How to unlock hidden talent: understanding the passive candidate

We recently surveyed our recruitment masterclass attendees to find out how many are relying on recruitment agencies to fill their vacancies.

The survey revealed that 69% of those HR professionals were using agencies to fill 50% or more of their empty roles.

While dedicated recruitment agencies can be a great resource for filling roles, they often come with a high cost.

In this blog, we cover the key points from our recent masterclass, unpacking how you can target passive candidates to boost the number of roles you can fill independently.

What is a passive candidate?  

For those unaware of what a passive candidate is, we’ve broken down the basics.

Essentially, passive candidates are employed individuals who are not actively seeking new job opportunities but may be open to the right offers.

Typically, these candidates are skilled, experienced and leaders in their fields; while these candidates are often satisfied with their current roles, they are willing to explore better opportunities.

Understanding the candidate market 

Another survey ran during our recruitment masterclass found that 67% of businesses don't have any plans in place for attracting passive candidates.

It is important to understand the numbers around the candidate market as it highlights the importance of having a passive candidate strategy.

Across the globe, only 30% of the workforce are actively seeking new roles, meaning 70% of people fall into the passive category. 

Tapping into the large pool of passive candidates can massively expand your talent pipeline, helping you access a diverse range of skilled professionals who can help drive your business forward.

Building a passive candidate strategy

Below we've showcased key considerations for building a passive candidate recruitment strategy.

For those who don't have anything in place, this offers a vital framework; however, even if you already have some initiatives in motion, hopefully, you can still learn from the advice. 

Networking

It is really important that in your sector, you utilise professional networks and attend industry events to build connections.

You are then likely to make connections with people who are not actively job seeking that may be perfect for your business in the future.

Also, from a digital perspective, LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals and build a network without having to physically go out.

After you've established a solid network of talented professionals, when a role becomes available in your business, you have a range of candidates ready to approach.

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Employee referrals

Encourage current employees to refer qualified professionals from their networks with a "refer a friend" scheme.

Having a scheme in place, which compensates staff with a referral fee for introducing successful candidates, means current employees will go out of their way to promote open vacancies.

Referrals from employees also allow you to tap into similar people with the skills you need.

So, while these passive candidates may be happy in their job roles, they could be open to new opportunities, especially when presented by someone they trust.

Targeted email campaigns

Utilise your data – perhaps you have details from networking, candidates who previously applied or LinkedIn – and send people (with consent - don't forget about GDPR) targeted email campaigns.

Sending passive candidates personalised emails and showcasing opportunities at your company, can be a great way to regularly bring your brand to their attention and promote your vacancies.

Top tip: segment your data and target specific people in specific sectors and roles.

Content marketing

Utilise content in an array of areas, such as social media, a company blog, your website, etc.

Continuously sharing content which promotes your business helps showcase what makes you such a great place to work.

Additionally, posting content on a variety of channels helps ensure you reach candidates across multiple generations, wherever they reside online.

What type of content should you post? Showcase your company culture through blogs, videos, social posts, etc.

Stuck for ideas? Use content to highlight employee successes, award wins and testimonials as a starting point.

Social media

Profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media contain a lot more information about applicants than their CVs.

Not only do they contain more information, but they potentially contain more relevant information, such as recommendations from other employees they've worked with.

The search capability, especially in LinkedIn, is also extremely strong, so you can target the exact skillset you need.

Additionally, through social media, you can use targeted adverts, promoting your vacancies to people in the specific radius of your job opportunities.

Industry forums and groups

It is important you participate in relevant forums and groups, becoming part of the community.

By being active in forums and communities, you begin to build a group of people who are aware that your business is a great place.

Watch the full recruitment masterclass

Hopefully the above has been useful!

Looking for more support? Watch the full recruitment masterclass on the art of engaging and attracting top-tier passive candidates to transform your approach.

The masterclass offers practical, actionable techniques that you can start using right away!

Stay ahead in the fiercely competitive HR recruitment landscape and watch the full recruitment masterclass here.

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