The chances are the candidate of your dreams — perhaps the Harvard grad with Fortune 500 experience — already has a job. But that doesn’t mean that person is happy in their role or isn’t open to new career opportunities. Seeking out passive job seekers — those who already have a job — can be a challenge if that employee is busy, engaged, and unresponsive to unsolicited employment offers.
In this guide, learn more about passive recruiting and discover five tips for targeting candidates the right way.
How to Recruit Passive Candidates
Here’s how to connect with qualified candidates who already have a job:
1. Use Social Media
Social media is the easiest way to reach out to passive candidates. Focus on LinkedIn — nearly all the best job candidates have a profile there — but don’t neglect other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which can be equally effective. Keep your message short: explain who you are, that you have an incredible job offer, and why you think that person is perfect for the role.
Some candidates might be reluctant to reply to your unsolicited message at first, and some might even question your motives. That’s why it’s a good idea to ‘soft-sell’ your job offer rather than ask a candidate to dive right into the application process. Even if a passive job seeker has no interest in your proposal when you approach them, you can use social media to build a relationship or influence decision-making over time. LinkedIn is the ideal tool for this, and ensuring that your employer brand is clearly and effectively communicated on this platform is essential to capturing the attention of this type of candidate. In other words, posts that highlight your company culture, values, and what it’s like to work at your organization are not only interesting, but can also help influence decision-making. Additionally, posts that make a point to engage users, like polls, or captions that ask a question directly to their audience, can also be helpful in forming relationships with passive job seekers. Who knows – the candidate may reach out to you if they decide to leave their existing role or eventually want to branch out into a new career.
2. Consider Geofencing
Geofencing is a location-based technology that targets passive candidates in a specific geographical area. Want to lure finance professionals from Wall Street to your company? Or techies from Silicon Valley? Establish a geofence — a virtual ‘fence’ — around the location of your choice and send mobile marketing messages to candidates about career opportunities at your business when they are online. Your fence can be as large as an entire state or as small as a 3-foot by 3-foot square.
Geofencing can build brand awareness and get your message across to the right people at the right time. It can be one of the most effective ways to target passive job seekers.
3. Create a Referral Program
Leverage employee networks and compensate them for helping you make valuable business connections via a referral program, which can help you access qualified candidates who might already have a job. Sometimes, business is more about who you know rather than what you know, so use your connections to tap the perfect passive candidates that might be swayed by your once-in-a-lifetime job offer.
4. Tailor the Application Process
If a passive candidate is interested in joining your company, don’t bother with your regular job application process. It can add another hurdle and might put a candidate off applying for your job, especially if they’re busy in their existing role. You’ll still need to interview your candidate, of course, but get rid of any questions you might ask a regular job seeker, such as “Why do you want to work here?” If you’re scouting for a particular candidate, you’ll already know their job history and skillset, so use your interview to sell your company and tell them why you think they’re such a great fit.
5. Emphasize Employer Brand
If a passive candidate has a high-paying job elsewhere, promote the qualities that make your company such an awesome place to work. That includes things like unique company culture, unparalleled growth opportunities, benefits employees can’t find anywhere else, and a commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DE&I). Help passive job seekers align themselves with your company’s brand, objectives, and values.
Key Takeaways
Recruiting passive candidates is all about meeting these job seekers exactly where they are. That means using tried-and-tested technologies, reaching out in the right way, adjusting the interview process, and emphasizing your brand’s values and culture. Convincing an already-employed candidate to jump ship and join your team is possible – your recruiting team just has to employ the right strategies.
How Bayard Can Help
Bayard can develop your recruitment strategy and leverage all that geofencing has to offer.
Work with Bayard to recruit top talent now!
Reach out