Not so much a business idea - although it could extend into that space - more of an observation of issues with the recruitment industry.

I'm fortunate(?) enough to have had encounters with high level Exec Search firms and Head Hunters as both a client and a candidate over the last few years.

The experience as a candidate is often disappointing whilst the corporate side of things has problems of their own: exclusivity on the search, high fees, claw back clauses that are not always very equitable etc.

This is no slight upon the professionals I've worked with in the talent industry, it's merely a recognition of the dynamics at play - the Head Hunter's true goal is to fulfil their clients brief and receive payment for delivering this service. Ideally they achieve this as quickly as possible (certainly within the exclusivity period), with a candidate who comes in at the top of the potential pay band, that performs well enough to last beyond any contractual claw-back points.

The recruiter might try to influence the client if they have particularly strong views for (or indeed, against) a given candidate but at the end of the day as long as they fill the role in a satisfactory manner everything is fine.

As a candidate I have spent many hours on the phone with Head Hunters filling them in on my background, talking about what I'm looking to do next and being sold, in turn, on exciting new opportunities, only to be left disappointed when the client goes with someone with completely different skills and experiences. Or even worse finding out a week later that the position has been filled without ever having had the opportunity to put myself in front of the hiring company.

And I understand. No matter how mature the process and how well it seems to be going the Head Hunter needs to keep generating a candidate pipeline, they need to keep driving people into their recruitment funnel against the current candidates falling down. But it's that very fact, the funneliness of it all, the game of numbers, that means candidates will never be a priority for the Head Hunter.

On the business side meanwhile I've always struggled with the degree of separation that lies between you and a potential candidate when instructing a head hunter - how do you properly get this person up to speed on your company to the point where they can accurate represent the opportunities and challenges that you have to offer?

This is how things have been done for many years though, so how could things be done differently?

I think the relationship should work like it does between artists (writers, actors, musicians etc.) and their managers. Rather than companies appointing head hunters talented professionals would acquire Agents.

Businesses no longer have to worry about exclusivity. As long as the role they are offering is interesting and compelling they wouldn't need to worry about generating candidate pipelines either as there is now a layer of individuals (the Agents) motivated to find their clients exciting opportunities so they would be coming to the businesses with potential fits. Changes to the business model would mean that the agent would have a vested interest in the candidates they place not just out-lasting the 4-6 month long claw back clauses but actually delivering and succeeding over the medium to long term as well.

On the talent side you would no longer need job hunt. You could develop a real, long term, relationship with your Agent who would come to you with exciting opportunities as they arrose. If you were actively looking to move they could start to shop you around, without any additional input or effort on your part, whilst you continue to perform in your current role.

Having taken on the position of the Agent they could also be deployed to handle internal and commercial negotiations. Getting promoted or moving into a new position within the same company? Have your Agent negotiate your new compensation package for you. Your company being acquired? Have them review the offer from the new, merged, entity. These can be difficult conversations. By inserting an intermediary into the mix the Business and the Talent can retain a positive, and productive, working relationship whilst ensuring far market rates.