I can't say my own salary and lifestyle quite match those of Roger Brown, the headhunter in this enjoyable – if a tad violent – film based on the Jo Nesbø novel. He's the top headhunter in Norway, and has the beautiful wife and lavish apartment to prove it. Here's a man who can splash out £40,000 on a pair of earrings before dinner.

But Brown is also an art thief: he robs his rich, high-flying job candidates of their paintings, having found out lots of helpful personal details about their homes and circumstances during his interviews with them. Obviously, that's not something I'd contemplate, but I did see some interesting parallels with recruitment in Brown's five rules of theft. "Learn everything about a target," he says. That's something you must do with candidates. The line "Never leave any DNA," also rang true: you certainly shouldn't ever sleep with someone you're trying to place in a job.

Brown meets his match in Clas Greve, a CEO he interviews who is also a mercenary; Greve turns on Brown and things get violent. The power dynamics between them ring true, even if the violence is extreme. As headhunters, we are the gatekeepers to large salaries and powerful positions, but the interviewees also have the power to choose or refuse. I tell my staff to think of recruitment as a dating game: you mustn't allow a candidate to think you're too keen on them or it can tip the balance of power.

Brown's motives may be warped but he's a skilled interviewer, good at drawing out a person's personality and asking all about their interests outside work. That's exactly what a good headhunter should do. All too often, people end up getting hired for their skills and fired for their attitude.

The film talks about the importance for both headhunters and candidates of managing the big R: your reputation. That's spot-on. Anyone interested in scoring a top position should remove any incriminating evidence from their past – just as Brown carefully conceals his tracks after each heist.

• James Callander is MD of FreshMinds Talent. Headhunters is out now.