How To Attract and Engage Passive Candidates

It’s estimated that 70% of active users on LinkedIn classify as passive candidates. Shocking, right? When recruiters only draw on active candidates to fill open roles, they will only reach a margin of all the qualified candidates out there. In a job market where the fight for top talent is fierce, modern recruiters need to refine their strategies to reach candidates who might not be actively looking for a new job. In addition, employers need to focus on targeting the talent they need for their business to grow. A solid recruitment strategy will help highlight the skills your team needs and identify candidates who will help you reach your goals.

Why Should You Target Passive Candidates?

We’ve already established that most candidates are already working successfully in a role and aren’t actively looking for a new one. So considering the expanded talent pool to draw from, engaging and attracting passive candidates is a smart strategy for organizations. For starters, passive candidates have already proven their worth and capability in their current job. There’s no questioning whether their skills are up to par — there’s visible evidence of their ability right in front of you. In fact,  passive candidates are 17% less likely to need additional training than active candidates. Plus, it’s likely that you will face less competition from other employers when engaging with passive candidates. However, while the competition may be less, the challenges you may encounter with convincing candidates to leave their current role will be higher.

Strategies For Engaging Passive Candidates:

Passive candidate recruitment strategies are centered around creating a relationship with the potential applicant. Since these candidates are unlikely to be scrolling through career sites, you’ll need to meet them where they are. This means reaching out through social media, professional networks, and other avenues to open up the dialogue.

Focus On Your Employer Brand

When it comes to engaging a passive candidate, your employer brand is crucial. Recruiters need to find a way to stand out from the crowd to attract the best talent. This takes you identifying your organizational values and showcasing them in your company culture and employee experience. Customize your messaging to fit the style and tone of your company and highlight the aspects of your workplace that make working there enjoyable and unique. Another reason to ensure your employer reputation is up to par is that an overwhelming majority of job seekers do their own research on a company before applying for a job. Studies show that up to 75% of candidates will research a company’s reputation before applying. Ensure that your employer brand is broadcasting the image you hope to portray, and more qualified passive candidates will be interested in your organization.

Create An Enjoyable Candidate Experience

54% of job seekers said a negative candidate experience would keep them from accepting a job offer. The hiring process has a reputation for being lengthy, complex, and unenjoyable, but that doesn’t have to be the case. 98% of surveyed employers said that strengthening their candidate experience could help enhance and protect their employer brand. It’s evident that a solid and enjoyable candidate experience is crucial for recruiting top candidates, but what does a strong candidate experience look like?

Today’s job seekers want a hiring experience that is simple, efficient, and transparent. In fact, in recent surveys, 30% of job seekers ranked responsiveness as the most important thing to them after applying for a job. Candidates want clear, honest communication about what to expect in the hiring process and with their current application status. Recruiters need to stay updated on candidate outreach and engagement to ensure they don’t leave any applicants waiting for answers.

Don’t forget! Your current employees are a great resource to use when recruiting new talent. Ask for recommendations and see whether any members of your team have great candidates to refer. You’ll know that the employee will be an excellent cultural fit since your existing employee recommends them!

Talent Exchange Networks

For organizations looking to reach an extensive database of qualified passive candidates, a talent exchange network like IQTalent Xchange can help. With access to a network of over 300 million working professionals, IQTX is the only talent exchange solution that does the hard work of researching candidates for you, all at an affordable cost. Our team of talent experts spends time getting to know the culture and needs of your organization to refine our passive candidate sourcing strategies to find the right fit for your company. We work to make talent exchange simple, effective, and affordable for all so that you can build out a team of talented employees.

Engaging and attracting passive candidates doesn’t need to be a time-consuming and costly task. By building strong foundations with a refined and unique employer brand and focusing your efforts on creating an efficient and enjoyable candidate experience, you can quickly attract top talent. 

For more information about how IQTalent Xchange can help you source a list of qualified passive candidates, reach out to our talent experts and contact us for a demo today.