Acquiring the Passive Candidate

Your perfect candidates may not need – or be interested in exploring – new jobs, so it’s up to you to make them want the job.

Have you been doing your diligence posting jobs, searching job boards, and utilizing various networks, but still coming up with unqualified talent? If so, it’s time to turn your focus to the passive candidate. Who by the way, make up 75% of the workforce. But if they’re not looking for a job, how can you entice them to entertain your opportunity?

The answer is simple but the execution requires some additional effort and ingenuity. In order to be an exceptional passive candidate recruiter, you need to resonate with your target by showing them that you took time to learn and understand their background in order to deliver an opportunity that will be of genuine interest. Through tailored messaging, you can set yourself apart from being just another spammy recruiter. Citing their experience with the requirements of the position will prove that you not only understand the role you’re recruiting for, but – and most importantly – that you understand who they are as a professional and what they want out of a career. Taking the extra effort will be noticeable and go a long way in the eyes of your passive prospect.

This is all fine and well, but you may be saying to yourself, ‘I don’t have enough time in the day as it is, let alone add a lengthier process to my current recruiting routine.’ Fortunately for you, recruiting software has made leaps and bounds. With innovations such as intelligent (better candidate to job matching) search and talent management automation, the time you save on data entry and organizational tasks can now be devoted to creating customized messaging so that you can hone in on the ultimate candidate.

After all, you’re not looking for just anyone; you’re looking for the perfect person, and discovering perfection takes a bit more time and energy.