Companies spend a lot of time, money, and effort when it comes to recruitment and hiring for their teams. Sometimes hiring for one position requires multiple efforts because candidates are hired, and they simply don’t work out. There are many factors that can result to high turnover, a company’s screening and interview process being one, but a big factor itself are the candidates. There are many job seekers actively searching for employment and sometimes jobs are accepted even if it’s not the ideal position or situation for them in hopes that an even better opportunity will come along later. Active job seekers may be unemployed or employed, and they are proactive when it comes to finding their next employment. This may raise concerns for some employers to seek out candidates from this group of active job seekers because they are in job searching mode and will come across multiple opportunities and with the mindset of having many options to choose from.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are passive candidates who are currently employed and not actively looking for new positions. They’re happy with their situations but are open to hearing about new opportunities. They’re not actively searching for new roles, and it is hard to identify this group of talent since they show no online footprint when it comes to job search. It may be easier to connect with active job seekers who come to you about your job openings, but passive candidates are highly sought after due to the fact that they have a skill that is being employed by another company currently and they are already employed, so any decision to change positions is by choice and not out of necessity. You can be confident that there is genuine interest when a passive jobseeker takes a new opportunity, whether it is better salary, position, work-life balance, location, etc.
Here are a few strategies to help your organization improve on engaging passive job seekers:
1) Improving on your Employer Branding and Online Presence
To attract any type of candidates, it is important to have a reputable branding and one that the top talent can align with. This is especially true for passive job seekers as their motives for change goes beyond monetary and necessity. They look for organizations that align with their own goals and values. It is not enough to just establish great branding and reputation alone. An organization must also develop a stronger online presence to spread the word to all corners of the market to reach the biggest audience. When a passive job seeker is considering making career moves, they usually search the web for any information they can find about an organization. It could be Google Reviews, Glassdoor Reviews, and any other sources where there is real feedback from current / former employees and customers. A company with a strong online presence gives job seekers reliable information to make an informative decision about an organization.
2) Proactively Sourcing
In recruitment, it is important to continuously source and keep a pipeline full of candidates. With passive candidates, this is very important to recognize and keep track of those who have shown interest, who is available / not available, etc. Timing is everything when it comes to recruitment and with passive candidates, they may be interested but just not ready to make a move when you approach them. You must regularly check in with top prospects especially if they responded with interest and have let you know that they are open to further discussions at a later time or for future follow ups. By staying in touch regularly, it also shows candidates that they are wanted and being pursued.
3) Personalize Approach and Communication
The worst thing you can do when approaching a prospective passive candidate is using generic language in your communication. Top talent as previously discussed like to be pursued and wanted and like to be treated different. A mass email template or scripted phone call is not going to win over a passive candidate and capture their interest. You must understand your audience and know what they are looking for and customize your approach, your pitch, and your use of words and tone as you communicate with them offering value and growth to grab their attention.
4) Easy and Hassle-free Interview Process
As mentioned before, passive candidates do not need a job and are not actively looking for something new. They are being approached with promises of a better opportunity than what they currently have. As such, they will not jump through hoops for such an opportunity because they never asked for it in the first place. In the eyes of a passive candidate, they are being offered the opportunity and if the process becomes bothersome and a burden, they may lose interest quickly and no longer want to continue with the process. Instead, be respectful of their time and interest and ensure that the interview process is as accommodating as possible so that they feel respected as they were invited to take part in the interview process to begin with. Furthermore, ensure that there is open communication throughout the process and without delay.
An effective and winning strategy to build a talented team is through sourcing the top passive candidates in the market. It may seem like a daunting and time-consuming task at first, but once a proper system is set in place with regular follow ups and the right message, any company can reach the talent without it being like finding a needle in a haystack.
Contact Us today to speak with one of our Account Executives and let us help you build your team with the right talent this year!