In the incredibly competitive landscape of recruitment, passive candidates represent a valuable yet hard-to-snag segment of the workforce. These professionals may have top-tier talent and the perfect skillset, but they aren’t actively seeking new job opportunities. That doesn’t mean, however, that they aren’t open to considering other options if the right opportunity arises. Recruiting passive candidates requires a different approach than typical recruitment methods. Getting applications and interest from this elusive group is far from impossible if you know the strategies for properly recruiting them.
Here are five simple ways to reach out to passive candidates and widen your potential talent pool.
Cultivate Relationships Through Effective Networking
Every recruiter worth their salt understands the importance of networking. It’s one of the most powerful tools in their toolkit. But networking isn’t just for finding candidates who are currently seeking jobs—it’s also for building relationships and sparking new ideas in the minds of more passive candidates.
How can you network in a way that’s specific to passive job seekers? While this pool of people probably isn’t attending hiring events, this group could be at events, conferences, or industry meetups. Make sure you have a recruitment presence at any industry event you attend, and that your recruitment brand is clear. You want to show people your company is a great place to work, leading them to question if they are having the same experience where they currently are. You can also leverage professional networking platforms like LinkedIn and reaching out to your connections. By providing value on social media platforms, you can attract top talent that isn’t hanging around your typical job board.
Utilize Employee Referrals
One of the best tools recruiters have? Their own employees. They’re often the best people to reach out to potential talent. Employee referrals are a highly valuable source of passive candidates, since they often come recommended by trusted colleagues or friends who truly understand the company’s culture and needs. They’re likely to have friends from their college or internship days who are still in the industry and doing impressive work.
But how do you encourage employees to refer people for open roles within your business? The best way to do so is by implementing a structured employee referral program that incentivizes employees to refer qualified candidates. Employees can receive bonuses or benefits for bringing new names to your talent portal. Part of the program could also include providing employees with resources to make referrals seamless, like portals or templates that tell them what to say. You could also simply send the job description to your current employees and ask if they can think of anyone who fits the bill. The answers may surprise you!
Showcase Company Culture
Recruiting passive candidates often comes down to showing them that they’re missing something in their job they didn’t know they were missing. One way to do this is by showcasing your company culture. You know that your company is a great place to work—now you just need to share that fact, loud and proud.
One way to do this is by using social media. Content marketing can allow you to highlight your company culture by sharing videos or photos of events and behind-the-scenes snapshots into what it’s like working at your business. Another idea? Employee testimonials. People expect that recruiters will rave about how wonderful an organization is for its employees, but employee testimonials bring a deeper peer-to-peer level of authenticity. Employees also might highlight things you didn’t even consider, like remote work opportunities or your excellent mentorship program. Lastly, a virtual tour of your office (if your company is fully in-office or hybrid) can go a long way. Choose a day to create a video highlighting the various aspects of the workspace, giving people a feel for what it’s like to work there.
Showcase Career Growth Opportunities
New hires are looking for growth opportunities within an organization. You want to demonstrate to passive job seekers that joining forces with your company isn’t just for now, it’s long term—and there’s plenty of ways for them to grow within your business. This is a great way to jolt awake stagnant employees, and to get them thinking, “Wait a second; I’ve been in my current position quite a while and haven’t advanced at all.”
There are many ways to consider showcasing career growth opportunities. Highlight career advancement opportunities like promotions and leadership development programs in your job postings and recruitment materials, but also on social media, where more passive seekers might be hanging out. Frequently share success stories and testimonials from employees who have advanced their career paths within your company and offer mentoring or coaching to new employees who are looking for professional development.
Personalize Outreach
If you’ve found a candidate you’re really interested in, a personal outreach may be required. Social media can be a great way to attract talent, but you may need to go above and beyond if there’s a certain person you’ve got your eye on. This doesn’t need to come across as creepy or poaching. It can be as simple as an email introducing yourself and explaining what you’re looking for. Research the candidate thoroughly to understand their background, skills, and career aspirations. Then, tailor your message to highlight how the role you have open aligns with their skills and interests.
Claire Swinarski is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.