Finding a tech or semiconductor headhunting firm: how to assess industry-specialist headhunters and what to watch for when working together

1Why do tech and semiconductor companies especially need headhunters?

Finding people in tech and semiconductors comes with a few difficulties rarely seen in other industries:

• Good people are almost all employed: experienced engineers mostly stay put at major companies or in the supply chain and don't post resumes on job sites, so you have to go and find them.
• Functions are highly specialized: they're all called "engineers," but process, equipment, integration, facilities, and QA need completely different people — search in the wrong direction and the effort is wasted.
• Small circles, fast-moving news: advertising publicly can tip off competitors about your plans, and poaching can easily sour relationships, so many companies prefer to proceed confidentially.
• Complex compensation: beyond monthly salary there's the year-end bonus, profit sharing, employee compensation and stock. Candidates compare total compensation, so offering a monthly salary alone rarely closes the deal.
• Special working conditions: shift work, cleanrooms, factory-site locations, or postings overseas or in other cities all affect candidates' interest, so make them clear up front.

2Which tech roles are most often handed to headhunters?

3Industry-specialist vs. generalist headhunters: the difference and how to tell

Generalist headhunters take any industry, and their strength is breadth; industry-specialist headhunters work in only a few industries, and their strength is that they understand the need, know where the people are, and can persuade candidates. In your first meeting, you can ask these three questions to judge:

1. How is this role different from similar ones? For example, ask them to explain how the person they'd look for as a process engineer differs from an integration engineer. If they can answer, their search won't go off course.
2. Which companies and job levels is this kind of talent mostly in right now? A consultant who knows the industry can describe where the talent is and how job titles and levels map across companies.
3. How is a candidate's total compensation usually structured? A knowledgeable consultant will bring up year-end bonuses, profit sharing, stock, and shift allowances on their own, and help you judge whether the offer is competitive.

For other general criteria, such as whether the firm holds an employment services license and whether the same consultant stays with you throughout, see How to Choose a Headhunting Firm in Taiwan: 7 Criteria; for how headhunting consultants actually find people, see How Headhunters Find Candidates.

4Salary and fees: agree first on what “salary” includes

Tech candidates compare total compensation, which commonly includes monthly salary, year-end bonus, profit sharing or employee compensation, stock, and shift or on-site allowances. If you only look at monthly salary when making an offer, you can easily lose at the final stage to the current employer's retention offer.

This also affects headhunting fees. Fees are usually calculated on the candidate's salary, so whether "salary" means base pay only or also includes bonuses and stock can make a big difference to the amount. Before engaging a firm, make sure the calculation basis is written into the contract. For fee structures and the variables a quote won't show you, see How headhunting fees are calculated.

5Before poaching: non-compete agreements and trade secrets

The most common problem when poaching in tech is that the candidate has signed a post-employment non-compete agreement with their current employer. Under Article 9-1 of Taiwan's Labor Standards Act, such an agreement is valid only if it meets all four conditions: the employer has a legitimate business interest worth protecting, the worker's position involves access to trade secrets, the period and scope are reasonable, and the employer provides reasonable compensation; moreover, the period may not exceed two years.

What companies can do:

• In interviews, ask candidates whether they've signed a non-compete agreement, and its duration, scope and compensation terms.
• For positions with any doubts, have legal counsel or a lawyer assess them before hiring. Don't rely only on what the candidate tells you.
• Make it clear to candidates that they must not take any materials from their previous employer, so the company isn't drawn into a trade secrets dispute.

6Three tips for working with tech-industry headhunters

1. Have the hiring manager join the needs interview directly: HR can't always explain the technical details. Ten minutes from the manager can save several rounds of referrals.
2. Respond quickly to recommendations: strong tech candidates usually have several opportunities at once. Reply a week late, and they may have gone elsewhere.
3. Lay out the working conditions upfront: shifts, plant location, on-site placement, overseas assignment — the earlier the consultant knows, the sooner unsuitable candidates can be filtered out.

For the full collaboration process and contract terms, see How Taiwanese companies work with headhunters.

7FAQ

Related reading: How to find a headhunting consultant · How to choose a headhunting firm in Taiwan · How headhunting fees are calculated · Why semiconductor fabs keep running short of engineering project talent