5 Powerful Ways to Recruit Passive Candidates

Ever find yourself waiting in vain for the perfect candidate? With the dynamic challenges faced by recruitment nowadays, it’s no longer enough to stand by until the right applicants roll in. You have to innovate your recruiting strategy and cast a wider net to meet the ever-evolving demands for great talents with the right skill set. One way to stay ahead is to recruit passive candidates. These are individuals who are not actively seeking a job but open to hear out career opportunities. According to LinkedIn, they make up 70% of the global labor pool that can supply your needs for niche and top-notch talents.

Compared to recruiting active candidates, seeking out this market may cause you to jump through hoops but it’s worth the effort invested. Passive candidates are highly sought after because they have the right skills you need, they’re likely performing well in their organization, and not interviewing elsewhere so you can expect less competition.

If your company is doing the default strategy of active recruitment and you keep hitting a brick wall, learn how to approach talents who are not in the job market.

Here are 5 Powerful Ways to Recruit Passive Candidates

1. Strengthen your employer branding

In today’s hyper-connected world, a strong employer brand is essential to recruit passive candidates. You should establish a reputable and engaging online presence because the kind of workforce we have today has changed. Potential new hires rely heavily on internet and company reviews to get a sense of what your organization is like.

That means you have to polish up your website and maximize social media. Sky’s the limit when it comes to the content you can create but it’s best to highlight the work-life culture in your organization because it will send a powerful message to passive candidates. It’s also a great idea to feature your company’s journey and employees’ success stories.

If done right, you’ll draw passive candidates who will be excited to speak with your company. Keep in mind that by making your brand and culture appealing, you’ll definitely have a better chance of having passive talents sit in with you for an interview.

2. Know your candidate

It’s very likely that your target candidate has been approached by many recruiters already. To distinguish yourself from all the competitive noise, do proper research and pin down their areas of comforts and challenges.

Go over their work history, skills, and even interests beyond work. This information will reveal the key things that motivate them. Discover any parts of their current role that they’re challenged with so you can gauge if your company can provide better opportunities. It will also help you establish common ground and rapport. When doing passive outreach, remember to always know your candidate, personalize your approach, and make it compelling enough for them to consider moving.

3. Don’t oversell

A soft approach is key to get the attention of passive candidates. It’s very tempting to share how amazing the job opening is, but overwhelming them with loads of information and convoluted job descriptions will only push them away.

On your initial reach out, make sure to position your company in the best light possible. Listen intelligently to know if they’re an excellent fit for your organization and vice versa. See to it that your pitch is friendly, short, and informative. Be upfront about what made them stand out to you and why a career move would benefit them.

Above all, you should give full disclosure of what they can expect if they decide to take a leap. This will help build trust and persuade them to take a serious look at your offer.

4. Follow up but don’t spam

Getting the attention of passive candidates is no easy feat. In reality, the majority of them won’t reply but this doesn’t mean they’re not interested. In most cases, it just falls on the timing.

If they didn’t respond after your first reach out, you can send them a brief message to follow up. Ask them if they had the time to consider your offer and if they would like to discuss it further.

Be persistent but not insistent. You don’t want to scare off your candidates by messaging them too much. Keep all contact light and friendly because even if they decide to pass on your offer now, they might reach out for another conversation later on.

5. Offer flexible recruitment options

Demanding passive candidates to go through a rigid recruitment process will only discourage them. They may have days crammed with meetings and their availability might not mesh with yours. Therefore, you have to skillfully design an outstanding candidate experience that won’t require too much from them.

Make use of flexible interviewing options like video or weekend interviews. By doing this, you can take away their worry of alerting their current employer that they’re exploring other career options.

Key Takeaways

Bear in mind that there are multiple companies vying for the attention of your passive candidates. You have to act swiftly and brace the methods above to get the best results possible and meet the unique talent needs of your business.