People today are busy. Regardless of what we do for a living, we are in a state of over-stimulation. We have responsibilities at work, responsibilities at home, responsibilities pertaining to our outside involvement in church, community service, or school. At one time, we were able to separate those duties, simply by physically being away from them. In today’s society, we are always accessible, so it all seems to run together.
In this digital age, where our minds are going a mile-a-minute, sometimes we forget the basics. The simple components of almost everything we have learned seem worlds away.
Searching for passive candidates is no different.
Prior to starting this blog, I spent a great deal of time speaking with people: hiring managers, HR professionals, members of senior leadership, and candidates. The pain points had a tendency to revolve around one major element: the inability to find passive candidates!
If you have been involved in the hiring process AT ALL in the last year, this comes as no surprise!
So what happened to all of the candidates that are hiding out there?
Going Back to Basics
The truth of the matter is, the passive candidates ARE still out there! The problem is – many of us have forgotten the proven tactics of how to find them!
As I mentioned in a previous article on recruiting technology, the latest software is moving forward at a fast pace. That same technology, however, allows the passive job seeker to become invisible if he or she chooses to! To give us a brief refresher, I am going to outline a few tactics that may have fallen by the wayside in our mad rush to grasp new technology
1. Face to Face Networking – We are all so buried behind our computer screens and could easily spend 8-10 hours searching through every job board, list, and database known to man. We have lost touch with introductions and “chance” meetings at luncheons and industry events. When is the last time you placed a candidate you met at a networking event that wasn’t even looking at the time?
2. Simply Asking for Referrals – This seems as simple as it gets, but as recruiters or HR professionals, we are on the phone increasingly less every day. The lack of meaningful conversations and relationships lends itself to less questions being asked. And even when you ask them via email, isn’t it so much easier for the party on the other end to simply say “I can’t think of anyone right now”?
3. Showing Gratitude – On those occasions that you do have great conversations with clients, candidates you have previously placed, or other recruiters in your network – and they refer someone to you – how do you show gratitude? Building a relationship based on selflessness and gratitude goes a long way (and will always come full circle). A simple thank you note shows that you took the time to thank someone for their time. Small gestures are almost non-existent today and mean more than you give them credit for.
4. Listening to Former Candidates – Of the candidates you talk to you or meet in a year, how many of them do you place? How many of them do you think of immediately when a new search comes along? Sure – that A+ player your talked to three months ago is going to be fresh in your mind. What about that candidate you met three years ago that wasn’t interested in the job you were working on at the time, but said if you ever had an opening in Chicago, PLEASE reach out? Did you slough that off, or did you create some method to organize the candidate pool you already have? I don’t mean just searching the database, I mean being truly organized and remembering the priorities of your candidates, not just whether they have a CPA designation. Remembering the small details can make or break finding that hard to find candidate!
5. Think of Cultural Fit as the Holy Grail – Company culture sometimes seems a bit cliché to recruiters. After all, most recruiters work almost solely on commission. Company culture is a nice asset for a qualified candidate, but it sits somewhere down near “is able to bend and pick up at least 5 pounds” on the job description. In this day and age, culture is a deal breaker for most companies. Demonstrating that you understand a company’s culture and making an effort to present candidates that will “fit” with the team will create long lasting relationships – with both clients and candidates. Since time comes at a premium, both parties will appreciate your respect of theirs. And you will have earned your place as a respected “partner” vs. just a “recruiter”.
What other items do you feel deserve a place on this list? I look forward to hearing your input!
by Natalie Lemons
Natalie Lemons is the President of the Resilience Group, LLC, and the author of The Resilient Recruiter. Please join her community for more articles like this, plus helpful free downloads for recruiters or those starting a Recruiting business. Resilient Recruiter is an Amazon Associate.