Passive candidates, who are not actively looking out for a job change are highly desired by organizations these days. Yasmin taj finds out why organizations are reaching out to this new batch of job seekers
Are you content and happy with your job? Is there nothing about your organization that annoys you? When was the last time you checked out any opening or looked out for another opportunity? If your answer is ‘yes’ to most of these questions, then you certainly qualify to be a ‘passive candidate’!
Yes, a ‘passive candidate’ is the latest buzzword amongst recruiters and the HR circle these days. The passive candidate - is hard to comprehend and very challenging to recruit and is generally ‘content’ with his/her job. But it is not an easy task to actually identify and approach these passive candidates since they are not out in the open. So, how does an organization do this and what is the best way to do it?
Potential and passive:
Raj Bowen, Managing Director (India), Personnel Decisions International India Private Limited avers, “A passive candidate, in the technical definition, is one who is doing very well in his/her current role/job and would have nil motivation to think of a change in the near future. The most common route to identifying suitable passive candidates is through referral networks where company employees have their own associate circles in other firms and are willing to share that as a recruiting source with HR.”
“The pre-requisite for such identification is an understanding of the characteristics of passive candidates. One cannot rely on technology for this as it needs the personal involvement and recruiters need to play the role of sales people. Recruiters need to have special training to be able to identify, approach and recruit a passive candidate,” informs Reuel Ghosh, CEO, eRevMax Technologies.
Approaching the passive:
Identifying a passive candidate is one thing and approaching one is a different ball game altogether. What would then be the best approach to grab a passive candidate’s attention? What might turn a passive candidate’s head when it comes to recruitment? Yogi Sriram, Program Director, AIMA expresses, “Be crystal clear about the role and reporting relationships and the deliverables. Know the business and business prospects thoroughly. Do proper ‘home work’ about the candidate. Respect the candidates’ need for confidentiality and provide space and time for enquiry.”
According to Poonam Sharma, Director, Human Resource, Carrier Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd, “He/she can be approached through a professional head hunter who not only tries to understand the trigger points that could initiate the desire to change but also create an interest level in the new role by highlighting the merits of the role. The candidate can also be approached for his or her recommendation of a suitable candidate for the role that you want to offer him/her.”
Active versus passive:
The employment market is already flooding with active candidates seeking job opportunities or looking for a role change. Why should any organization opt for identifying a passive candidate and approaching him/her instead? What are the advantages of approaching passive candidates? Bowen explains, “A passive candidate has an edge over an otherwise regular active one only when he/she has ‘turned around’ and is excited at the opportunity. The reason for this is that, at this stage, he/she is engaged in a single conversation only and is not actively doing a multi-source job-search. If things move as per plan, the commitment to close is focused and more dependable, making it worth the effort.”
Though active candidates have been the most sought after for a long time now in organizations, passive candidates are grabbing the limelight these days making organizations wanting to identify, approach and hence recruit them.
Source:
http://www.timesascent.in/index.aspx?page=article§id=8&contentid=20081126200
Are you content and happy with your job? Is there nothing about your organization that annoys you? When was the last time you checked out any opening or looked out for another opportunity? If your answer is ‘yes’ to most of these questions, then you certainly qualify to be a ‘passive candidate’!
Yes, a ‘passive candidate’ is the latest buzzword amongst recruiters and the HR circle these days. The passive candidate - is hard to comprehend and very challenging to recruit and is generally ‘content’ with his/her job. But it is not an easy task to actually identify and approach these passive candidates since they are not out in the open. So, how does an organization do this and what is the best way to do it?
Potential and passive:
Raj Bowen, Managing Director (India), Personnel Decisions International India Private Limited avers, “A passive candidate, in the technical definition, is one who is doing very well in his/her current role/job and would have nil motivation to think of a change in the near future. The most common route to identifying suitable passive candidates is through referral networks where company employees have their own associate circles in other firms and are willing to share that as a recruiting source with HR.”
“The pre-requisite for such identification is an understanding of the characteristics of passive candidates. One cannot rely on technology for this as it needs the personal involvement and recruiters need to play the role of sales people. Recruiters need to have special training to be able to identify, approach and recruit a passive candidate,” informs Reuel Ghosh, CEO, eRevMax Technologies.
Approaching the passive:
Identifying a passive candidate is one thing and approaching one is a different ball game altogether. What would then be the best approach to grab a passive candidate’s attention? What might turn a passive candidate’s head when it comes to recruitment? Yogi Sriram, Program Director, AIMA expresses, “Be crystal clear about the role and reporting relationships and the deliverables. Know the business and business prospects thoroughly. Do proper ‘home work’ about the candidate. Respect the candidates’ need for confidentiality and provide space and time for enquiry.”
According to Poonam Sharma, Director, Human Resource, Carrier Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd, “He/she can be approached through a professional head hunter who not only tries to understand the trigger points that could initiate the desire to change but also create an interest level in the new role by highlighting the merits of the role. The candidate can also be approached for his or her recommendation of a suitable candidate for the role that you want to offer him/her.”
Active versus passive:
The employment market is already flooding with active candidates seeking job opportunities or looking for a role change. Why should any organization opt for identifying a passive candidate and approaching him/her instead? What are the advantages of approaching passive candidates? Bowen explains, “A passive candidate has an edge over an otherwise regular active one only when he/she has ‘turned around’ and is excited at the opportunity. The reason for this is that, at this stage, he/she is engaged in a single conversation only and is not actively doing a multi-source job-search. If things move as per plan, the commitment to close is focused and more dependable, making it worth the effort.”
Though active candidates have been the most sought after for a long time now in organizations, passive candidates are grabbing the limelight these days making organizations wanting to identify, approach and hence recruit them.
Source:
http://www.timesascent.in/index.aspx?page=article§id=8&contentid=20081126200
