A passive candidate is one who is currently employed and is not actively looking for alternate employment. Passive candidates are often your best candidates; individuals whose experience, education and values are aligned with your company and are a perfect fit for the opportunity your business has to offer. But just how do you recruit a person who isn’t looking for a new opportunity and how can you as a recruiter woo them away from their current comfortable and happy situation? The good news is that many passive candidates are actually willing and interested in hearing what your business has to offer them, so they are at the least inclined to hear you out. Here are a few tips to help you effectively engage a passive candidate and develop a relationship with the goal of winning them over. Employee Referrals An Employee Referral Program is a great place to start sourcing passive candidates. This really is a good idea as you now have the entire company acting as recruiters, and not just a handful of folks in HR. Your employees are a in a better position to flaunt the benefits of working for your company and they already have a relationship with the candidate. It’s easy for them to suggest they have a look at the website, or to ask if they would be willing to set up an appointment with HR to learn more about why they are such a great fit for the company. Technology Once you have identified and touched a passive candidate you can be sure that the individual will go straight to Google for extensive research on your company. Ensure that your website is appealing, easy to navigate and that your corporate culture and benefits are showcased. Make it easy for people to apply if they would like and equally easy for them to request more information or an appointment. Use your social media platforms to feature all the great things that your business offers its employees, clients and their communities. A passive candidate is not often solely swayed by the promise of financial gain – they aren’t looking for that, what they will want to see is what they can gain in the way of work life balance, opportunities for personal and professional growth and the corporate culture you are offering. These are the enticements - feature them wherever you are able. Actively Network and Nurture A recruiter must network fairly extensively to gain referrals but it often pays off handsomely in the end as people who are referred are typically high-quality hires. A passive candidate though needs to be carefully nurtured because they have no need to change their situation they will need to be shown that your company has a lot to offer and is willing to invest the time to answer their questions, is thoughtful and engaging. Ensure that communications with passive candidate have a personal touch not a generic this applies for everybody approach, that won’t win them over. Use their names on emails, show them you are interested in them, and ask questions. Keep in touch and check in regularly with the passive candidate but don’t be overbearing and pushy.
