When searching for the best talent to fill a role, one of the effective methods to find them is through passive recruitment. Individuals not actively seeking a new job could be interested if you could successfully reach out to them with an enticing opportunity. But how do you do that?
About 70% of the global workforce are passive candidates, according to LinkedIn Business Solutions. Some people might think it’s easy to recruit a passive talent—you just have to send them a message, ask them to apply, and they feel flattered about the offer and send their application. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Because passive talents are pretty much contented or comfortable with their current role, they’re not proactively seeking a change in their career—unless the right offer comes along.
Here, we’ve gathered amazing tips from experts in passive candidate recruitment that can guide you in finding your next hire:
Define Your Ideal Candidate
First things first—you need to nail down the talent that you want to have before reaching out to potential candidates. What are you looking for?
Create an ideal candidate profile by listing the skills, experience, values, and cultural fit you want them to possess. These are based on the tasks and responsibilities the role involves.
“In our experience, we look beyond qualifications and consider the competencies required for the role, such as problem-solving skills, leadership potential, and adaptability,” said Greg Arnold, General Manager at Kitchen Mania.
“Evaluate your company’s culture and list the values or traits that align with your workplace. Consider traits that contribute to long-term success, such as a growth mindset or alignment with company goals,” he added.
Identify your must-haves and nice-to-haves. Must-haves are non-negotiables, such as skills or certifications in specific software or courses. Nice-to-have are not deal-breakers but could enhance the candidate’s value.
When you understand what matters to you the most, it’s easier to do a targeted and compelling outreach.
Network, Don’t Cold Email
Instead of popping up out of nowhere with a message about a job vacancy, it’s better to start connecting first with passive candidates. You can network with them by engaging in online discussions and professional groups and attending industry events and conferences.
Build genuine relationships with candidates over time, and they’ll be more interested and engaged when you pitch a role later. When you establish a rapport and positive impression first, it helps position yourself as a credible and approachable recruiter.
Also, you must not just connect once and disappear. Follow up occasionally with personalised messages or share relevant articles, tools, or industry updates they might find useful. This keeps you on their radar without making them feel pressured.
Talk Opportunities, Not Positions
Offering a new position can feel too transactional, so it may not draw enough attention from potential hires. Sure, they might feel flattered to receive an offer from a recruiter, but it’s not usually enough to make them take action if you only say something like, “Hey, we have a job vacancy.”
Instead, you can tell them about the opportunity they’ll receive, such as a greater impact on your organisation or more opportunities for career advancement. You have to explain why you’re reaching out, what made them stand out to you, and why you believe they’ll be a good fit.
Rather than saying, “We have an opening for a team lead,” say, “This role gives you the chance to lead a high-performing team and drive innovation in [specific area]. Your expertise in [specific skill] could make a real difference here.”
“I always try to highlight how the role aligns with their career goals,” said Gavin Yi, Founder and CEO of Yijin Hardware, “I talk about mentorship, skill development, or pathways to leadership.”
“I believe that it helps candidates visualise their future success within your organisation and builds an emotional connection to the role—making it far more likely they’ll consider making the leap,” Yi added.
Build Your Employer Brand
Employer brand is your reputation as a company in the eyes of your current employees and potential hires. It’s how they perceive you based on their experience with you. It goes beyond competitive compensation and benefits.
A talent who’s comfortable with their current workplace and role could be interested in switching if you have a stellar employer brand. “They’re unlikely to consider a move unless your company offers something significantly better,” said Toni Farrell, Marketing Manager at Coastal Motorhomes & Caravans. “So, it’s crucial that you have a strong employer brand, which signals that your company isn’t just a place to work but a place to thrive.”
You can demonstrate that you’re a people-first employer, promote inclusivity, care about mental health, offer flexibility in the workplace, and provide learning and development opportunities. It’s how you treat your people that appeal to passive candidates.
When flexibility is baked into your brand, it appeals to candidates who want more control over their schedules. When candidates see that you care about your team as people first, they’ll feel valued before they even apply. Likewise, talented professionals often value roles that challenge them and provide avenues for advancement.
Passive candidates may not be searching for a new job, but they’re always paying attention to the reputation of companies in their industry. When you have an amazing employer brand, it creates curiosity and intrigue, so it can be the first to come to mind when they’re ready for a change.
Explore Social Media Platforms
Go beyond the usual job boards. Explore social media platforms where you can showcase your company as an attractive place to work and build relationships with potential hires. There’s LinkedIn for targeted outreach, Instagram and Facebook for engagement, and Reddit for building trust and reputation.
Social media platforms act as a treasure trove of data, much like the internet for a web scraping tool. You can mine these platforms for passive candidates.
Establish your presence on key social media platforms. Make sure you have company pages that are professional, engaging, and updated. You can boost your employer brand through them.
According to Rhami Aboud, CEO at Arch Web Design, “Highlight your company culture through photos, videos, and testimonials from employees. You can also share stories about career growth and employee success to show why working with your company is rewarding.”
Be active in social media communities relevant to your industry. Share useful content, join discussions, and offer genuine help by answering questions from other members.
Social media recruiting takes time, but when done right, it builds a strong pipeline of talented professionals who see your company as their top choice.
Create an Employee Referral Program
One of the best places to start your passive recruitment is by tapping your existing network, that is, your employees. Ask them for referrals and reward them for doing so. They can recommend people they’re willing to vouch for.
On the other side, their referral would be more interested in exploring the opportunity because it’s recommended by someone they know. The trust factor is already there. And if they get in, they tend to perform well and stay for the long term.
“Sometimes, even without anything in return, people still make recommendations,” said Max Tang, CMO at GEEKOM. “But if you want to motivate them more to send you referrals, give them something. You can offer monetary rewards, but it doesn’t have to be financial all the time. It can be anything from a voucher, a free meal, to a time off.”
Give your employees enough information about the role and what kind of candidate you want. Provide the list of requirements, including both hard and soft skills. Be as specific as possible, so that they can recommend a perfect fit.
Incorporate feedback from employee satisfaction surveys to understand what qualities and skills are valued in your workplace culture, ensuring the recommended candidate aligns with both the role and team dynamics.
Make the Application Process Easy
Maryanne Fiedler, Director of Marketing at Psychic Source, says, “Passive candidates could be hard to convince to apply, especially when the process takes time and is too complicated. You can encourage them to do so if you make the application process easy and less cumbersome.”
For instance, don’t ask them to fill out a five-page online form that takes at least 20 minutes to complete. Instead, minimise fields in the application form to only essential information, such as name, email, and a link to their profile.
Even better, create a one-click application option, such as the Easy Apply feature on LinkedIn. Let them upload a resume or submit applications through email. Don’t require candidates to create an account to apply. It adds unnecessary friction.
You can also offer to schedule an informal call or coffee chat instead of asking them to apply immediately. Give them options for interview times, including evenings or weekends, to accommodate their current work schedule. Use virtual interviews to make participation easier.
Conclusion
Passive candidate recruitment is an art that requires creativity, finesse, and a personalised approach to attract and engage talent who isn’t actively seeking a new job. It isn’t just about sending messages and hoping for a response—it’s about building relationships, creating a strong employer brand, and making the process seamless for potential hires. Passive recruitment takes time and effort, but when done right, it’s worth it. Use these strategies to build a pipeline of candidates who can bring immense value to your organisation.
Author: Catherine Schwartz – HARO & Content Outreach
Photo credit: StockCake
