The total number of passive job seekers at the end of 2023 exceeds one-third of an already large workforce. These are the employed professionals who do not plan to change their jobs today, yet they often sneak a peek at opportunities that might catch their interest in the other companies. An owner or hiring manager may be wondering: should we target or focus on passive job seekers? Well, that largely depends on what skills and qualifications you really want to drive the business forward.
For these industries-the professional services areas of accounting, finance, and education- up to half of the workforce comprises passive job seekers. While these very talents may not be actively seeking out another job, they are likely to have exactly the relevant qualifications and experiences that can be used to build your company. So how, then, would you lure this very hard-to-reach stratum? We’ll look into some effective strategies for getting in touch with passive job seekers and offering them opportunities within your company.
Why Attracting Passive Job Seekers Matters
Passive job seekers are probably the most sought-after candidates for your company business. They are professionals established in their careers and have quite impressive skills and multiple professional networks. Therefore, they would usually be difficult to recruit, especially if they are satisfied with their positions. But their recruitment efforts can prove to be extremely beneficial. Passive job seekers usually join companies within days after they decide to change because they have skills that are in high demand.
Passive job seekers are very important in some industries. For example, in the finance sector, in technology and in healthcare, business competes with business for the same pool of talent. By concentrating on passive candidates, the employer taps into a very high-quality talent pool that cannot be accessed using the traditional means of recruitment.
Ways to Draw Passive Job Seekers
Drawing passive job seekers is bound to require thinking and strategy. Here are some strategies that work to gain the attention of persons that are hard to get:
- Employ the Use of a Headhunting Agency
The fastest and most effective means of getting the attention of the passive job seekers is through securing a recruitment agency or headhunter. Such professionals know how to approach high-level candidates discreetly, even if those candidates are currently employed and not actively looking for a job.
Headhunters will approach your preferred candidates on your behalf in a discreet manner, ascertain if they are at all interested in a move, and very carefully present your job offer in relation to their career goals. This technique especially works well for positions that are either hard to fill or are mainly senior roles requiring thorough industry knowledge and experience.
Recruiters can facilitate the agreement on getting the top talent, but they may also bring candidates into consideration you may have not thought about. Listing out candidates with specific backgrounds (be it technology, finance, etc.) through their professional network can help you identify a candidate whose skill sets may fit your business requirements. - Network Within Your Industry
Another approach in attracting passive job seekers is actually networking with an industry. You can be engaging people in front of the potential candidates at conferences, events, or meeting through personal network; they’re going to make a one time big difference here. You want to develop relationships with people in your industry so that you can understand the behavior of potential job seekers and be branded as an attractive employer.
This could be a bonus if you know most of the professionals in the industry. Conversations during industry conventions or informal introductions from mutual acquaintances can just be the right setup to discover some passive job seekers. Keep an eye out for anyone else you network with who seems well-suited for your company and may be willing to move. - Customize Your Job Proposal According to Their Requirements
All passive job seekers do not meet one kind of need. That is, they are already happy in their present jobs and so one has to find a very fine offer to entice this type of candidates. They have to prove their interest in what they want in their future jobs that would appeal to them-be it a more flexible working environment, personal development growth opportunities, or a distinct company culture.
For example: flexible hours-from the hybrid or remote working option-to professional development exposure, a positive company culture, and much more-otherwise, candidates are bound to lose interest. You would most probably be offering them something special that reflects their different needs, thereby keeping their interest by valuing their time and attempting to make things easy for them. - Negotiate
Be prepared to negotiate with the passive job seeker should they indicate a need for flexibility so that they will feel appreciated and valued within your organization. A perfect example of this is when a candidate requests a four-day workweek or some flex to their hours, it would be beneficial to assess if this is something that your business can do. The reason behind this is that if the candidate is going to fit quite well into what your company requires and be able to provide the needed skills, there will be more positive than negative aspects when making such requests.
It’s really nice for the candidates to judge your organization based on flexibility and willingness to catering some of their needs. Ultimately, giving out concessions is like putting dollars into getting the right talent turned in and creating loyalty and long-term success within your organization. - Drive Home Your Company’s Value Proposition
Passive job seekers are not merely interested in a job change; they have often matured into seeking affiliates that fit with values they have with regards to good work culture. Attracting the top candidate to your company would, of course, depend on showing how valuable your enterprise is and how great your company is in getting off work.
Emphasize on developing culture where employees feel valuable, heard and supported. Create space for them to upgrade professionally, coexist and make work-life balance one of the priorities. You can even spell out how committed your firm is to social corporate responsibilities and sustainability as most job seekers tend to favor organizations that give back to the community or care for environmental and social issues.
Being where you are located in the company best means making the contributions possible and working at your company possible for any passive job seeker looking to build a career that means something.
Conclusion: The Cultivating of a Work Environment That Attracts
Finding those less visible job seekers takes time and effort. To this end, your organization would make a perfect location that employees would want to work for because they would grow, get nurtured, and develop professionally. If your business has a healthy employee-employer relationship, a wonderful work-life balance, and great room for mobility, the passive candidates will be drawn toward you.
Ultimately, such a business would be able to create an environment that embodies respect and consideration. Such a company will be able to wait for its time when passive job seekers will most likely join your business when the opportunity permits.
In essence, understanding the needs and preferences of passive job seekers and aligning your response with such needs can keep business organizations ahead of others regarding getting the best talents available.
