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Lauren. How is it that a person becomes a partner in a head hunting company in the Czech Republic?
By chance, I had been working on the business side of the automotive industry for 20 years. One day, a friend asked me, "Why don't you become a headhunter?" At first, I thought it was a joke, but then I contacted a headhunting company, and they were interested in hiring me. That’s when I realized there could be something worthwhile in this path. So, I decided to become a headhunter, and I must say, I’m happy every single day to do this job. It makes sense to me because we help find the right person for the right role at the right time.
Arthur Hunt is one of the most prestigious headhunting firms in the Czech Republic. What range of services do you offer? Is it limited to recruitment, or is there more?
Yes, of course, we focus on recruitment, especially for top positions, board members, and managerial roles. Often, we take on positions that companies struggle to fill on their own. But that's just one part of what we do. We also offer consulting services. We maintain regular contact with our clients, helping them attract and retain new talent. We even offer workshops on the "reason for being," which help employees work more effectively, understand one another, and foster a more human-centered organization. Our mission, or our purpose, is to grow people and make them stronger. This applies not only to the individuals at Arthur Hunt but also to the companies we partner with and their employees.
Why should companies still use your services? We’re in the 21st century with so many platforms - Instagram, Facebook, and numerous recruitment apps. Isn’t it a bit old-fashioned to call a headhunter when you could just use these platforms to find a candidate?
One of the reasons I became a headhunter is that I disliked how the recruitment process was often reduced to simply copy-pasting job titles and skills; it’s much more complex than that. Our first step is understanding the company’s culture by personally meeting with CEOs and HR directors to select the right organizations for collaboration. We seek leaders with humility and spend time visiting companies to grasp their environment fully.
While we have a database of 40,000 contacts, we go beyond that to understand the market deeply, often surprising clients with innovative candidates rather than just standard ones. This expertise is crucial, as hiring the right person can significantly save costs by boosting performance and morale, while the wrong hire can lead to substantial losses. Ultimately, working with executive search firms like ours is a smart investment.
Let’s step aside from recruitment for a moment. You're French, and you’ve been living in the Czech Republic for nearly eight years now.
Yes, I first came here in 2007, and I fell in love with the Czech Republic, as well as with my wife, who is Czech. I was really drawn to the architecture of Prague, and I must say, I really appreciate Czech people because they are very authentic. Now, I've settled here, and my wife is teaching at the Lycée Français.
What do you find different about Czech culture? Not just compared to France, but to Western Europe as a whole?
As I mentioned, Czechs are authentic, and they need to understand the purpose behind what they do. If they don’t see the sense in something, they simply won’t do it, and they will tell you directly. This can be challenging at first, but if you can instill a sense of purpose in your company, they become highly motivated. They may even surprise you with their creativity and ideas, which I’ve really enjoyed while working with Czechs.
Was there something that particularly surprised you about the Czech people or their culture?
Yes, I was often surprised, especially when new employees would come to me and ask, "Boss, what should I do?" My response was always, "What is your dream? What do you want to do?" If you give Czech people the freedom to act, though it might take some repetition, they create a positive atmosphere and show great loyalty. Believe me, in times of crisis or difficulty, I’m very glad to have Czech people on my team - they’re the first to step up and face the challenge.
Would you say your business is based on long-term relationships? Do you work with clients over a longer period, or is it more transactional - placing a candidate and then not engaging with the company for a few years?
It’s definitely about relationships. We don’t just place candidates and move on. For me, it’s not about one-off transactions. I want to build long-term relationships, to place candidates and then follow their development within the company. Just a couple of weeks ago, I attended an event at the French Chamber of Commerce and met with people I had placed years ago. We had a wonderful conversation, and I felt very proud, knowing I had contributed to their success. The long-term relationship, the coaching, the ongoing development - that’s what’s most rewarding for me. And sometimes, these relationships turn into friendships, which is even more valuable.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
It’s always a matter of discernment, a word that we use in both French and English. Discernment means balancing and choosing the right option. We need to carefully select the right clients we want to cooperate with for the long term and find the right candidates for their companies. We also need to put ourselves in the shoes of the hiring director because they are entrusting us with a significant responsibility. We’re not just filling a position - we’re changing someone’s life, so we can’t take it lightly. We have to be very professional and serious in making these decisions, and I’ve spent a lot of time studying how to help managers make the right decisions.
If you were to give advice to potential candidates and companies, what are the biggest mistakes candidates make that sometimes cost them the job?
Not getting the job is not necessarily a mistake - it can actually be the right outcome. One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is accepting a job just because it’s with a prestigious company or because of the salary. For me, that’s a misstep if it’s their main motivation. That’s why we’re here, to really understand what environment will suit them and what is important to them.
