Attracting the Passive Candidate

March 12, 2020

 

It is highly probable that the people you want are not even applying for the job. These are “passive candidates”, and they comprise 75% of the workforce. However, since passive candidates exert very little to no effort to find employment, they can be much tougher to identify.

This type of candidate is more likely to stay with the organization because they have no actual need for employment. Accepting the position is from choice, not a necessity. If you focus on attracting this kind of applicant, you can save a lot of time and resources in vetting and retaining them.

The goal then is to find people who are not putting themselves out there and successfully engage their interest in working with you. Check out these strategies for how to attract passive candidates.

Put the company out there

If your company is off the grid, chances are your potential passive candidates have never heard of it, so it is important to establish an online presence so they can connect.

Recruitment is just one type of conversion. It is extremely important to establish the company’s presence online. Share interesting things about the company on the website and post engaging content on social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

People will get to know about the company as more than a name and a logo and will be able to relate more personally with the brand.  Over time, the audience will become familiar with the company, so when you are ready to start hiring, they already know all about you.

Engage with potential candidates on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is peculiarly situated for providing a gold mine of qualified passive candidates. Since it is a profession-oriented platform, most profiles will include pertinent information for inquiring recruiter minds, and some will even include links to their online portfolios.

Tap your employees

The best proof of the pudding when it comes to recruiting new talent is your employees.

If you create an appealing working environment for your current employees, you can easily encourage them to spread the word on their personal networks.  Treat them well so people they know will want to be a part of it as well.

To encourage them to recruit for you actively, establish a refferral program that gives monetary incentives for each successful hire. They will not hesitate to recruit if they know how great it is to work for you.

Wait for the right moment and offer convenience

It can be frustrating to connect with the ideal candidates for a position only to find they are not quite ready to change jobs, or they are in the middle of their dissertation.

However, do not throw in the towel just yet. Keep these people on an active list and connect with them regularly to get updates on their situation.  Also, offer them the convenience of Talntly’s digital interviewing. This allows the candidate to learn more about the position and tell their story without having to ask off work or commit to an in-person meeting.

Market the company

You can do the same by using employer-branding techniques. Position your company as the best workplace for your niche by emphasizing what sets you apart from other companies. It could be flexible work hours, extensive employee benefits, stock options, high compensations, and so on.

Establish a unique feature of your company that makes it a desirable place to work, and send the message through your website, social networks, and events.

Even if you are not actively recruiting, it pays to spread the word. It is even better if you manage to make it on a top list or other independent review article that puts you in a positive light. Potential candidates are likely to do some research before they decide to get on-board, so you want to make sure your branding is exemplary.

 

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