The Path to Passive Candidates

Maintaining a competitive edge in the race for talent necessitates promoting open positions in the same way your company markets products or service. It’s more than selling to the customer who entered the store; it’s all about enticing the ones who are shopping next door to stop in for a visit. Attracting passive talent – those individuals who are happy in their current position – can be tough. It requires a multiple-layered strategy, but it can often net the best results. Follow these tips for bettering your odds for victory in the talent war.

Don’t wait for that ideal candidate to come knocking on your door – create an inviting company brand and culture.
• Be a strong, engaging, mobile company
• Be known for integrity, community involvement, and a friendly open-door culture
• Be known for your employer-employee relationship and above average compensation
• Create a blog page and post interesting industry-related articles – be known as the company who people turn to for information.
Establish your company as a recruiting company
• Give your employees motivation to fill internal positions
• Establish an employee referral program
• When you ask for referrals, be specific about the skills you are seeking
Build relationships – Be personable. People and personal interactions make all the difference when it comes to job satisfaction.
• Follow, like and connect with potential candidates.
• Read the blogs of industry professionals – it will help you identify potential candidates
• When you meet someone, who has the potential to be an ideal candidate for a future position, connect with them and take the time to discover what’s beneath the surface. Make a note for future reference.
• Connect with talent via networking events
Be a social media expert
• Become savvy on multiple platforms – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.
• When you notice potential talent, take the time to dig deeper – approach them through their media pages via a “soft-sell” approach. Don’t be a stalker.
• Be clear and upfront about who you are, and the position you are seeking to fill.
• Include a call-to-action, making yourself easily accessible.
• Contact potential candidates Monday – Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are too close to their weekend – and your inquiry will be an ignored distraction at best, an automatic “do not call me ever” at worst.
Take advantage of your present client base
• Invoices, service ads, etc. are a great place to tack on an “ad” for an open position.
• You never know who they will know.
Be a reachable company
• Generate engaging, interesting, job postings that accurately share the crucial details clearly and concisely.
• Ensure your application process is simple and easy to navigate
• Be mobile enabled – Ensure that all of your sites (the main company site, all social media profiles, application page if applicable, etc.) are mobile-friendly and glitch free.
• Be easy to contact
Do it right when you make the connection
• Customize your email or message to draw in their attention with benefits such as extreme flexibility, an opportunity for growth, a relocation package, or a unique or flexible work environment/culture.
• Highlight the factors that indicate your job offers more stretch, increased satisfaction and more long-term growth.
• Learn how to turn the conversation – so the candidate begins asking the questions and selling his/her skills and experience

Back up your efforts by connecting with a reliable staffing firm. Not only do they have an inside track to great talent, but they are also experts at enticing passive candidates. By partnering together, you can glean the talent field and harvest the best.

Is your company located in Portland or Bangor, Maine, and surrounding areas? Contact Springborn Staffing today. As Maine’s Leading Staffing Firm, we have been providing best-in-class staffing services to Northern New England for almost 30 years. Solid. Reputable. Quality. These are the attributes Springborn Staffing brings to the table.

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