Passive Candidates – The Best Person for the Job is Not Always the One Looking

​In the recruitment industry, in house or outsource agency, we are continually hearing about active versus passive candidates. For in-house recruiter, they might be more familiar with job opening or walk in candidates.

However, it is a little bit different for a recruitment firm, we are constantly looking for the right candidates, by that passive candidates were also approached. And, to complicate things further, passive candidates are not always totally passive. The fact of the matter is that you’re really just trying to find the best candidate, and that candidate may be unemployed, employed but looking, employed by not looking, or employed and not open to a new opportunity. You will not know until you speak to them. But the different types of candidates have different moving intentions and degrees of interest therefore staffing tactic must attract to both types for you to effectively recruit and hire the best candidates.

The benefit to a passive candidate is that, since they are not looking for a new opportunity, they probably will not be interviewing with anyone else. With 60% of the workforce not looking for a new job, but willing to discuss a new opportunity. They are employed, but not currently looking for a new opportunity. Including the 15% of professionals who are tiptoes above, this group accounts for 75% of the workforce.

On the other hand, 51%of recruiters and 70%of talent acquisition leaders agree that active candidates have better motivational drive than passive candidates because their intentions are clear. Passive candidates will have to be reached via proactive strategies, you must get them to be interested in your company and want to get them excited about speaking with you. Your selling point might be the reasons why you are reaching out and why this move would benefit the candidate. Show them why your jobs are relevant to their experience and how their career will grow after this move.

There will be some candidates that are perfectly happy with their job and are not interested in moving, no matter how wonderful your company and opportunity are. That is why, in the initial discussion, you should let them know you want to hear back from them even if they are not interested. By getting them respond, you can build a relationship to perhaps find a few networking connections or ask if you can reach out to them later. The more communication you can have with a new lead, the more likely it is that they will warm to you and remember you when they really want a change.

For passive candidates, it is important to remember that YOU FOUND THEM. You must have found something about them that made you want to reach out, do not forget to let them know that when you reach out to them. Do not assume they are interested in speaking with you – they could be the 15% of the workforce that is NOT open to a new opportunity. Even if they are open to speaking, remember that they are currently employed and not looking, and are probably quite content and will be extremely picky about making a move.

It is important here to make a meaningful connection. You will build a good and truthful professional relationship with passive candidates more than active candidates because they are will to explain the reasons of their moves and we can gather the information to make a perfect match or refer someone in their connections to us. At the end, this may sound challenging, compared to the readiness of active job seekers – but passive candidates provide a great investment in a company’s talent portfolio. They tend to have in-demand skill sets, a successful work history, and are less likely to be interviewing with other companies.

Related Article: How to Make Sure You are Hiring the Right Person

Smart Search Recruitment is Bangkok’s leading executive recruitment consultancy. We serve multinational and local companies, sourcing high-caliber candidates and placing them in mid and senior-level roles. For recruitment service inquiries contact us. We are committed to meet our client’s needs by delivering an exceptional level of service. We have insightful HR resources updated everyday. Please keep in touch with us via our social media.

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