Middle East Recruitment - internal referral or continue to work with headhunter?

Hello there,

It is possible that your headhunter is not following up with the firms on your behalf, or that your background is not as strong as you think it is for the roles you are applying for. It is also possible that the Middle East market is simply very competitive, and that it is taking longer than usual to hear back from firms especially if your preferred office is Dubai and not Riyadh.

Whatever the reason, I would recommend that you take the following steps:

1. Speak to your headhunter and find out where your applications stand. Ask them if they have followed up with the firms yet, and if so, what the response has been. If they have not followed up yet, ask them to do so immediately.
2. Start networking aggressively with consultants in the Middle East. Reach out to people on LinkedIn, attend industry events, and ask your friends and colleagues if they know anyone who works in the region. The more people you know, the more likely you are to hear about job openings and get internal referrals.
3. Consider working with multiple headhunters. If you are not happy with the performance of your current headhunter, you can try working with other headhunters. This will give you more exposure to potential employers.

I would advise you to start networking aggressively with consultants in the Middle East as this is the best and cheapest way to get your foot in the door at a firm that you would not have been able to apply to on your own.

I hope this advice is helpful. 

Feel free to reach out privately for more tips on Middle East recruiting!

 

Hi there,

double-check with the headhunter to get a status update. But be also aware that said headhunter is doing the same thing they are doing with/for you with tons of other candidates. They make money based on commissions so it is only natural that they try to throw as many profiles as possible at these consulting firms to see what sticks. So you should also try to acquire internal referrals on your own.

A referral is just a door opener such that the recruiting team will look through your application more thoroughly. Depending on the seniority, tenure and advocacy of the person referring you, you have a better chance of getting a first round interview. The more senior the person referring you is, the better. The longer the tenure of that person with the firm is, the better.

The reason is that such voices carry more weight than referrals coming from super junior or brand new people. They typically know the HR folks better and have been involved in recruiting activities for a while so it is usually assumed that they have a good grasp of what types of candidates with which sets of qualifications the firm needs. However, any referral is ultimately better than no referral. 

Ideally, you get a referral from someone from the same office (or same country) you are applying to. But again, a referral from someone within the same firm but different office or country organization is still better than no referral.

A direct rejection after the CV screening stage can still happen - even with a referral. In that case the recruiting team usually provides some feedback to the person having given the referral. So you should follow up with them to better understand the rationale in case that happens. On the flipside, you can still get an interview invite when you just apply online without a referral - the probability is just lower - particularly when your CV is not “stellar” on a standalone basis.

And as always, factors such as economic conditions and headcount/budget planning of the individual firm also matter significantly in these decisions - but they are not within your control.

Best

Hi there,

Q: What should I do next? Should I stop working with this hunter, and switch to find internal referrals instead? Or, could I actually utilize both channels (hunter & referral) - would it cause a channel conflict?

First of all, I would check with the headhunter and have an open conversation with him. You can ask the reason for the issue and try to understand if he is really working on your profile.

If you feel that he is not supporting you, you can find a referral yourself. You can find some tops below:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation

▶ The Exact Steps to Get a Referral

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

Headhunter is the correct term :)

I would recommend also networking with the firm and pursuing a referrla. Headhunters are out there reaching out to tons of candidates - they're casting the net very wide and won't necessarily carry weight (some do, some don't).

Ultiamtely, I advise you to pursue both channels!

Hi there!

Complex situation. 

Basically, if you are keen on the region now, I would start by having a call with the headhunter to diagnose the problem. Try to understand from him why there are no answers yet. If they don't have a response, most likely it also reflects on their ability. 

So the next step then would be to start networking on your own with people in the region within your target firm and role. They could help not only with a referral, but also building a solid understanding of what to expect from the recruitment process. Sharing with you two article that will help with generating these discussions and then leading them:

• Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn? 
• Expert Guide: How To Handle Networking Calls and Get Referrals

Best,
Cristian

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Practicing for interviews? Check out my latest case based on a first-round MBB interview >>> SoyTechnologies  

Not all headhunters are good professionals (I've had more than my share…). 

In this case he doesn't have a mandate from any firm. He's just presenting them profiles and hoping they'll pick one so that he can collect his commission. While in some cases it works and some candidates will get interviews, the chances of success are low.

In my opinion, you already tried it out, and the reply you had was silence. So basically it didn't work. So time to move on.

This was not necessarily negative… by applying through this alternative method you are unlikely to be in the ban period of any firm. 

And you received useful information: your profile was reviewed by a significant number of firms and none decided to interview you. While getting a referral is clearly important, you should also review and improve your CV.

To answer your question: there's not channel conflict. But headhunters don't want to be presenting your profile to companies you've already been introduced to (because they won't be able to collect their fee). So my suggestion would be to define to which firms you want to keep using the headhunter, if any.

Happy to share my 2c from my time working in Doha / Riyadh (feel free to PM for more info)

Check your current approach: Take a moment to think about how things are going so far. Working with a hunter can be helpful, but it's possible that the lack of response is due to other factors. Maybe there's something missing in your application or the roles you've applied for are super competitive. Consider if there's anything you can do to make your application stronger.

Tap into your network: Internal referrals can be a game-changer when it comes to landing interviews. Since you don't have a strong network in the Middle East, it's time to get proactive. Reach out to your MBA alumni or anyone you know who has connections in the region. Attend networking events, hit up industry conferences, and make use of online platforms to expand your network.

Use both channels: No need to choose between the hunter and internal referrals. You can totally use both! It actually increases your chances of success by diversifying your approach. Just make sure to communicate clearly with both parties to avoid any conflicts or misunderstandings.

In response to your question about recruitment in the Middle East, both internal referrals and working with a headhunter have their advantages, depending on the position and the company's needs. Internal referrals can be a quicker, more cost-effective option, especially if you have a strong internal network. Referred candidates tend to fit well culturally and are often more committed due to the recommendation from an existing employee.

However, headhunters, especially when dealing with senior or specialized roles, bring a wider talent pool and access to passive candidates not actively looking for jobs. This can be particularly beneficial in a competitive market like the Middle East, where high-level or niche skills may be scarce. They also have the expertise to navigate the region's unique recruitment challenges and can act as neutral mediators in salary negotiations.

If you're hiring for a senior role, like a CEO, or seeking rare skill sets, a top recruitment agency in Dubai might be more effective. For junior or mid-level roles where internal knowledge and quick hiring are priorities, referrals might work better. A mix of both could strike a good balance!