We all know that recruitment has been a challenge over the last few years. Unfortunately, we aren’t seeing signs that it is likely to change. So, if the right people for your role are already employed, how do you recruit someone who isn’t actively looking?

What is a passive candidate over an active candidate?

There are still many people in the market looking for a job. In fact, you might find that your job opportunities are inundated with candidates. It is just that they aren’t necessarily the right ones. Active candidates are still important but for the crucial roles in your business, you want to be as selective as possible. If you’re finding that the CVs from those actively looking aren’t right then it is time to consider a campaign for passive candidates.

These are potential candidates that aren’t currently looking. Passive candidates. A recent survey by Workable suggests that 45% of the UK population are passive candidates. That’s nearly half the workforce not looking to change role. If you’re recruiting and not finding the right people this will be one of the reasons why. So how do you recruit someone who isn’t actively looking?

Promote your company culture

There are a range of tactics that you can implement to improve your recruitment. We’ve previously spoken about your employer brand and value proposition. Creating and then communicating the benefits of your workplace is important. It can show active and passive candidates your values and the wider benefits of working with you.

We’re in a market where money is important but it isn’t the only key deciding factor. Having a culture that encourages current employees to share, review and talk about your benefits will raise your profile. Raising awareness of your organisation’s culture can help create an easier conversation when you start a conversation with passive candidates.

Think about a referral scheme

If you have employees that recognise your company culture and are advocates for your workplace, a referral scheme could be an option. This is where you incentivize current employees to reach out to contacts. It builds trust as it is the employee reaching out rather than a cold contact. It encourages collaboration in your workplace and positivity by building a team of like-minded individuals.

Utilise your network

Leveraging your professional connections such as trusted colleagues, industry contacts and alumni associations can help spread the word about the available role. We’d also recommend engaging on social media platforms like LinkedIn to identify and attract top candidates for open positions. This approach can be highly effective as it allows you to tap into a pool of potentially passive candidates who may not be actively seeking new opportunities but are open to discussions.

Work with a recruitment consultancy

We appreciate that the above might sound great in theory but time-consuming in practice. Working with a recruitment consultancy, like ourselves, can provide the time needed to recruit passive candidates successfully. We offer a range of added value besides time. We understand the recruitment market because it is our job. It means we can advise on how roles can be structured differently and where training might be advisable to give you a wider mix of candidates.

A consultancy, like Good Egg Recruitment has a different approach to sending you a load of CVs. We want to take a detailed brief and get to know you. This enables us to source passive candidates more effectively and nurture a potential relationship. It helps a passive candidate buy-in to your organisation before they even meet you at interview.

If you’re ready to recruit someone who isn’t actively looking but don’t know where to start then why not email nicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or annette@goodeggrecruitment.com for a chat?