5 ways to approach passive candidates
New Delhi : The hiring process is not an easy one. It takes time and effort to get the perfect candidate for the role. Nevertheless, if done properly, you can find the right employee for the job. While on a hiring spree, an employer cannot just limit their search to the candidates who are actively seeking employment. You have to widen your horizons and expand your network to reach out to talent beyond the active candidate list.
A company always strives to find the perfect candidate; if they cannot find one, they are ready to settle for the next best one for the role. However, there are other options available. In fact, hiring only based on availability may prove to be a bad decision and have negative consequences for your business. A recent survey highlights that more than 40% of the currently employed workforce is attracted to the prospect of a job change even though they are content with their existing employer. This statistic should be a huge eye-opener. The employers and recruitment agencies must look at techniques other than their traditional hiring process and active recruitment strategies to reach out to these passive candidates who are open to the idea of new opportunities. More often, you’ll find your ideal person in the passive candidate pool who is currently employed. So, let us discuss the five innovative ways that employers and recruitment agencies can use while recruiting passive candidates.
1. Reach Out
The passive candidate will not contact you for employment; instead, you have to reach out to them and let them know about the new opportunities that you have to offer. As they are not purposely seeking new positions, your traditional recruitment strategies will not work.
An employer needs to find out new ways to attract their attention. You can study their daily activities, like their social media behaviour, their networking hub, or whom they follow the most. Analysing these factors will help you make inroads into the social zone of the passive candidates, without being too pushy or intruding. This way, you will subconsciously let them know about your presence and the opportunity that you have to offer.
2. Use Referrals
Most of the time, your existing employees are your best search engines. Their positive endorsement of your company can bring in some of the best talents. So, discuss with your employees about your quest for a new candidate for the job role. Their social circle can help you network better with their peers from different organisations and discover the ideal person for the job.
You can also network with active job seekers, who do not fit your requirements and ask them for referrals of a better candidate who can perfectly match your needs. For a recruitment firm, referrals are a great way of knowing about a candidate as you’ve reached them through a human connect.
3. Make an Outstanding Pitch
A clean and well-defined Employee Value Proposition (EVP) or pitch is the most significant aspect of attracting the best talent. Your value proposition should explain the positives of the job role and position to the candidates. Passive candidates may not be that deeply motivated to seek the opportunity you have presented. They would rather compare your proposition with their current position.
So, you must make sure that your job opportunity is positioned well in comparison to their current employment. Proper research on quality candidates can help you build a strong job proposition. Things that a recruitment firm can consider are — your company culture, your work environment, the benefits that your company offers, the scope of the role, and finally, why would an individual like working for your company.
4. Promote your Value Proposition
You need to promote your job proposition. But how? Intruding their social space will not help you with recruiting passive candidates. It would look rather desperate — as if you are selling the job to the candidate. The best way to promote your proposition is by creating an environment where the quality candidateis more welcoming of your information and is open to listening to your offer and having a discussion.
Always share your Employee Value Proposition on the website, your social media channels, outreach messages, job postings, and finally, your current workforce — your most influential brand ambassadors.
5. Be Efficient
Your hiring process should be efficient and considerate. Avoid repetitive and lengthy steps that prolong the process. You can start by reflecting on the various ways to organise the interview and application process. For instance, you can try to avoid or consolidate multiple rounds of interviews to make the process efficient. This can be achieved if you have done ample research on a particular passive candidate before engaging with them.
Also, you could be accomodating with the day and time of the interview. This will create a comfort zone for the passive candidate to walk in for an interview as per their schedule. The ultimate aim, after all, is to attract the best talent into your organisation.
The market today is driven by talent. This makes a passive candidate a more valuable asset than ever. So, devote enough time and resources to create a specific recruitment strategy that values the motivation of this important asset and shapes the proposition to persuade them to take action.
Author Bio
Digvijay Singh Kanwar is a professional Content writer and Digital marketing expert and he loves to write about Finance and Health based Articles. For more details you can contact him on digvijaykanwar96@gmail.com.
