The challengers of recruitment from years past remain present today, where recruiters identify ‘finding talent’ as a challenge. A low unemployment rate and skills gaps have created a competitive landscape for recruiters. Many top candidates are already employed, making it challenging to attract passive talent.
What Is the Difference Between an Active and Passive Candidate?
Active candidates are actively seeking new opportunities and networking, while passive job seekers may not be actively searching for a new job but are interested in hearing about potential roles that align with their career goals.
What are the Pros and Cons of Building a Passive Candidate Pipeline?
Pros of Recruiting Passive Candidates
Exclusive – Passive job candidates are not actively searching for a new position. They’re often more exclusive and committed to the opportunities they pursue. When you find the proper role for a passive candidate, they’re more likely to be committed to your agency and less likely to interview with multiple companies.
Quality over Quantity – Invest in building relationships with high-quality, qualified candidates who possess the skills and experience your clients seek. By cultivating a pipeline of top talent, you can effectively match candidates with suitable opportunities and meet your client’s needs.
Reliable – By focusing on attracting and placing passive candidates, you can enhance your agency’s reputation by providing clients with top-tier talent driven to make a positive impact. Undercover Recruiter states that a passive job candidate is 120% more likely to seek a role that makes a difference, making them a valuable asset for your clients.
Honesty - Honesty and transparency are essential for successful placements. With their existing job security, passive candidates are often more open and honest about their expectations. Active job seekers may be more willing to accept a role, even if it doesn’t fully align with their long-term aspirations. By understanding these differences, recruiters can better assess candidate motivations and make informed placements.
Cons of Recruiting Passive Candidates
Important vs Urgent – Effective time management and prioritisation are essential for successful recruiters who constantly balance urgent client and candidate needs. While building a passive candidate pipeline may seem time-consuming, it can yield long-term benefits. When you recruit passive candidates and create a solid pipeline, you can reduce your reliance on advertising for every role and potentially match ideal candidates with suitable opportunities.
Negotiating Counter Offers – After investing time in the recruitment process, counter offers can be challenging to address. Our blog, 7 Counter Offer Statistics Every Recruiter Needs To Know, offers valuable insights and statistics to help you navigate this common challenge and retain top talent. Understanding the dynamics of counteroffers can effectively address this situation and increase your chances of securing the candidate.
4 Tips For Building a Passive Candidate Pipeline
1. Keep Your Friends Close (And Your Past Candidates Closer)
Stay in contact with your previously placed candidates – Nurture relationships with candidates you’ve previously placed to build a pipeline of potential talent. By staying connected and proactively reaching out, you can leverage your existing relationships and identify suitable opportunities for these candidates. This can be a valuable source of talent for your agency, saving you time and effort in sourcing new candidates.
Stay in contact with candidates you didn’t place – Stay in touch with potential job candidates, even if they’ve accepted other offers. Maintaining regular contact will increase your chances of being their first choice when they’re ready to leave their current job. This proactive approach can help you build lasting relationships and secure top talent for your clients.
Use your existing network – When looking to source passive candidates, expand your reach by networking with friends and colleagues to identify potential candidates. Passive recruiting in this way can be a valuable source of top talent for your recruitment agency.
2. Build your Personal Brand
Your brand is crucial for passive recruitment. Focus on building trust and credibility within your speciality. Establishing yourself as a respected recruiter should be a key part of your recruitment strategy as it can increase your chances of connecting with top talent and securing successful placements.
Online – Become an industry thought leader by sharing valuable content and engaging with your target audience on social media. Build relationships organically and avoid overly promotional tactics. Optimise your LinkedIn profile to showcase your expertise and encourage positive reviews from past candidates. By establishing yourself as a trusted expert, you can attract top talent and build a strong network within your industry.
Offline – Expand your network by attending industry events and social gatherings where your ideal candidates will likely be present. Building genuine relationships in person is invaluable, even in today’s digital age. By actively participating in your industry’s events, you can connect with potential candidates and establish yourself as a trusted expert.
3. Be Authentic
Build trust with passive candidates by showing genuine interest in their careers. Avoid a transactional approach and focus on building relationships. Being authentic and personal can increase your chances of connecting with top talent and securing successful placements.
Unlike an active candidate, a passive candidate is unlikely to be scrolling through job postings looking for a new job. By remaining authentic, trustworthy and consistent a potential passive candidate is far less likely to instantly shoot you down when you do present them with some open positions that they would be a top candidate for. Authenticity is key to nurturing the relationships that you need to build.
4. Use the Tools at your Disposal
Discover the power of Eclipse Software for passive candidate recruitment. The platform offers tools to identify, engage and nurture relationships with passive talent:
Add a personal touch to your communication with past candidates by recalling earlier conversations recorded in the communication log.
Use your recruitment software to schedule reminders to contact passive candidates – don’t rely on your memory for everything.
Segment your candidate pipeline into active and passive candidates so you can manage where you need to devote your time.
Building a passive candidate pipeline requires consistent effort but can significantly improve your ability to fill roles efficiently. By focusing on active and passive candidates, you’ll have a wider pool of talent. Invest in building relationships with potential candidates and nurture your pipeline to ensure you’re always prepared to fill roles quickly and effectively.
