In the unforgiving terrain of Top Talent recruitment, “passive candidates” are now the difference markers in any organization seeking to separate itself from the mediocre masses. These individuals, inarguably the true treasures of the candidate market rarely have desire to seek other jobs. And yet, routinely make career moves when presented with attractive opportunities. Given this…identifying who passive candidates are, understanding their value, effectively targeting them and avoiding pitfalls when pursuing them will substantially enhance a company’s recruitment results.
Who Are Passive Candidates?
Passive candidates are individuals currently employed, fully engaged in their roles and not seeking new opportunities. LinkedIn research reveals that 70% of the global workforce falls into the category of passive candidates. Content in their current roles, seemingly fulfilled with their work they are simply not engaged in the job search process…in fact, they might never openly engage in the job search process. And while not actively seeking opportunity, passive candidates are often the highly skilled, difference making professionals most sought by employers.
Why Target Passive Candidates?
On average, only 30% of workers are actively seeking jobs at any given moment (and they overwhelmingly reflect the shallow end of the talent pool). Focusing instead on passive candidates requires an intentional approach but increases the likelihood of finding ideal and enduring matches.
- Access to Top Talent: Passive candidates represent a pool of talent that is not readily accessible through traditional job postings or recruitment channels. These individuals have impressive skill sets, extensive experience, and demonstrable success in their field. As top performers in their current roles they routinely bring expertise and unmatched results to your team.
- Reduced Competition: With these candidates not actively searching for jobs, targeting them significantly reduces competition from other employers vying for their attention. With reduced ‘noise’ in the talent marketplace, recruiters can make quicker hires more likely to commit long term to your organization. The result: significantly lower recruitment costs in the long run.
- Cultural Fit: When curated with care, passive candidates align much better with the company’s culture and values as they are not habitually seeking to leave current workplaces driven only by compensation. Better culture fits with more stable hires leads to higher retention rates and superior team cohesion.
- Long-Term Investment: It absolutely requires more effort and smarter strategy to recruit passive candidates, the investment yields long-term benefit for the organization. Hiring individuals who are not just looking for a job but seeking growth and development leads to higher employee engagement and performance that excels.
How to Target Passive Candidates?
Targeting passive candidates invites a strategy focused on relationship-building and showcasing your company as an attractive destination for those who consider themselves among the best in their field.
- Build a Strong Employer Brand: Establishing a compelling employer brand presents your organization as more attractive to passive candidates. Highlight your company culture, values, opportunities for growth, and employee benefits through various channels such as social media, employer review sites, and networking events. Share engaging content about your company’s projects, achievements, and culture on social media. Current and former employee testimonials and success stories are key to attracting passive candidates.
- Establish yourself and your company as a thought leader by contributing valuable insights: Participate in industry conferences, seminars, or workshops, making an appearance in big events will make your company more recognizable in your industry. Writing blog posts is another way to share your perspective and industry knowledge, invite experts to the discussion and associate your brand with the industry’s top performers.
- Utilize Professional Networks: Leverage professional networks such as LinkedIn to identify and connect with passive candidates. Engage in meaningful conversations, share relevant content, and build relationships with potential candidates over time.
- Personalized Outreach: When reaching out to passive candidates, tailor your communication to address their specific interests, skills, and career aspirations. Avoid generic messages and demonstrate genuine interest in their background and achievements.
- Offer Opportunities for Growth: Highlight opportunities for career advancement, skill development, and challenging projects to pique the interest of passive candidates. Emphasize how joining your organization can further their professional goals and aspirations.
- Encourage your employees to refer potential candidates: Employee referral programs are a great tool to get recommendations on top performers and expand your candidate pool.
What are potential Pitfalls When Targeting Passive Candidates?
While the benefits outweigh the negatives, it’s important to have the full picture. Some potential disadvantages of hiring passive candidates may include the following:
- Lack of Response: Passive candidates may not respond to initial outreach efforts, especially if they are not actively looking for new opportunities. They may not have enough time to devote to your hiring process, or they can be less committed. Persistence and patience are key when engaging with this candidate pool.
- Respect Privacy and Confidentiality: Be mindful of the confidentiality and privacy concerns of passive candidates, especially if they are currently employed. Avoid contacting them through their work email or phone number and prioritize discretion in all communications.
- Mismatched Expectations: Passive candidates may have higher salary expectations or specific requirements compared to active job seekers. Ensure alignment between their expectations and what your organization can offer to avoid potential disappointment or miscommunication.
- Limited Availability: Passive candidates may have limited availability for interviews or recruitment processes due to their current commitments. Be flexible and accommodating in scheduling meetings or discussions to accommodate their busy schedules.
- Hiring requires more effort: Hiring passive candidates requires you perpetually search for appropriate people, consistently reach out, patiently await a response, and confidently sell the career opportunity. This takes time, immense energy and effort beyond simply posting a position on a job portal.
- It can damage your relationships with other companies: If you indiscriminately poach an employee from a peer or partner, that organization might hesitate to work with you moving forward.
In conclusion, targeting passive candidates is a strategic must when seeking top talent. Well executed, this discipline provides an unmatched competitive edge in recruitment. By understanding who passive candidates are, recognizing the value in targeting them, implementing effective strategies to engage them, and side-stepping potential pitfalls with care and consideration…organizations succeed much more often in attracting and retaining the best talent the marketplace has to offer.