I’ve developed a half-hour coaching session to help candidates express their purpose, to understand their talents, what they can contribute to others, and how they can best perform. I use this for every final candidate to ensure they will be happy and contribute positively to the company’s environment.
And when it comes to companies, what mistakes do they tend to make?
Sometimes companies handle the hiring process themselves or go through traditional agencies, and they end up with hundreds of CVs. They don’t have the time to properly select from such a large pool, so they might pick the first one and say, “Let’s give them a chance.” For me, that’s a mistake. That’s where our job as executive recruiters comes in - we sift through those hundreds of candidates to narrow it down to two, three, or four. Then we present those few to the company and say, “These are the people we believe could be a great fit for your company.”
When we were preparing for this interview, you mentioned that recruitment is not the only service you provide to clients. What other services do you offer?
In our field, we have a genuine passion for people, which is why we organize meetings for HR managers and CEOs to foster face-to-face interactions that reveal insights about ourselves and our potential. Our recruitment efforts extend beyond our offices to these events, where participants share relevant challenges and practical solutions, creating a collaborative environment.
One initiative we’re launching is the New Gen Academy, starting in October, designed for passionate young professionals who aspire to transform their companies through quarterly group meetings. We also offer consulting services, such as our "Reason of Being" program, helping board members articulate their purpose and enhance team communication and innovation. Ultimately, we ensure participants leave with actionable strategies they can implement immediately.
What sets Arthur Hunt apart from other recruitment firms in the Czech Republic, and what is your specialization? Do you handle all types of positions that companies need?
We can handle pretty much any position that a company struggles to fill on their own. Large companies often have their own recruitment teams, and we collaborate with them. They typically handle the easier-to-fill positions, but when they face challenges, or when the hiring director says, "We’re affecting the business by not filling this role," that’s when they call us. Even if it’s a smaller position, we can be flexible with pricing, but we apply the same rigorous methodology as we do for top-level roles.
What makes us different is that about 80% of our consultants have international experience - they’ve worked abroad, and many of them have held managerial or executive roles in companies. This means they really understand what it’s like to be in the client’s shoes because they’ve been there themselves.
How do you respond to those who argue that headhunters are expensive compared to online tools or in-house training, and how do you justify that investment?
Yes, we definitely pay off. As I mentioned, we constantly screen the market, interview thousands of candidates, and maintain a database of people we track. In the end, when a company recruits the right person, that individual performs well, fits into the company culture, improves team efficiency, and positively impacts the business. On the contrary, if the wrong person is hired, the consequences for the company can be quite damaging. It's easy to see the negative impact on the business when this happens. So, ultimately, we are less expensive than if a company tries to handle recruitment on its own or through traditional methods.
So you truly believe that using specialists like yourself or your company significantly reduces the chances of making recruitment mistakes?
Absolutely. It comes down to experience. We do this every day, so we're experts in our field, just like in any other job. Of course, mistakes can happen, but our expertise allows us to work closely with our clients. I always tell my clients at the beginning that when we start working together, it should feel like we’re in the same company, working from neighboring offices. When I present a candidate, I ask for feedback within one or two days. Even a "no" is a valuable response for us, as it helps us adjust. However, if 10 days pass without an interview, I’ll call the client and say, "We have a problem." It's all about open communication.
Do you have a particular experience that stands out - one where you felt especially proud and satisfied with the outcome?
Yes, I recall one HR manager we placed in a production company years ago. She was probably an underdog in the shortlist. She had spent time in France, but came back here, and I had a feeling she would thrive on the shop floor, working with 400-500 people and helping the CEO shape the company’s strategy. She proved she could do it. Last year, I was invited to a company ball she had almost entirely organized herself - it was amazing. I felt incredibly proud. She still attends our HR events, and it’s very rewarding to see her success.
After all these years of experience, do you think there’s such a thing as instinct or intuition when evaluating candidates? Companies often rely on testing, raw data, questionnaires, and psychometric testing. Do you believe in an instinct for recruitment?
I wouldn’t call it instinct; I’d call it methodology. Psychometric tests can be helpful, but in my opinion, they’re even more valuable for onboarding than recruitment. When using psychometric tests, I don’t just present the results - I provide an interpretation, which is a great way to explore other areas and better understand how to onboard someone effectively.
At the end of the day, the decision belongs to the client. Our job is to help them make the right decision, not to decide for them. Sometimes, yes, there can be intuition. I define intuition as something you just know, without any doubt. But it's rare - it’s more often about guiding the hiring director to make an informed decision through discussion.