Headhunting rope tricks

Master recruiter Peter Leffkowitz teaches senior execs how to lasso the talent in sessions at his 75-acre Tall Pony Ranch outside Kansas City, Mo., that sound as much like scenes out of “City Slickers” as they do human resources management seminars.

At a cost of as much as $50,000, participant dudes drop their watches in a cereal bowl in the kitchen and get their hands dirty, chopping wood and feeding horses between sessions with Leffkowitz, 45, a former record-setting headhunter for one of the Midwest’s largest contingency search firms.

Leffkowitz’s top tips include:

* Don’t sell the job: Let candidates sell themselves.

* Don’t do an interview: Let candidates give you an “inner view” by listening to their experiences and responsibilities.

* Don’t sell perks: Bring-your-pet-to-work benefits won’t win candidates. Sell the opportunity to do meaningful work with other smart, talented people.