The best candidates are the ones you have to fight for. Passive candidate search is one of the skills a firm like A.C.Coy specializes in. What is a passive candidate, and why should you spend the time trying to reach them to help fulfill your company’s hiring goals?
What is the Passive Candidate?
A passive job candidate is a candidate who is already working. They may not even have their resume together. They may be happy in their work or unhappy, but either way, they aren’t really looking for a new job. But this doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear from you!
Why should you spend time building a relationship with a passive job candidate when you have 30 resumes already sitting on your desk from candidates that applied to your job? The answer is that passive candidates are valuable assets to their current employer. They won’t be actively interviewing with other companies, which means there will be less competition for you when negotiating a salary and benefits package. It’s likely they won’t inflate their credentials, which sometimes happens when someone applies to a job simply because you reached out to them. How can you reach these candidates? Here are some of the techniques that we use at A.C.Coy.
How to Reach Passive Candidates
The key to successfully reaching a passive candidate is to get their attention. Think about who your target might be. Then make some best guesses about what would be the most attractive part of your offer to attract them. Typically, the top reason for a passive candidate to switch is money. Understanding what is “better” in terms of the salary in the marketplace is important for your outreach.
Are there certain benefits that the job offers that could attract top talent? What about the opportunity to work from home? Is that an option? Schedule flexibility is one of the top motivators today, particularly now that many workers have had a chance to try out remote work. Is the candidate working from home now? Is that something they would like to continue?
What about the work environment? We know that candidates today are more interested in a positive, productive work environment. Are there parts of the current work environment that your passive candidate doesn’t particularly like and can your opportunity improve upon their situation? The latest studies show that passive candidates are 120% more likely to want to make an impact in their job. Is your opportunity one where they would have career advancement?
Passive job candidates are the best targets for your hiring team for all kinds of reasons. However, attracting them takes a lot of effort on the part of a hiring team. That’s where A.C.Coy can help. Talk to our team. We are experts in finding “the one that got away” and can reduce your time to hire and help you meet your hiring goals.