ACG Academy Presents:
Search Tools
2025
Nguyen Thac Thang
Agenda
1. Headhunting…………..
• Why & When?
• How?
2. Referral………………..
• Why & When?
• How?
3. Role play………………...
Headhunting
Headhunting
Why & When?
• Why?..... to find candidates who don’t actively
searching for jobs
• When?... job requirement is specific/niche
• When?... competition is severe
• When?... lead time is less
• When?... database is poor
• When?... commitment with client is strong
Headhunting
How?
• How?……map target companies
• How?……map target candidates
• How?……approach candidates
• How?……communicate with candidates
• How?……invite candidates for Interview
• How?……map target companies
1. Understand the job
2. Know your client
• Products or services
• Size: sales volume, number of employees, number of plants and
locations, etc.
• Rank/market share
• Public or private
• Culture
3. Now set your target industries and companies
• Same industry/ direct competitors
• Relevant industries/companies providing comparable experience
• “Off limits” companies
• How?……map target candidates
1. Locate the right candidates and generate names by:
• Use available resources (your colleagues are one of them)
• Cold calls
2. Check historical communication (Erecruit)
• Make sure that this individual has not been over-sourced
• Be aware of the client status
3. Quick screen the candidate
• Emphasize the job’s MITs and look out for critical requirements
that candidates must meet
• Mark the “no go” candidates, get referrals from them
• How?……approach candidates
1. Identify the right candidates then introduce the
opportunity
2. Sell the opportunity
3. Screen the candidate
• How?……communicate with candidates
• Communicate as a PRO at all times:
o Precise – timely
o Clear message - logical structure
o Results driven - efficient – responsive – sensitive
o Tangible benefits - objective - facts
o Professional language
• How?……communicate with candidates (cont.)
• What we communicate
why we communicate
how we communicate
to whom we communicate
when to communicate
are all EQUALLY important
• How?……communicate with candidates (cont.)
• As professional consultants, effective communication is
about
content
and also style
• How?……communicate with candidates (cont.)
• Be confident and talk to candidates on an
even level
neither above nor below
• How?……communicate with candidates (cont.)
• Be respectful,
should not lecture them;
you’ll never know if they know more than
you do!
• How?……communicate with candidates (cont.)
• Key to establishing rapport is…
listening
• How?……Invite candidates for Interview
• Provide benefits of a face to face meeting with us
• Ask them to come to First Alliances office (preferable) or a
convenient place for an interview
• Follow up with an email invitation
Headhunting
Referral
Referral
Why & When?
• Why?..... Utilize your cold call/network/relationship to
increase number of candidates
• Why?..... Candidates are more likely to be qualified
as they were screened by a person
• Why?...... Candidates are more perceptive about the
opportunity
• When?... job requirement is specific/niche
• When?... lead time is less
• When?... database is poor
Referral
How?
• How?……ask the right questions
• How?……use silence to your advantage
• How?……use networking questions
• How?……help them before asking them to
help you
• How?……get multiple names
• How?……ask the right questions
1. Yes-no questions?
No!
2. Ask questions that can’t be countered with a one-word
answer
“Who do you know who’d be a good fit for this opportunity?”
3. Ask a question narrow enough to put a person’s name in
their head
“Who’s the best sales manager you’ve ever
reported to or worked with in your previous company?”
• How?……use silence to your advantage
1. After asking the right questions,
cut into the silence and fill the space with chit-
chat while waiting for an answer
2. Ask specific questions,
then be quiet!
• How?……use networking questions
Get names from people even if they are unsure their
referrals would not be interested by networking
questions:
“Who did you have in mind? Even if they’re not interested, they might
know somebody else who would be.”
“Who do you know who’s well-connected within this area
and could point me in the right direction?”
“Who can you refer me to who’s well-networked within
this field?”
• How?……help them before asking them to help you
People are more willing to go out of their way to
help you if you’ve done the same for them.
• How?……get multiple names
• Stop
when you’re given one name,
ask one of the following questions:
“Great! Who else comes to mind when you think of that person?”
“Thanks. Who else do you know with a similar background I could also
speak with?”
• If no names are provided during the
phone call, follow up with an email
Referral
Role play