Recruitment is one of an organization's most critical decisions. The cost of a bad hire can reach 1.5 to 2 times the employee's annual salary. Finding the right candidate is becoming increasingly difficult; the market is especially competitive in competency areas such as digital, sustainability and engineering. At Proses Consulting, we provide headhunting services for executive and critical specialist positions, and on a broader scale we work on designing the recruitment process and improving its metrics.
Stages of the Recruitment Process
- Needs analysis: The strategic positioning of the role, the expected competencies and the success criteria are clarified in writing. Skipping this step leads to different interviewers seeking different "ideal candidate" profiles during interviews.
- Job posting: A written advertisement is prepared that highlights the attractive aspects of the role (job content, career opportunity, working culture).
- Candidate sourcing management: Internal referrals, online platforms (LinkedIn, Kariyer.net), educational institution partnerships and headhunting firms are used in parallel.
- Pre-assessment: A shortlist is created through CV screening, telephone pre-interviews and, where necessary, online aptitude tests.
- Structured interview: Interviews conducted with a standard set of questions reduce subjective evaluation and ensure comparability. The behavioral interview (STAR method) is the most common approach.
- Reference checking: Verification of the references provided by the candidate and gathering independent feedback from within the sector.
- Offer and negotiation: Negotiation of the compensation package, start date and any special conditions.
- Orientation and onboarding: A 30-60-90 day plan for the first period accelerates the employee's adaptation to the company.
Headhunting: Executive and Critical Specialist Search
Headhunting, a passive candidate search method, aims to reach qualified professionals who are not actively looking for a job in the market but who could be motivated to move by the right opportunity. It is used for senior management (CFO, CTO, GM), critical specialists (sustainability director, digital transformation lead) and sector-specific qualified positions. The process typically takes 6-12 weeks and is usually completed with a success rate of 75-95%.
Recruitment Metrics
Modern HR manages the recruitment process not intuitively but through measurable indicators. The key metrics to track:
| Metric | Definition | Ideal Range |
|---|---|---|
| Time-to-Fill | Days from job posting to offer acceptance | 30-45 days (specialist), 60-90 days (executive) |
| Quality of Hire | The 6/12-month performance score of the hired candidate | Above 4/5 |
| Source of Hire | Distribution of candidate sources (referral, posting, headhunting) | A referral share of 30%+ is preferred |
| Cost per Hire | Total recruitment cost per position | 15-25% of the position's salary |
| Offer Acceptance Rate | Acceptance rate of offered positions | Above 85% |
| Early Turnover | Rate of departures within 6 months | Below 5% |
Talent Pool Management
Instead of running recruitment intuitively and as crisis management, building proactive talent pools is becoming increasingly common. In this approach, the qualified profiles the organization may need in the future are defined in advance, and relationships with passive candidates are kept warm through continuous communication. When a position opens, instead of starting a search from scratch, the organization moves quickly from the existing pool.
Recruitment is not about filling an empty seat; it is about building the organization's future. The right candidate is evaluated not only on technical competence but also on cultural fit, willingness to learn and a long-term career perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the headhunting fee determined?
There are two main models. The fixed fee (retainer) ranges between 20-30% of the annual gross salary and is paid before the process begins. The success-based fee (contingency) is also 20-30% of the annual gross salary, but is paid when the candidate is placed. The retainer model offers a more in-depth search and a longer contractual guarantee.
- How long should the interview process be?
A 3-5 stage interview process is the most common approach. Much longer processes cause qualified candidates to accept other offers. More than 5 stages turns the process itself into a bottleneck. To shorten the timeline, running some stages in parallel is recommended.
- What does a structured interview mean?
An interview method in which all candidates are asked the same set of questions and answers are scored on a standard scale. The behavioral interview (examples from past experience) and the situational interview (how one would approach hypothetical scenarios) are the most common types. It significantly reduces subjective evaluation.
- How is KVKK compliance ensured in recruitment?
Candidate data (CV, interview notes, reference information) falls within the scope of personal data. Since no contractual necessity arises under KVKK Art. 5/2-c, explicit consent becomes the primary legal basis. A privacy notice must be presented to the candidate at the application stage, and the data of unsuccessful candidates must be deleted after a defined period (usually 1-2 years).