With the national unemployment hovering at or below 4%, finding passive candidates for technology jobs has become the obvious path among very few options.
So how does one go about finding these elusive passive candidates?
Understand Motivation
Passive candidates are, by definition, not actively looking for a new job.
Something has to prompt them or compel them to consider a job change. All of us in the work force are busy with life and family. If our jobs are going well enough, we are not really thinking about a new one… unless someone or something reminds us of elements of our jobs that we would not mind improving. Elements such as:
- Salary increases
- More challenging, stimulating, engaging work
- A job that is not stagnant, one that has a good career path
- Opportunities to learn new marketable skills
- A job that provides better work-life balance
As companies post their open positions (presumably using social media vehicles to reach passive candidates), they are wise to include “call to action” language that would appeal to passive candidates – speaking to how they can dramatically improve upon their good-enough current jobs and point to the possibilities of achieving one or more of the above goals.
Let Your Products Shine
Engineers by nature are driven by new and influential technology. In an article from engineerjobs.com, engineers shared a variety of reasons for choosing to leave their previous roles for their new ones. A majority of the answers were related to finding a role where they could play a part in designing an impactful product or innovative solution. One engineer said, “I am now working for a startup engineering company. They fit my criteria of building real-world solutions. As an engineer, it’s fun to work on products that are actually engineered in a traditional sense… in particular, their product line must meet a very high standard in quality and safety. I feel like I’m making a difference to people’s lives, and even helping to save lives!” By marketing your company’s products and not just the job, you create a sense of excitement and challenge for passive candidates.
Engage A Proactive Specialized Staffing Firm.
A standard staffing firm will be reactive – only searching for candidates after they receive a request from a client.
A good staffing firm will likely be specialized in one or two technical disciplines and will have cultivated a database of active and passive candidates in anticipation of demand. They would have an understanding of where to find passive engineering candidates who would have the experience in your industry, products, or service.
Most importantly, a good staffing firm will have developed and nurtured strong relationships with passive candidates over the years and would understand what will appeal to these candidates individually. Understanding a passive candidate’s priorities will enable the matching of high priority goals to dynamic opportunities. It is at that point that a passive candidate becomes an active candidate.
Are you looking for help getting through to engineering talents who aren’t active in the job market? We are ready to help! Contact the staffing experts at SoloPoint Solutions today at (408) 246-5945 or (714) 708-3639.