Finding the right person, for the right job can be difficult. And perhaps the reasoning for this comes down to this – people actively searching for jobs only account for roughly 30% of the total working population. The remaining 70% consists of what you would call ‘passive candidates’.
A passive candidate is someone who is not actively searching for a job and is usually happy in their current role. Causing problems for recruiters and businesses looking to tap into this extensive pool of talent.
You’ve probably encountered it in your own recruiting efforts: The best talent out there typically doesn’t have to look for a job. Making your careers page, your recruiter emails, and your marketing – rather moot.
So, how do you attract passive candidates who aren’t eagerly searching and are easily deterred by spammy recruiter outreach?
Here are 6 tips to attract passive candidates:
1. Get to know your passive candidates’ specific needs and desires.
Passive candidates need to understand that the opportunity at your business is better than their current position. You can do this by first building a relationship with the candidate. Talk to them about their needs and wants. By doing this, you’ll uncover their career goals and what opportunities they may be seeking. While passive candidates are often content in their current role, there may be something you can uncover that will lead them to realise that your open position is a better fit for them.
2. Work on your personal brand.
A personal brand is who you are, what you stand for and what differentiates you as a recruiter. Showcase this. Engage in online discussions, look beyond job boards, and create useful valuable content across various online mediums. The more visible you are, the greater chance a passive candidate has to stumble on your messages, including job posts. If they connect with your personal brand and what you represent, your next outreach will be more successful. If you don’t know where to start, here’s a guide we prepared for you!
3. Think bigger than just LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is plagued with overuse, misuse and increasing competition from recruiters looking to find top candidates. For active candidates, recruiter outreach on the platform is just part of the job search. For passive candidates, it is just an irritating reminder of what awaits them should they begin their next job search. Look for alternatives to LinkedIn, find where these passive candidates are and create a presence. Look no further than the this list we already prepared for you.
4. Create an employee referral program.
Talented people tend to stick together, and your current employees usually know what the right fit for your company looks like. Turn your entire workforce into an army of recruiters. This will not only save time and costs of recruitment, but you will potentially uncover talented passive candidates. Offer incentives to employees to participate in your referral program.
5. Focus on candidate experience.
A passive candidate isn’t looking for a job. Any friction when interacting with your messaging, or when applying to your job posting, will send them running in the opposite direction. Invest in streamlining your recruitment process, reduce the amount of time and effort required for each applicant and make sure your technology is simple and easy to use. To find out more ways of optimising your candidate’s experience, read more on how to improve candidate experience.
6. Work on your reputation and online reviews.
Whether you’re buying a new smartphone, signing up to a gym or researching potential recruiters – the first place you look is online. Research shows that 91% of people regularly or occasionally read online reviews, and moreover, 84% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. If your Glassdoor or Google reviews are reflective of a bad workplace or bad recruiting practices, all of your other efforts will fall flat. Ask for reviews from customers and learn how to optimise them. To save you time, check out the most convenient all-in-one review management platform tool here.
It appears that playing ‘hard to get’ doesn’t just work in dating, it works for recruting as well. There is just something about candidates who aren’t actively searching for an opportunity that makes them appear more desirable. But, don’t get tunnel vision. Even the most talented individuals can find themselves needing to look for a job.
The above steps, won’t just help attract passive candidates, but also the active ones by default. Increasing your odds of finding the right fit. Find where your passive candidates are and deliver value to them – you’ll find they’ll seek you out.
In summary, here are 6 successful ways of attracting passive candidates:
1) Get to know your passive candidates’ specific needs and desires
2) Work on your personal brand
3) Think bigger than just LinkedIn
4) Create an employee referral program
5) Focus on candidate experience
6) Work on your reputation and online reviews
RECOMMENDED READING If you enjoyed reading this blog post, why not dive deeper and learn more about Improving Candidate Experience: - 6 Ways To Decide Between 2 Amazing Candidates - 4 Steps To Prevent Candidate Ghosting - Why Building Trust Is Important For Recruiters - 3 Biggest Mistakes That Hurt The Candidate Experience
