'headhunt' originates from the English words 'head' and 'hunt', where 'head' refers to a person and 'hunt' means to search or seek.

'headhunt' evolved from the practice of seeking out individuals for leadership roles, combining 'head' (leader) and 'hunt' (search).

Initially, it meant 'to search for leaders', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'actively recruiting individuals from other companies'.