation of the procedure and the target group
6.3 Analysis of the particular questions
6.3.1 Sociodemographic data
6.3.2 Professional and private behaviour related to using social networks
6.3.3 Estimation of the significance of social media for recruiters
6.3.4 Measurement of the use-to-success ratio of social media in the search for candidates
6.3.5 Scope of use and the specific reasons for the use of social media in recruitment
6.3.6 Search for additional information to assess candidates
6.3.7 Recruiters' requirements for social media
6.3.8 Changes in way of working due to social media
6.4 Supplementary results and personal comments
7 Potential of social media for headhunters – Overall interpretation on the basis of relevant detailed results
7.1 Relevance of the different social media portals for headhunters
7.2 Gender and age-related relevance
7.3 Potential of social media for recruitment in the fashion business
7.4 Estimation of the significance of social media for the recruiting process
7.5 Recruiters' needs and requirements related to social media
8 How can social media support the recruitment of executives – A response that takes into account the results of the analysis
8.1 Concrete recommendations for action
8.1.1 Use of social media to analyze a client's company
8.1.2 Use of social media during the research phase
8.1.3 Use of social media during the follow-up phase
8.2 Summary
9 Social media and the executive search sector – Conclusion and outlook
Objectives and Research Focus
This master thesis investigates whether social media are suitable for the recruitment of executives by headhunters, particularly within the German fashion industry. It aims to determine how social media platforms can effectively support the identification and assessment of qualified candidates, while also evaluating the extent to which these tools are already integrated into the daily routines of executive search professionals.
- The impact of social media on modern recruitment and employer branding.
- The specific requirements and challenges of executive search within the fashion industry.
- Empirical analysis of usage patterns among German headhunters regarding social media tools.
- Identification of gaps and potential for optimizing social media recruiting strategies.
- Development of actionable recommendations for headhunters to leverage digital platforms effectively.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Headhunting as a service provided for the human resources area
Headhunting is a specific personnel service that companies can make use of within the framework of personnel recruitment of specialists and executives as an alternative to conducting the search themselves. On the one hand, outsourcing can minimise the costs for this process, and on the other hand, the chance of recruiting a highly qualified candidate can be maximised thanks to an active and professional search.
Before proceeding to a more detailed examination of the service of headhunting it is necessary to define and classify the terms of headhunting, personnel consultancy and personnel service. According to Steppan (2011a: p.16) headhunters are personnel consultants specialised in approaching executives personally.
Executive search also means the search specialised in directly approaching executives and is used here as a synonym, as is usual in practice. Headhunting is a special type of personnel consultancy. Frisee (1992) defines the term of personnel consultancy in the narrow sense of the word as "the search for and selection of executives on behalf of a company" (Frisee 1992: p.38). Besides the special type of direct approach personnel consultants also use job advertisements for the recruitment. In this narrow definition personnel consultancy is at first a part of employment exchange services. If the term personnel consultancy is understood more broadly, it includes "any services provided with the support of external consultants in the area of operational human resource management" (Kraft 2002: p.20).
In doing this, personnel consultancy can be regarded as a part of management consulting. Here, the terms "personnel consultancy" and "personnel services" start to merge into each other. The term personnel services are defined as "the external and market-based provision of personnel functions" (Vosberg 2003: p.22).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the initial situation in personnel recruitment and outlines the objectives and methodology of this thesis.
2 Basic principles and preconditions: Analyzes the importance of the German fashion business and establishes theoretical considerations regarding the industry's suitability for this study.
3 Tasks of personnel consultancies and headhunters: Discusses the role of headhunting as a service and examines the historical development and legal framework of the sector.
4 Characterization of the term "social media" - Definition and development: Defines social media and social networks within the context of the Web 2.0 and their relevance for personnel management.
5 Online instruments for personnel recruitment: Introduces various e-recruiting tools, ranging from traditional job databases to specialized social media platforms.
6 Empirical survey: Detailed analysis of interviews conducted with headhunters in Germany: Evaluates the data obtained from an anonymous survey of industry professionals regarding their use of social media.
7 Potential of social media for headhunters – Overall interpretation on the basis of relevant detailed results: Interprets the empirical findings and relates them to the theoretical assumptions established earlier in the work.
8 How can social media support the recruitment of executives – A response that takes into account the results of the analysis: Offers concrete recommendations for how headhunters can optimize their recruiting processes using social media.
9 Social media and the executive search sector – Conclusion and outlook: Summarizes the key findings and provides a concluding perspective on future developments in the industry.
Keywords
Headhunting, Executive Search, Social Media, Social Networks, Personnel Recruitment, German Fashion Business, E-Recruiting, Web 2.0, Candidate Assessment, Digital Natives, Employer Branding, Human Resources, Online Job Databases, Professional Networking, Talent Management
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the intersection of executive search (headhunting) and social media, specifically within the German fashion industry, to see if and how digital platforms improve recruitment.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in this thesis?
The work covers the evolution of the headhunting sector, the characteristics of various social media platforms (like XING and LinkedIn), and the practical application of these tools for professional candidate searching.
What is the main objective of this academic work?
The primary goal is to determine the suitability of social media for the recruitment of executives and to develop practical guidelines for headhunters based on empirical survey data.
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The author combined a theoretical review of the literature with an empirical, Internet-based survey conducted among German headhunters specializing in the fashion industry.
What is addressed in the main part of the thesis?
The main part encompasses the theoretical definition of social media, an analysis of traditional e-recruiting tools, and a detailed examination of survey responses from professionals currently working in the field.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Headhunting, Executive Search, Social Media, E-Recruiting, Talent Management, and the German fashion business.
How is the German fashion industry different from other sectors in this context?
The fashion industry is described as highly dynamic, fast-paced, and trend-oriented, making it a particularly suitable environment for testing the effectiveness of social media in recruiting.
What is the conclusion regarding the future of headhunters?
The thesis concludes that while the basic tasks of headhunters—identifying, selecting, and motivating—remain the same, the tools and methods used will increasingly shift towards digital proficiency and the intelligent use of data from social media.
- Citar trabajo
- MBA Robin Schlesinger (Autor), 2013, The suitability of social media for headhunters to recruit managers from and for the fashion business, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/279097
