ALC - CareerArc blog

Sourcing quality candidates is a huge piece of the employee staffing puzzle. So it’s fitting that there are many ways to go about finding the right person for open roles. Social recruiting, job board outreach, reviewing applications, and networking events are just some of the ways to go about finding external candidates. But looking inward is another way to bulk up your hiring efforts. Now we’re not just talking about internal promotions, but also about leveraging your existing talent in another way. Your employees’ personal connections can make for a great resource.

How to Source & Engage Today’s Increasingly Passive Talent

Sourcing high quality passive job candidates doesn’t always have to be so time consuming. In fact, sometimes it can be as simple as a quick Google search. 

Finding the right fit for an open role can be a real challenge in today’s job market. Companies are struggling with high turnover and niche positions are requiring more specialized skillsets. Not to mention, companies are investing more than ever in their employer brand, which only increases the level of competition for quality candidates. It’s undeniable—hiring is a complicated process that requires a fluid, ever-evolving strategy. 

When a candidate turns down an offer or leaves their role prematurely, it’s easy to point the finger. Perhaps the candidate-in-question was just using your company’s offer to get a pay increase at their current company. Or maybe the team that they were hired onto did a poor job at training them for their new responsibilities.

As a modern HR professional, you already know the benefits of social recruiting. However, not everyone in your company may understand the perks that come with this recruitment strategy. In order to introduce social media recruitment in a way that convinces internal stakeholders, you must start by framing the idea in a way that non-HR professionals can understand. This is a challenging exercise, but one that is necessary for getting social media recruitment strategies approved at your company. 

Have you ever had to hire a tough, specialized role? Are you looking to connect with talent faster and on a more personal level? See how virtual events in the form of recruiting webinars are playing a role in sourcing today’s top talent.

The late Steve Jobs of Apple once said, “Go after the cream of the cream. A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players.” Despite the brilliance of this advice, McKinsey Senior Partners Scott Keller and Mary Meaney and authors of “Leading Organizations” reveal that 82% of companies don’t believe that they are recruiting and hiring top quality employees. Additionally, for those that do, only 7% believe that they can retain them. If your business wants to recruit top talent, you must convince these individuals that it’s in their best interest to join your company (and leave their current employers in the process). This is where having a strong employer brand can give you an edge over your competitors. 

Studies show that only 19 percent of candidates are actively looking for a new job. The other 81 percent are referred to as passive candidates. Just because these passive candidates aren’t actively looking for a new job doesn’t mean that they aren’t open to considering new job opportunities. If you want to attract the best applicants in today’s highly competitive job market, it’s crucial to engage with both active and passive candidates.