Have Hard To Fill Positions - Consider Passive Candidates

A passive candidate is an individual who is not actively looking for a new job. While some industries can be easier than others to find top talent, some niches need candidates with specialized skills that are tough to find. What do you do when qualified candidates are scarce and your business needs more hands on deck? Employers across many industries continue to experience difficulty in filling open positions. This is especially true in the skilled trades. According to Statista.com, in July 2021, transportation and construction occupations came in 2nd and 3rd place for having the highest unemployment rates in the United States.

Both active and passive candidates are important when recruiting for your business, but sometimes finding passive candidates can help you fill positions in specialized industries. Because of this, many recruiters are increasing their efforts to identify passive candidates in addition to active job seekers. According to a 2018 ADP Research Institute survey, 42% of currently employed workers who said they were not actively looking for a new job were nonetheless, “open to the idea.” Their receptiveness creates a huge opportunity for companies seeking top talent.

Many top performers are not looking for another job, but if approached, they would entertain offers from other companies. To find these people, it takes some diligent investigating. Consider where they network, what they read, and whom they trust. Use employee referrals, your current employees can be your best source of word-of-mouth referrals. You will need to create an environment where they’ll be more receptive to hearing about an open position or having a conversation with you, then make your pitch outstanding, employed workers will compare it to their current situation. Be efficient and avoid lengthy or repetitive steps in your recruitment process to ensure that the process isn’t discouraging to potential candidates.

Today’s talent-driven job market means that passive candidates are extremely valuable. Make sure you’re spending time to develop specific sourcing strategies. This is an area where recruiters at agencies like Blue Collar Specialist excel. Over time, they have built networks among employees and managers. They can tap into these networks to find hidden gems who would never be discovered otherwise. Recruiting passive candidates for a job requires a more strategic approach. Beyond traditional job boards and other active talent strategies, employers need to look toward proactive candidate sourcing instead.

If your business is having hiring issues and you want to learn more about attracting passive candidates, contact Blue Collar Specialist. We would love to discuss how we can help your company with its staffing needs.

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