A passive candidate is a current worker who is not actively looking for a new job. Yet, this kind of worker may be willing to consider new options if offered a superb job opportunity. Yes, we can still attract them through networking, referrals, or other indirect ways.
According to LinkedIn, 70% of the global workforce consists of passive talent, while the remaining 30% actively seek employment. Further, 73% of passive job seekers say they would consider a career change as the right and valuable opportunity arises.
So what does that tell us? We’re sure we want to take advantage of that because it gives us better opportunities.
Why Finding A Passive Candidate Can Be a Perfect Strategy
While it is generally easier to hire an active candidate, this does not mean that passive candidate recruiting is not worthwhile.
1. They could be more skilled and experienced.
The best talent is the key to hiring. As the passive candidate is satisfied with their current role, they will likely have a robust professional reputation. Maybe they’re working with a known and reputable company, which may be a reasonable assumption that we can have confidence in.
Yes, it can be hard to convince them to do business with us, but it’s worth it if they have so much talent. Again, our job is to be creative in attracting them and getting their attention to move.
2. There is less competition.
As noted above, many people would consider quitting their jobs if they found a relevant position with good benefits and employer branding. So we have to show how precious we are to them.
Also, because they are not actively looking for a job, they are less likely to be bombarded with multiple job postings. It makes them less likely to be soft-soaped by other offers.
3. We’re not under any pressure.
Active candidates need work as soon as possible. As such, we need to accelerate our recruiting process to win this active candidate over other vacant positions. However, this may lead us to the wrong decision because we feel pressured.
It is another story when we reach out to passive candidates. It may provide less pressure and stress on our recruiting. We can emphasize the details and make the right hiring decisions as we have more time.
4. We have a lower turnover.
Do we remember that passive candidates feel content with their roles? They are not actively looking for another job because there is nothing better than what they have today.
But imagine if we succeed in attracting them, bringing them to our ships, and keeping them happy, we’re sure that they are less likely to leave our company. It’s a matter of inspiring them to join us and sustaining them there.
How to Get a Passive Candidate on Our Ships?
Now we know that passive sourcing provides many benefits for a business, then how to recruit a passive candidate?
1. Networking
We can contact our personal and professional networks to see if they know someone who might fit into the open position. It may be our colleagues, friends, alumni groups, and business organizations.
2. Employee Referrals
Employee recommendations may be an effective source of passive candidates. We can ask for help from existing employees to recommend friends and colleagues they feel would be suitable for the position we need to fill.
3. Job Portals
Career platforms like LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for identifying passive applicants. Some platforms often offer an advanced search feature to fine-tune our results based on job titles, experience, and other requirements. Here we can also look for people in the expected domain and location.
4. Our talent pool
Have we abandoned candidates because we thought they weren’t entirely suitable for the job? And perhaps they’re just Level 2 because someone better is our first option? Let’s go through our former candidates in our talent pools. They might be the perfect solution to our open vacancy as we have gained information about them.
Keep in mind that a passive candidate is not actively seeking out new job opportunities. Therefore, our job is to approach them professionally and respectfully. Be clear about what we want to offer them, and don’t forget to make it catchy to them.
