Executive search firms specialize in recruiting, essentially they deal in human capitol. Many professional or highly specialized fields that are looking for new employers don’t have the time or resources to locate and persuade people on their own so they enlist the help of these professional “headhunters” to do the leg work for them. These companies have access to colleges, universities, companies, networks, and any other outlet that they can use to find people with potential. While these services are used in many industries across the spectrum, here are three fields they can be especially useful.

1.) Flexible Packaging: The flexible packaging industry is a burgeoning field that has really taken off in the last decade or so. The prevalence of its use in food packaging is one of the biggest reasons as it accounts for about 58% of the market. Executive search firms are ideal for this industry as it is relatively small. The entire industry only directly employs approximately 79,000 people. With such a specialized field businesses want to find people with knowledge and experience. In many cases they’re probably going to have to try and pluck talent from rival businesses. Remember, they’re called headhunters for a reason.


2.) Electronic Security: Another industry that is rapidly advancing thanks to the technology now available is the security field. Growing at a rate of about 4.3% every year businesses are using electronic security systems with robotics and digital alarm systems to protect themselves. You’re going to need people with the right experience to operate these areas though. Most companies don’t want to go through the screening process of sorting through potential candidates in the security industry. Military transition recruiters are one particular form of executive search firms that many big companies like use for their security needs.


3.) Pharmaceutical: Big Pharma has been a dominant part of the American landscape for many years now. With so much money at stakes it’s no wonder these companies prefer to choose from a pool of qualified candidates at their disposal. While the field is a bit bigger than flexible packaging (290,780 pharmacists in the U.S. in 2014), it still requires a particular set of skills and certifications. Pharmaceutical recruiters can find the right person for a hospital, clinic, research institution etc.