Headhunters and tailor-made recruitment
Whatever the nature of your needs,
Why turn to recruitment and personalized headhunting?
Montréal’s job market may seem paradoxical: although unemployment is rising to 7.0% in the CMA (June 2025) and employment growth is slowing (+1.3% since January 2025), businesses are facing a phenomenon that is getting worse year after year: the shortage of qualified talent, particularly among executives, professionals and technical experts.
More than 60% of Quebec companies say they are unable to recruit executives, a problem exacerbated by high turnover and post-hire salary renegotiation. At the same time, the INEQ counts 194,145 vacancies in Quebec (+38% in 2 years) and nearly 1.4 million positions will need to be filled by 2028, mainly in qualified positions.
In this context of widening gaps between supply and demand, successful companies rely on a partner who can not only fill a position, but ensure a sustainable strategic advantage.
That’s what HERARH, a Montreal-based executive search, headhunting and strategic talent acquisition company, is doing.
Shortages persist despite rising unemployment
Market signals confirm a little-known truth: Although unemployment is on the rise (7.0% in the CMA, 8.9% downtown), this does not make it easy to recruit management profiles. The figures even prove the opposite:
- The unemployment-to-job ratio remains very low in skilled occupations (≈2.6 in the Q1 2025 CMA).
- The targeted candidates (IT managers, CFOs, organizational transformation directors, construction or health executives) are already in place, passive, rarely on the market.
- Companies are hit by mass departures and ageing: more than 1.4 million positions to be filled by 2028, a large part of which is in leadership.
The professional and scientific industries (finance, engineering, consulting) continue to grow in Montreal, intensifying the competition for strategic talent.
Consequences:
- Longer hiring times
- Soaring turnover costs
- Organizational instability due to rapid renegotiations
- Limited access to competent international profiles
In this context, headhunting is no longer a luxury, but a business lever
When to call on headhunting pros?
The profiles you are looking for do not appear in the incoming applications
The best talent is in place, not active on LinkedIn and never appears in classic ATS.
Hiring delays impact business performance
Each month of vacancy in a key position (IT, finance, management) generates:
- Loss of income
- Operational risks
- Team exhaustion
- Critical project delays
Confidential profile hunting?
Reshuffle, surprise departure, tactical opening... Some mandates require absolute discretion.
Companies need to ensure post-hire stability, which is only possible with a rigorous hunting process, as executives have a high turnover rate.
Today, a headhunter is:
- Market Analyst
- Organizational Strategist
- Employer Brand Ambassador
- occupational psychologist
- Experienced negotiator
- Integration Advisor
HERARH is at this crossroads.
Immersion in your business reality
Strategic analysis and understanding of the issues
Each mandate begins with an immersion in your business reality:
- Growth objectives
- Corporate culture
- Structural barriers
- Essential Skills
- Financial or operational issues of the position
- Organizational risks
- Technology Readiness
- Ongoing changes
In contrast to transactional approaches, HERARH positions itself as a business advisor in the analysis of needs – and not a CV provider.
When to use recruitment and headhunting
Our expertise covers several areas of human resources.
You are looking for one or more expert or very specialized profiles in a field
Are you looking for a rare, technical, regulated or shortage profile? Our recruiters and headhunters deploy a targeted and reactive method to find the right profiles, even if they are hidden, passive or difficult to access. You save time, without sacrificing quality.
You want to entrust the steps that hinder your recruitment
Are there steps that waste your time or unnecessarily mobilize your team? Benefit from punctual reinforcement to speed up the pre-selection, organize interviews or complete follow-ups. Our recruiters adapt to your process to help you move forward, quickly and well.
You want to revisit your recruitment practices with a professional eye
Need to take a step back from your recruitment practices? Our talent acquisition specialists can travel on time to audit your current processes, identify the obstacles to your efficiency and offer you concrete and realistic ways to improve your business reality.
Do you need to outsource your recruitment?
An HR person joins your team at your own pace and manages your HR like an employee. We provide administrative management and coordination of the project, expertise and tools. The best of both worlds, and you can focus on your life!
Talent Mapping
And market intelligence
Based on recent data (jobs, wages, mobility, shortage by sector), HERARH establishes a tailor-made map:
- Where are the talents?
