Headhunter - 英语词汇详解

Meaning 1：executive recruiter (Headhunter)

Headhunter 🔊

/ˈhɛdˌhʌntər/

A person whose job is to find and attract highly skilled people for companies, especially for important jobs.

executive recruiter 🔊

➕

/ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtɪv rɪˈkruːtər/

A professional who identifies and attracts highly skilled individuals, especially for senior or executive positions in organizations.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Combination of 'head' (chief) and 'hunter' (one who hunts), referring to someone who hunts for top talent.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a hunter searching for the 'head' (leader) of a company.

📖 Example

The tech company couldn't find the right sales director, so they contacted a headhunter for help. 🔊 The tech company couldn't find the right sales director, so they contacted a headhunter for help.

🔗 Collocations

headhunting firm – A company that specializes in executive search.

contact a headhunter – To reach out to a recruiter for job placement or talent sourcing.

headhunter fee – The commission or payment made to a headhunter upon successful placement.

🔄 Synonyms

recruiter (n.) – A person who finds and hires employees for an organization.

talent scout (n.) – Someone who searches for talented individuals, often in sports or entertainment, but also in business.

executive search consultant (n.) – A professional who specializes in recruiting senior-level executives.

🚫 Antonyms

job applicant (n.) – A person who applies for a job, rather than being sought after.

candidate (n.) – One who is being considered for a position, often having applied themselves.

🌱 Derivatives

headhunting (n.) – The practice of recruiting highly skilled personnel.

headhunt (v.) – To actively search for and recruit top talent.

📖 Cultural Story

Originally referred to a custom in some tribes of taking an enemy's head as a trophy. In modern business, it metaphorically describes recruiting top executives from other companies.