Direct approach in recruitment:
the method, step by step

The direct approach, or headhunting, means reaching out to employed candidates who do not apply: the recruiter targets companies and functions, identifies the people, then contacts them one by one. It is used for rare or confidential profiles, and follows six steps, from the client brief to presenting the shortlist.

Here is when to use it, the method step by step, the channels and the rules to follow.

Article checked on 11 November 2026.

What is the direct approach in recruitment?

The direct approach is a recruitment method where the recruiter takes the initiative: they identify people in work who match the need and contact them, instead of posting a job and waiting for applications. It is the core of a headhunter's job, and a common tool for generalist agencies on hard-to-fill roles.

It differs from a job ad by its target. An ad reaches active candidates, those who are looking. The direct approach reaches passive candidates, who are employed and not looking, but will listen to a well-presented proposal. It is one of the stages of sourcing in recruitment, and the most time-consuming.

It is also called headhunting, search or, for senior roles, executive search.

When to use a direct approach rather than a job ad

The direct approach is worth the time when a job ad will not do: a rare profile, candidates already employed and solicited, or a confidential hire (replacing an executive, creating a role that must not leak). For a role that attracts plenty of applications, posting a job remains faster.

Typical situations:

• The profile is rare. A specialised engineer, a CFO in a specific sector: good candidates are few and do not read job ads.
• The hire is confidential. The client does not want a competitor or their own team to learn about the search.
• The market is tight. The best profiles are already solicited; waiting for them to apply means leaving them to someone else.
• The client pays for a search. A retained assignment often includes a market map.

The method, step by step

A direct approach follows six steps: the brief with the client, mapping the companies where the right profiles work, identifying the people, the first message, the screening call, then the client presentation. Skipping a step costs you later, often with a shortlist that does not hold.

1. The brief. With the client, set the role, the must-have skills, the salary, the companies where you must not headhunt (their clients, their subsidiaries) and what makes the role attractive. That last point will feed the first message.

2. Mapping target companies. List the companies where the profile exists: the client's competitors, companies in the same sector, of the same size, or using the same technology. A good map also serves as a deliverable for the client.

3. Identification. In each company, find the people in the function. Start with your talent pool: a candidate you met two years ago may be in the target. Then LinkedIn, with Boolean search on LinkedIn to narrow results, and company websites.

4. The first message. Short, personal, focused on the person and the role: why you are contacting them in particular, what is special about the role, and a simple question. Our article on the candidate outreach message details the structure.

5. The screening call. It checks interest, motivation to move, salary, availability and key skills. Note it on the record: that is what lets you present the candidate without calling them again.

6. The client presentation. A short, reasoned shortlist, with for each candidate what matches the brief and what remains to be checked.

Outreach channels and their order

The most used channel is LinkedIn, by invitation then message, or by InMail. Work or personal email, phone and WhatsApp come next, often for a follow-up or once first contact is made. Varying channels raises the chance of being read, as long as you do not multiply messages.

A common order:

1. LinkedIn invitation, with or without a note depending on your account type.
2. LinkedIn message once the invitation is accepted, or InMail if you have a paid account.
3. Email, a few days later, if the first message went unanswered.
4. Call or WhatsApp, for a priority profile, once you have a number.

To find contact details without breaking the rules, see finding a candidate's phone number or email.

The rules to follow

The direct approach processes personal data collected without going through the person: name, role, career, contact details. The GDPR allows it for recruitment, on the basis of legitimate interest, provided you inform the person at the latest at the first contact and respect their wish not to be contacted again.

In practice:

• The first message informs. Who you are, which agency, where the information came from (their LinkedIn profile, a referral) and how to ask not to be contacted again.
• A refusal is recorded. The person who says no must not receive the next automatic follow-up, nor an approach from a colleague next month.
• Sources stay professional. The French data protection authority (CNIL) recommends consulting only a candidate's professional networks and sites.
• Your commitments to clients count too. Do not headhunt from an active client, and respect the non-solicitation clauses you signed.

For the detail of the rules (legal basis, one-month deadline, retention), see finding a candidate's phone number or email.

Tracking a search without losing the thread

A search produces dozens of contacts over a few weeks: approached, followed up, interested, declined, callbacks planned. Without tracking, two consultants approach the same person, a follow-up goes to someone who said no, and a good profile who declined today is forgotten for the next assignment. Tracking happens on each person's record.

What you need to see at a glance on each record:

• the date and channel of the first contact, and who made it;
• the answer, and the reason in case of refusal ("not before next year", "salary too low");
• the notes from the screening call;
• the assignments for which the person has already been approached.

A candidate who said "not now" can become the right candidate for the next assignment, provided you can find them again.

In Marvin

In Marvin, AI sourcing starts from your brief: it searches your talent pool first, then the LinkedIn profiles your agency has already retrieved, then, with your LinkedIn account connected, live on LinkedIn, and ranks each profile against the role. Before approaching someone, their record shows who has already met them, when, and what was said.

Sequences chain LinkedIn invitations and messages, email and WhatsApp, with delays and conditions. Each message is sent from the consultant's own account, with cautious quotas adapted to their LinkedIn account type and random delays between sends. Replies land on the record, and a reply stops the sequence. Marvin does not send text messages.

Email and phone come from a separate enrichment that you run on a profile when you need it, using your credits.

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