7 must-know strategies for attracting passive candidates

It would be impossible to build an effective sourcing strategy without including techniques for attracting passive candidates. Not only do these lucrative candidates make up more than 70% of the entire candidate pool, but they are oftentimes of higher quality.

Unsure of what a passive candidate is? These are candidates that aren’t actively searching the job market for new opportunities, yet they’re not unresponsive to hearing about new possibilities. At a time when the number of job openingsfar outnumber the amount of people actively looking for work, employers must find a way to attract and convert these passive candidates if they have any hope of filling their open positions.

Since these prospective candidates aren’t actively looking for a new job, standard sourcing strategies may prove ineffective. Due to this fact, employers need to think outside the box and develop sourcing techniques that specifically target passive candidates.

To help your company with this process, we have created a list of must-know strategies for attracting passive candidates.

Since passive candidates are not actively seeking out new job opportunities, postings on online job boards will likely go unnoticed. To overcome this obstacle, you must find other methods of attracting these prime candidates. Below is a look at the top seven must-know tips for connecting with passive candidates.

1.Determine current and future hiring needs

Before you can build any effective sourcing strategy, you must first understand the unique hiring needs facing your company. When sourcing candidates, you need a complete view of what types of skills and qualifications your company needs both today and in the future. With this information in hand, you’ll be able to develop an accurate persona of your target candidates. This information will prove critical when it comes to sourcing passive candidates because it can help with everything from determining which social media platforms your target candidates use to identifying the best communication tools that work best.

2.Build a continuous talent pipeline

Building a continuous talent pipeline is an absolute necessity when trying to attract passive candidates. Keep in mind that these candidates are hesitant to change jobs, so it may take a bit more guidance and time. If you’ve identified a prospective candidate but are unable to persuade them to complete the application process or if a candidate made it through the screening process but was not selected for the position, they should still become part of the talent pipeline.

This will allow you to reach out to them at a later timewhen they may be more open to changing jobs. In fact, studies show that candidates are four times more likelyto connect with an employer if they’ve previously considered other jobs with the company.

3. Conduct a comprehensive brand audit

Don’t underestimate the importance of building a strong employer brand. While studies show that nearly half of the workforce in the UK and United Stateswould not work for a company with a bad reputation, this factor is even more important to passive candidates. In fact, if a passive candidate is fairly happywith their current employer,it can be nearly impossible to entice them to consider working for a company with bad reviews.

If your company hasn’t conducted a brand audit since the pandemic, now is the time. Search online review boards to see what current and past employees are saying about your company. Then, develop a strategy to address any negative online reviews and to create a positive image.

4. Revamp employer brand

Now is also the time to revamp your current employer brand to ensure it still resonates with the workers. The reality is that employee demands have shifted significantly during the pandemic. Not only are wages and benefits, such as paid time off and medical insurance, more important than ever, but workers also want more flexibility in their work schedules.

According to our Randstad Employer Brand Research, workers around the globe rank the ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance as the second most important motivator to changing employers. Developing an employer brand image that shows prospective candidates that you care about their wellbeing can go a long way to attracting and recruiting passive candidates.

5. Leverage social media

With over 3.7 billion people around the world actively using some form of social media, it proves to be an effective platform for attracting passive candidates. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find another platform that allows you to reach both active and passive candidates where they are.

To maximize your social media efforts, however, it’s important to understand the differences between various platforms and how candidates fromvarious generationsuse these platforms. For example, knowing that Millennials tend to use Facebook and YouTube more, while TikTok and Snapchat are popular among those under 25, can help you develop a sourcing strategy that reaches the right target audience.

6.Create a simplified application process

A major difference between active and passive candidates is that active candidates are willing to invest more time into the application process than passive candidates. The last thing you want to do is to spend time attracting and engaging with prospective passive candidates only to have them drop out of the application process because it’s too long.

Reevaluate your current application process to determine exactly what type of information you need during the initial phase of recruitment. Keep in mind that you can always request more information later. Making it as easy and convenient as possible for these passive candidates to complete this application process will provide you with a larger candidate pool to select from.

7. Partner with an HR solutions company

If your company, like many across the globe, is investing a lot of time and resources into adjusting your business practices to match today’s post-pandemic market, you should consider partnering with an HR solutions company to attract passive candidates for you. This partnership will give you access to prescreened passive candidates that match your company’s set criteria.

Ultimately the right agency can help your company save both time and money while improving hiring outcomes. At Randstad, we offer customized recruitment solutions that allow you to determine exactly what services you want our teams to complete. For example, if you want Randstad to only handle the sourcing process, your company will then have the freedom to determine which candidates are the right fit for the job.

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The article by 任仕达.