A headhunter is a person or agency that recruits qualified professionals for open positions on behalf of companies or organizations.
The headhunter actively searches for candidates who meet the requirements and qualifications for specific positions and approaches these potential candidates directly, regardless of whether they are actively looking for a job or not.
Companies hire headhunters when they have difficulty finding suitable candidates for key positions or when they want discreet recruitment procedures where sensitive information should not be made public.