Some input is needed from people's experiences with headhunters. Consider the following hypothetical situation. A candidate C is getting an offer from a place P through a headhunter H. However, the position and place P may not be what C had ideally hoped for. And it's not just the compensation part, which may be almost adequate, but the brand-name/cv development issues. Is it correct to assume that the headhunter H would persuade candidate C to stick to this offer and would be less willing to exert effort in the direction of more sexy places P2, P3 previously discussed with H? Is it worth trying to push H for other opportunities before the offer terms have been finalized?

If the compensation is the same, and you have an offer on the table, then he doesn't give a flying fuck about helping you get your dream position. If it's a choice between Natwest trader and Goldman trader then he might help you push for the latter, since he will get some of your bonus. But most will take the guaranteed money on the table and not GAF.

QuoteOriginally posted by: barnyIf the compensation is the same, and you have an offer on the table, then he doesn't give a flying fuck about helping you get your dream position. If it's a choice between Natwest trader and Goldman trader then he might help you push for the latter, since he will get some of your bonus. But most will take the guaranteed money on the table and not GAF.Thanks, just as I suspected. I guess the only countermeasure in this situation is to more actively push headhunters H2, H3 to get some alternatives.

QuoteOriginally posted by: barnyIf the compensation is the same, and you have an offer on the table, then he doesn't give a flying fuck about helping you get your dream position. If it's a choice between Natwest trader and Goldman trader then he might help you push for the latter, since he will get some of your bonus. But most will take the guaranteed money on the table and not GAF.do they take % of bonus as well? I don't think so

Also, what's the typical percentage of fix they take? To have an idea of how big the difference in compensation should be for them to care.

It depends, but I'd say at least £10k.

QuoteOriginally posted by: katastrofaIt depends, but I'd say at least £10k.At least 10k difference to have a material impact?

No, the headhunter gets at least £10k for you.

QuoteOriginally posted by: DevonFangsQuoteOriginally posted by: barnyIf the compensation is the same, and you have an offer on the table, then he doesn't give a flying fuck about helping you get your dream position. If it's a choice between Natwest trader and Goldman trader then he might help you push for the latter, since he will get some of your bonus. But most will take the guaranteed money on the table and not GAF.do they take % of bonus as well? I don't think soThey usually get around 20% of your total first year compensation, including bonuses and benefits. So yes, they do take a % of your bonus, in a round-a-bout way.

QuoteOriginally posted by: barnyThey usually get around 20% of your total first year compensation, including bonuses and benefits. So yes, they do take a % of your bonus, in a round-a-bout way.That's quite substantial. Place 5 people in a year and you can relax more or less. Well, at least it gives them motivation to go for places with adequate compensation.

GaleMartin, you have more variables than values....The differences need to be enough that the HH cares.Also there are are more variables.Firstly the % the HH will get varies by client and what the % of is also a variable.Within a HH firm, certain clients may be "owned" by a more senior HH, so the HH you are talking to may get a lower (or higher % igf he is the senior bod)As for giving a fuck about the quality of the position, flying or otherwise that can be very subjective, obviously Model Validation at Deutsche Bank is unlikely to be your dream, but let me share how I helped a member of this forum a while ago.He had:Elite Grade Bank offering lower pay and less good positionBig but not quite elite bank offering a bit more cash and a slightly better positionSo after about an hour of dealing with imponderables (like was the job really less good ? ) I asked him if we swapped the names of the banks around, which job would he take ?That instantly resolved it in his mind.At no point did I tell him which job to take, since it was his utility function for his career.This was a choice between two good options, in advising people on their careers a good HH has to take into account risk terms.If you wait longer, a better job may turn up, or given where you are in your career and the market for your skills this represents a local or global maximum of what you can get.Turn it down and you risk getting stuck....or not. It's not like there is tick data for the quant labour market.