5 Tips for hiring active and passive candidates

5 Tips for hiring active and passive candidates

Hiring is a long process and challenging too. The first step for the perfect hiring is to plan up well, have a set of strategies and most importantly understand the type of candidates and sort them accordingly.

There are two types of candidates, the active and the passive candidates.

Active candidates are the ones who proactively seek for job opportunities. They represent about 25% of the workforce. They have an updated resume handy and they keep an eye on job portals and other related websites. This doesn’t mean that they are unemployed. These candidates are open to new job openings due to many reasons such as,

• 1. They would like to take up more responsibility.
• 2. They are concerned about their current employer’s stability.
• 3. They are probably dissatisfied with their current position.
• 4. Their current employer went out of business.

Active candidates know how to market their expertise related to the required job roles. They know what they want and it’s easier to recruit them. They will directly communicate to the recruiters and are much passionate towards their work.

Whereas, passive candidates will not exhibit hurry in seeking a job.

• 1. They have stellar credentials and good work experience.
• 2. Passive candidates are employed and they will more likely be satisfied with their current job.
• 3. Passive candidates account for nearly 75% of the workforce.

However, they will entertain calls or emails for job offers so as to evaluate everything and choose the best among them. Passive candidates need to know the ‘what’s in it for them’ factor when approached with a job offer. Hiring passive candidates can be expensive too. The recruiters need to convince them to even consider a job opening. Such candidates also expect to be paid more. Recruiters can meet passive candidates mostly at seminars and conferences. The recruiters need to directly approach them and tell them what caught their attention. The job opportunity should be enticing enough for them to make a career change, they should feel like, “Okay, this job gives much more than my current one”.

How to approach the candidates?

Once the recruiter gets to know the candidates, there should be a proper methodology on how to approach them. Few tips are as follows,

Check for References when recruiting or consider ERP:

Employee Referral Program (ERP) is the single most effective tool in your recruiting arsenal. Having a solid employee referral program will help recruiters to seek out to both active and passive candidates. By encouraging your co-workers to recruit their friends and contacts, you are actually saving your valuable time. This simply means a great increase in productivity by spending less money. ERP’s will also ensure better candidate quality. ERP’s are the best way to acquire passive candidates.

Build your networking muscle:

Recruiters should practice networking. Even if a candidate rejects an opportunity, they might have someone to refer who may be the perfect fit for your job opening. The recruiters just need to ask for them and communicate properly. This will help in building the database of potential candidates.

Accurate Job description:

This is a basic thing. Keep an eye on your job listings and make sure that the description for your job listing is accurate and covers everything. The candidates should not be confused with the job listing and its description. A good job description should clearly mention about what the job exactly is and who would be doing well in that position. Both active and passive candidates are attentive about job descriptions.

Your brand:

Employers always conduct a background check on the candidates before hiring them, likewise, candidates also do a background check on the company they are applying for. And it’s important for the companies to always showcase itself as a friendly and cheerful place to work. Having a good online reputation is quintessential for any business. Most of the candidates will look for employee reviews on websites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Job Buzz etc. They really want to know how it is to work for your company. Make sure that your company doesn’t have any negative reviews blocking your way from potential candidates.

Social Media Presence:

It’s 2018 and social media is growing at boundless speed. Social Networks possess a major share in amplifying a company’s brand. Having a robust brand management strategy in social networking platforms will bring more attention. With more and more people joining social media networking sites, the social media space is going to be bigger and better in the coming days. The companies can leverage this social media boom in the best possible way. This is the best way to gain the attention of active candidates as they regularly look up on social networking sites to check on the company and for job openings.

Happy Recruiting!

Last but not the least, using the right channel for the right set of candidates will help in improving the quality and cost of hires. The above strategies are applicable for both active and passive candidates. However, it is all about how well you play your cards. Happy recruiting!!