- In which sectors?
- Are they mobile?
- Which competitors appeal to them?
- What salary positioning is realistic?
This allows the company to hire on facts, not on intuition.
HERARH differentiates itself by a multi-channel direct hunt that goes far beyond classic ad serving techniques.
We personally reach out to passive and highly qualified talent through an approach combining confidential 1-to-1 approach, activation of specialized networks, data-driven research, detection of weak signals (mobility, maturity, values, projects) and psychological approach techniques supported by modern tools – without ever replacing human judgment. This ability to access profiles that are invisible to most companies is then complemented by an in-depth assessment where we validate technical skills, but also leadership, risk management, decision-making agility, cultural fit, performance track record and potential for transformation.
Our final choice is based on an analysis grid, structured interviews, behavioural assessments and controls. Once the candidate has been selected, HERARH remains involved until his or her integration: final negotiation, salary benchmarking, management of counter-offer risks, support over the first 90 days and retention – a crucial phase in a high-turnover market.
Our sector specialization encompasses the sectors with the most shortages: IT, finance, construction, public and parapublic, professional and scientific.
Finally, what makes the difference at HERARH is our mix of data-driven analysis, high-end direct approach, knowledge of the Montreal market, sector expertise and human and transparent advisory support, where we are a true strategic partner and not just a service provider.
| Key | Elements Category |
|---|---|
| Multi-channel direct flush | • Confidential 1-to-1 approach • Activation of specialized networks • Advanced search by data • Analysis of weak signals (mobility, projects, maturity, values) • Psychological approach techniques • Contemporary tools (without replacing human judgment)→ Privileged access to passive and ultra-skilled talents |
| Assessment and selection | • Leadership Validation & Influence • Risk management • Decision-making agility• Cultural alignment • Performance history • Professional stability • Processing capabilities • Emotional Intelligence • Potential for progression Methods: structured interviews, behavioural analysis, in-depth checks |
| Support & integration | • Final negotiation• Salary comparative analysis • Management of counter-offer risk • Structured integration over 90 days • Long-term retention support |
| Sector expertise | Information Technology & Digital Transformation: IT Directors, Solution Architects, Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation, DevOps Finance & governance: financial management, management control, risks, compliance, audit Construction, engineering, real estate: project managers, site managers, real estate governance, health and safety Public/parapublic sectors: health, education (5,700 vacancies), government agencies Professional & Scientific Services: Senior Consultants, Strategy Directors, Transformation |
| Strategic Market Context | • More than 60% of companies are struggling to recruit professionals • Longer hiring times • Increased turnover and frequent renegotiations • Qualified candidates difficult to reach→ Executive recruitment is becoming a critical organizational issue |
| HERARH differentiators | 1. Data-driven analysis: shortages, mobility, wages, official projections 2. Superior Direct Approach: Profiles Invisible to Traditional Firms 3. Mastery of the Montreal market: IT, finance, downtown, saturation of professional services 4. Strong industry experience: operational understanding of industries 5. Human and advisory support: HERARH acts as a member of your team |
FAQ
The recruiter works mainly on active applications.
The headhunter is an expert in directly approaching passive talent, especially for strategic positions.
To save time, secure a key recruitment, avoid casting errors and access inaccessible profiles.
Headhunters’ ability to find passive candidates is one of the most impressive aspects of their recruitment expertise. To do this, they use a range of techniques and resources. First, headhunters use their extensive professional network to connect with individuals who are not actively looking for a new job. This network allows them to identify highly qualified candidates who are potentially interested in new and exciting opportunities.
In addition, headhunters also leverage professional social media such as LinkedIn to spot and approach passive candidates. They use relevant keywords and search filters to find profiles that match the specific skills and qualifications they are looking for. With these proactive methods, headhunters are able to reach candidates who may not be visible through traditional recruitment channels.
Depending on the rarity of the profile, 4 to 12 weeks.
It is a strategic investment, as the cost of poor executive recruitment can exceed 1 to 3 times the annual salary.
Yes, for delicate replacements, restructuring, management positions.
How does HERARH ensure retention?
Through an approach of in-depth assessment, integration support and behavioural analysis.