Recruitment and hiring is a challenging, and time-consuming process. Due to the competitiveness of the current job market, a single listing can attract hundreds of interested job seekers. However, sometimes the best candidate for the position is already employed. In order to find the candidate that is perfect for the job it can be beneficial to seek out passive candidates.
Passive candidates are usually already employed and if offered their dream position, or simply one a step up from where they are currently, it is possible to lure them from their current job to a position at your company. Passive recruiting may seem like the answer to your problems, can finding the perfect candidate really be that easy?
Pros
- They Have the Skillset You Need – Because your candidate is already employed they are typically confident, and hard-working, and already have the skills and experience you are looking for. Because passive candidates don’t absolutely need to find a job now, they are often more honest with their resumes and less likely to exaggerate their skills and abilities.
- They Know What They Want – A passive candidate knows what they don’t like about their current employer and what they’re looking for in their next position. If you can offer them a better position, more flexible hours, or a better working environment it can be a simple task to convince them to join your company.
- They Will Have the Skills You are Looking For – You can save yourself the effort of interviewing multiple candidates that end up not truly having the skillset you’re looking for. Instead, you get to find the perfect candidates, the only effort after lies in whether or not their personality will fit your company, and if you can convince them to quit their current position to work for you.
Cons
- The Seekers Risks– For those that are comfortable in their current job, switching over to a new unknown company can be distressing. They have no guarantee that by leaving their current job they are going to be happy at the new company. As such, it can sometimes be hard to lock down a very talented candidate that seems to be the perfect fit for your team.
- Lengthy Recruiting Process – Passive candidates already have employment, if you want them to come over to your company you’re going to have to prove that the grass is greener on your side. This requires a lot of your attention. If the candidate you were interested in decided you’re not the right fit for them, the time you spent attempting to recruit them to your company was wasted and you now have to go through the same process again. The act of passive recruiting requires creating a large pipeline of quality candidates to fill the job and maintaining contact with these candidates. While you’re not wasting time with candidates that are underqualified, you may be wasting your time in the recruiting process.
- You May Have to Go Beyond Your Salary Limits – As mentioned previously, luring a passive job seeker to your side may take a bit of convincing to seal the deal. Often this means offering higher pay, and if the talent pool is scarce you may do just that.