What it Takes to Interest Passive Candidates Today

Guess how many of the people being hired today already have jobs (passive candidates)? Forty percent? Fifty-five?

It’s 70 percent!

That’s right, 70 percent of the global workforce is made up of passive candidates, people who are not actively looking for work, candidates who will have to be found, courted and then “sold” on your job opportunity.

And they are DEMANDING! They’re approached by recruiters often and may or may not be open to engaging with you. All the professional recruiting finesse you can muster is called for today.

Still, while they may be working, they may not be happy

While 70 percent of the workforce isn’t actively looking for work, that doesn’t mean passive candidates aren’t interested in or open to new positions.

Many workers are – to put it bluntly – fed up with their current employers, as 66 percent of workers reported being disengaged at work in 2018.

All of these numbers add up to...opportunity 💵 With so many professionals open to your messages and job openings, you simply have to strike the right chord in order to succeed. What does it take to interest passive candidates? Here are just a few ideas:

Put yourself in their position

This advice is ridiculously simple, yet incredibly powerful. Just think -- if you’re approached by a recruiter, what would make you interested in the position? A promotion? Better benefits? The chance to work remotely? Depending on the job opportunity, create a value proposition that you can use to sell the position to passive candidates. Aim to make it one they’ll have a tough time turning down.

Act like a marketer

Talent (especially in roles like tech and engineering, but really across the board) is used to seeing messages from recruiters. The messages that are answered, though, are the ones that SELL.

Yes, you may be a recruiter, but you should take some tips from the marketing department. Consider taking your job postings and sitting down with marketing to see how you can make them even more powerful!.

Rather than simply posting the copy from a job posting in your message to a candidate, for example, jump at any opportunity to position your opening as a step up. This could work very well for profiles that show someone is in a junior role just below the one you need to fill.

Another example: if you take a look through the individual’s profile and see that the person recently earned a new degree, he or she may be interested in your company’s/client’s student loan help benefits.

See where I’m going with this? It’s the little things that add up to major success when it comes to your messaging.

Build relationships, not transactions

If candidates engage with you, but aren’t interested in the position or offer, see if you can find out what would make them leave their current jobs. Then, follow up if and when something pops up.

But even if they won’t tell you or don’t know, let them know you’ll keep in touch “every now and then.” Then make sure you do!  And when you do, make sure it’s in a highly personal – individual – way. Skip the chatbots and build real relationships. Not only are you likely to fill more roles (now and down the line as some of these relationships come to fruition), you’re also MUCH more likely to receive referrals.

Just don’t be a pest. Keep in touch regularly, set expectations, and always seek to add value in your correspondence.

Nurturing passive candidates with BrightMove

Once you’ve identified the right candidates, you need the right staffing technology to help you build and nurture those relationships. That’s where BrightMove comes in. Our platform was designed by recruiting experts, FOR recruiters. We are constantly refining and upgrading our platform to help you engage passive candidates, add new candidates and ultimately, to fill more roles. Schedule a demo today to see how BrightMove fits into your organization.