The war for talent among hedge funds and private-equity firms has always been a fiercely contested one. Firms are eager to land the top talent, whether it's poaching them from banks or pulling them directly from the top MBA programs. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of young people early in their career on Wall Street hoping to make the jump to the buy side. Many are eager to help manage investments at massive, high-profile shops such as Blackstone, Apollo Global, and Citadel. Headhunting firms play a key role in the entire process.