‘Tis the season to go shopping for the best price and deals! My inbox has recently been flooded with all sorts of advertising from my favorites stores with their daily sales and best bargains. And with all of these stores each promising me the best deals, it reminds of the recruiting process and more specifically, passive and active candidates.
As recruiters, we are ecstatic when we post a position and receive an influx of resumes right away. We have a large pool of active candidates to consider, which makes out job easier…right? Well, that depends. If our goal is to fill the position as quickly as possible with someone who can just “do the job,” then yes, the interest from active candidates is definitely beneficial. But what about when you need to find a very particular candidate with a specific skill set?
When we are seeking our purple squirrels, our sourcing skills are put to the test. Sure, you could be super lucky and the perfect candidate could coincidentally be looking for a new opportunity at the exact time that you are posting an open position. This is not so often the case.
Passive candidates are usually your ticket to finding the right fit. You have the ability to search through profiles, referrals and previously active candidates to find that perfect combination of personality, talent and skills for your organization. The cost of recruiting a passive candidate is significantly greater than with an active candidate, but research has also shown that retention is higher with passive candidates, increasing your return on investment.
So when you are first starting your candidate search, consider this: Are you going to click on the first sale that comes across your inbox, or are you going to go out to different stores and websites and shop to find the best deal?
By Amanda Cunningham | People Science Talent Advisor