7 Tips for Converting Passive Candidates into Applicants

In a competitive world of talent acquisition, identifying and attracting top candidates can be a constant struggle. While some of the top performing candidates can be ready to make the career switch, some passive candidates are slightly more difficult to get ahold of. Passive candidates may be interested in new job opportunities but are currently employed and could use a little more convincing.

Since these candidates are already busy with their current role and have not actively prepared to apply for new roles, they may not have an updated resume or LinkedIn profile. Overlooking passive candidates creates a limited talent pool, as almost 70% of the global workforce is made up of passive talent who are not actively looking for job opportunities.

Do not miss the opportunity to secure top talent, here is how to improve your passive candidate talent acquisition process

Here are talent acquisition strategies to turn passive candidates into interested applicants:

Craft an irresistible job description

It is a known fact that the first interaction that occurs between a company and its applicants happens through the job description. Build a detailed, eye-catching, and engaging job description that will generate interest and compels candidates to want to apply. Emphasize the interesting features that will appeal to each candidate, while highlighting the thriving work culture, and unique benefits that will pique their interest.

Use candidate sourcing tools

Sourcing tools like Arya by Leoforce can give you immediate access to the largest talent database in the industry. Who truly has the time to source, engage and qualify a pool of over 850 million candidates? Your team’s time could be spent better elsewhere. With this vast coverage of highly qualified candidates from across 70+ channels, your team can save time by not having to search for candidates across multiple platforms. By using AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered sourcing tools, you will have engaged, compatible applicants readily available to start the hiring process.

Offer competitive packages

Passive candidates are not actively looking for jobs because they are content with their current salary. To attract them, you will need to offer an attractive compensation package. A competitive package that includes a base salary, bonuses, and benefits will incentivize top talent to leave their current roles and to apply for your open role versus a competitor’s role.

Personalize your communications

First impressions matter, sending passive candidates personalized messages will catch their attention and are more likely to spark their interest. When crafting a message, be sure to avoid sounding spammy with generic terms that will lose their interest or potentially annoy them. Be sure to compose a message tailored specifically for them by providing this information in your emails will shows you have done your research, and you are genuinely interested in hiring them. Stand out from other companies and truly wow passive candidates to convert them into active applicants.

Follow up with them

While you should not spam candidates with a ton of messages, you should not stop at just one. You’re in it to win it so make sure you are showing interest by actively following up with them and providing them with all the information they might need. Also, building a rapport is fundamental for maintaining their interest throughout the talent acquisition process. Utilizing various communication channels such as social media and email to stay connected during and even after the initial outreach is key to retaining your own pool of candidates. Similarly, you can also use AI sourcing tools that provide bots and automated messages services, to make these tedious tasks easier for you. By using Arya, you can streamline candidate engagement with one easy-to-use communication dashboard so you can focus on higher valued tasks and move swiftly in the talent acquisition process.

Enhance candidate experience

If you end up providing a negative candidate experience, it is highly unlikely that candidate will respond to you in the future for other roles. Making sure your candidates have a great first impression and maintaining a positive reputation is crucial in turning them into active applicants. Be concise, cohesive, and clear with all the messages and details you are sending them.

Always look for ways to improve

To continuously improve, you should always evaluate your work. Look back at your previous passive candidate engagement experiences and find creative ways to improve on them! There is always room for improvement, so always look for feedback and analyze key areas for development. It is important to track and study your metrics, such as the number of candidates contacted, conversion rate, the response rate, hiring rate, and the quality of hire to measure your individual performance. By strategizing ways to improve you can take your talent recruitment game to the next level!

Are you ready to find and engage with the most sought-after passive candidates?

Recruiters that limit themselves to only active candidates are missing out on a huge opportunity to find the best candidates. Recruiters that are not using the largest database of over 850 million active and passive profiles by partnering with Arya are missing out on an even bigger opportunity to find compatible candidates most likely to succeed. Beat the competition by using the passive candidate strategies you learned today and convert these hidden gems to fill highly competitive roles.

Learn More about how you can get access to the largest available talent database: contact Arya.

Resources

• https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/global/en_us/c/pdfs/Ultimate-List-of-Hiring-Stats-v02.04.pdf