As a recruiter you must be aware of the terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ in context of the candidate hiring. The phrases active and passive refer to the candidates’ involvement in the job search. Simply said, active applicants are individuals who are actively looking for a new job, whereas passive candidates are not.
Why passive candidates are important?
To be successful in recruiting, you’ll need a combination of active and passive prospects. Passive applicants account for almost 70% of the worldwide workforce, according to LinkedIn study. By ignoring them during the hiring process, you’ll be missing out on a considerable quantity of available talent. Although getting these passive applicants to pick up the phone, much alone come in for an interview, can be challenging, they are still a valuable resource for your team to employ when recruiting at scale.
How to source and engage the passive candidates?
First of all, you need to have a system in place to source, attract and engage the passive candidates. Here are few of the strategies that can help you out in achieving the goals as per the system –
Leverage LinkedIn for Sourcing –
- LinkedIn is a great place for the recruitment of passive candidates. You can contact these candidates directly or build relations on LinkedIn by participating in groups relevant to your industry.
- If you are reaching out directly, be upfront about what made them stand out to you. It might be a specific experience, accomplishments, or professional path. A sentence or two about what makes them special will help them understand why the opportunity you’re offering is a good one. A few sentences about what makes them unique can help them see why the opportunity you’re providing is worthwhile.
- Make sure you invest some time on your LinkedIn page sharing industry thoughts and useful news. Invest your time in building relationship on LinkedIn. This is a type of passive recruitment that you can implement for a long game.
Write Engaging and Catchy Job Descriptions –
- A well-written, clear, and appealing job description will improve the number of applicants. To attract the proper people and discourage nonqualified job seekers from applying, write the credentials in a clear and transparent manner.
- Don’t only talk about the position but also offer specific details about the opportunities the position can deliver. Talk about how one should choose your job over all the similar jobs the market has to offer, why it is a better opportunity for the advancement of their career?
Have a Strong Online Presence – - Having a strong online presence will help you have better name recognition and visibility among potential passive candidates.
- Make sure your website is up to date. Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to increase traffic to your page.
- Share interesting industry news, tidbits about your employees, and showcase your company’s culture. When contacted with an opportunity, the more well-known your organisation is, the more likely a passive candidate will exhibit interest.
Leverage Employee Referrals – - Your existing employees are another one of your best resources for recruiting passive candidates. Creating an appealing work environment will make it easy to encourage your employees to use their own connections. Some organizations find it advantageous to create a referral scheme in which employees are rewarded for bringing in candidates who result in a hire.
In conclusion, keep your passive candidates engaged & get to know them by asking right questions. Passive Candidates can take a while to get on board but ultimately, it’s worth it. As a recruiter you need to be proactive and think of future ahead to get on par with the competition. It is true that Long-term success requires a long-term investment. Recruiting passive candidates is an ongoing process that demands constant engagement and care. It means investing in passive candidate sourcing techniques on a regular basis and not just when you have an active job opening. This will all be worth it when the time comes to hire someone new.