As a recruiter, you’re probably aware of the fact that 75% of professionals are passive candidates. If you attract some of the best ones to work for your organization, they will make great contributions. If you ignore passive candidates, you’ll be missing out on a huge pool of talent.
If you’re interested in HR statistics, you’ll love this fact, too: 84% of candidates would consider leaving their current positions if they got a job offer from another organization with an excellent reputation. Loyalty is still important, but a great offer that leads to career progress is a whole other thing.
The bottom line is: a recruiter needs to attract passive candidates. Are you wondering how you can do that? These 7 methods work:
1. Attract Facebook and Twitter Connections
George Bales, an HR manager, explains: “Facebook and Twitter have billions of users, so it would be silly to ignore them. Personally, I like using Facebook’s graph search and Twitter’s advanced search to find profiles that match my requirements. The more connections I make, the better chances I have to attract the right people towards my organization.”
Through these two social media platforms, you can listen and understand. You’ll find out what the passive candidates are interested in, so you’ll think of an offer that would work for them. However, you’ll also help passive candidates find you. You’ll use all the right hashtags to make your profile visible, and you’ll stay open for connections.
2. Explore Reddit and LinkedIn, Too!
Recruiters often ignore Reddit, since this network doesn’t give out the impression of professionalism at first sight. If you make your research targeted, however, you’ll be surprised with the talent you find. Take a look at the subreddit for programming, for example. You’ll find a huge pool of talent there, and it’s easy to connect with the people who get your attention. Search for a subreddit relevant to your industry and get engaged!
Speaking of targeted search, we can’t avoid mentioning LinkedIn. It’s the ultimate tool for professional networking, and it gives you access to all hidden talent you can dream of. You just need to be more active in relevant groups, contribute with high-quality content on its blogging platform, and make connections on a daily basis.
3. Let Your Current Employees Help
Employee referral bonuses work! Your employees have contacts from your industry. They talk to people via Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other networks. Inspire them to attract the right people to your company and give them a bonus for each hire you make after their recommendation.
When you have an opening in your organization, encourage your current employees to spread the word. They can publish tweets and Facebook statuses, invite their LinkedIn contacts to check out your offer, or write nice things about the company on Reddit. Of course, you’ll reward them for that.
4. Make Robust Offers
It’s clear: money are an effective tool that makes people interested in a new job. If you offer a higher salary than the one a candidate is currently earning, you’ll have their attention. That means you’ll need to pull few strings to find out how much they are making, or you can simply ask them before you give a better offer.
However, money is not everything. Your offer should also include opportunities for growth, as well as a chance to work in a positive, welcoming environment.
5. Show Your Expertise!
As a recruiter, you’re doing your best to find and hire passive talent. However, you should also engage in activities that allow the passive candidates to find you. You can do that through blogging. Talented workers spend a lot of time reading industry-related articles.
Through search engine optimization, you’ll make sure they locate your blog. You’ll provide high-quality content that will awaken their interest in your organization. Then, you’ll call them to action. Your blog will include information about opened positions, and you’ll make those opportunities look as attractive as possible.
6. Attend and Host Networking Events
When you attend or host a networking event, you don’t intend to recruit every single person you meet there. Your goal is to develop a professional network you’ll use when recruiting people for your organization. When you’re hosting this type of event, make it fun and useful for professionals from your industry. Invite expert guest speakers and organize workshops. Otherwise, passive candidates won’t be interested in showing up.
Add the people you meet as LinkedIn connections and if you notice someone extraordinary, start communicating with them right away. Send a straightforward offer; no one likes wasting time in purposeless conversations.
7. Build Long-Term Relationships
If a passive candidate is currently not interested in your offer, that doesn’t mean you should forget all about them. It’s important to maintain meaningful connections and conversations. Keep attending conferences and talk to the people you already know. Maybe they will be at a different place in future, so you’ll awaken their interest with a new offer.
Keep building your professional network via LinkedIn and other social media networks. Publish links to great content, get engaged in discussions, and build long-term relationships with passive talent.
The good news is that it’s not hard to start attracting passive candidates. If you use all the right tools and techniques, they will start coming your way. Hopefully, the tips above will lead you and your organization to success.