Getting On The Radar Of Passive Candidates
The competition that employers in many sectors are having to engage in, in order to appeal to the limited number of candidates with the correct in-demand skills, is higher than ever before.
This battle has had a positive impact on employees, as employers are now focusing more on talent retention, employee wellbeing, work life balance, rewards and working environment.
This also means that people who would have previously been seeking their next move, are now more in a passive mindset. They may be open to a good career opportunity, but they aren’t out actively looking for the new move.
So, what do employers need to do, to locate, engage and hire these passive job seekers?
1. Company brand and value proposition
- Identify your strengths as an employer.
- Focus on how you can maintain these and make them stronger.
- Identify if there is anything that needs to be changed.
- How do you communicate these strengths and what makes your company a good place to work?
- Consider the social media channels, forums and sites used to target your identified talent.
- Are you on the right forums and using the right methods of communication to target your desired candidates?
- People who know and trust your brand, are more likely to apply and click further.
2. You need to stand out.
- Currently, there are skills shortages in the market and candidates will have a lot of options when picking their next career move. Focusing on what is in it for the candidate, particular in the job advertisement, is important. Don’t just list a load of skills and finish with ‘competitive salary’. A competitive salary will not be enough to secure an interested candidate.
- Yes, salary remains important, but candidates are now more attracted to good work life balance, training and development and CSR. If you are offering great perks, volunteering opportunities and more than basic annual leave, tell your candidates.
3. If you want the passive candidates to act on the interest generated by your role advertisement, you need to make the application process easy.
- Limit the amount of initial information needed, respond quickly, offer remote interviews at convenient times, keep the gap between interviews short and make a fast decision at the end of the interview process.
- Having a single point of contact throughout the process is also beneficial.
- Candidates may have other offers on the table. Their final decision might come down to how smooth and quick your process was and how interesting you seem in them.
If your company is hiring, Hayward Hawk are here to help you secure the top talent in the market.
Reach out to us today for a confidential chat - 028 9590 2688
