headhunting: Meaning and Definition of

head•hunt•ing

1. (among certain primitive peoples) the practice of hunting down and decapitating victims and preserving their heads as trophies.
2. the act or practice of actively searching for new employees, esp. for professionals or executives: Every June the electronics manufacturers go headhunting among the newly graduated engineers.
3. the act or practice of firing without cause, esp. someone disliked: Their periodic headhunting was a contributing factor in the company's failures.
4. the act or practice of trying to destroy the power, position, or influence of one's competitors or foes: Headhunting is ferocious in advertising.