There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’
July 25, 2012 6:30 PM written by Greg Savage 
7 Comments
I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of ‘active’ and ‘passive’ candidates. Even though I admit to freely using the terms myself… until very recently.
But I am going to stop doing that.
People ramble on about ‘passive’ candidates, as if this is a totally fresh breed of human being, that only new-age, especially savvy recruiters know how to connect with. The ‘passive candidate’ has become a mystical ‘super-talent’, somehow superior and different to the bog-standard ‘active’ candidate, who has demeaned him or herself somehow, by actually sinking to the low of actively looking to change jobs.
Well here is a newsflash. There is no such thing as a passive candidate.
In the modern world of sustained talent shortages in niche areas, and evolving job-search behavior, today’s recruiters must think like this…
Everyone is a candidate, all the time.
What I am saying is that the only difference between an ‘active’ and a ‘passive’ job-seeker is a question of timing!
Everyone is ‘active’ if you convert them.
And therein lies the modern recruiting challenge. Yes, to identify and locate the talent with the skills we need. But then it’s up to us to convert them to ‘active’ status. That’s right, you “runner of job-board ads”, you “searcher of the tired old data-base”. It’s your challenge to find them, connect with them, seduce them… and in time, entice them to consider a new role.
So lets not talk about ‘passive’ anymore. It’s meaningless. All candidates are active… some just have to have their new job search ignited!
#TheIOR There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of … http://t.co/Ph8x9HeA
#Geniusteam There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk… http://t.co/tQBDVfYW
RT @IOR_JoinUs: #TheIOR There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of … http://t.co/5paPfzsO
RT @IOR: #TheIOR There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of … http://t.co/Ph8x9HeA
I understand the sentiment, but I disagree. This will not work for everyone. Many Consultants benefit from classifying their candidate pools and the active/passive nomenclature is perfect. Perhaps it is the word “passive” that is the problem. Perhaps potential or prospect is a more relevant term?
A new consultant will benefit from understanding the difference between the active and passive candidates. They are able to cut their teeth speaking with receptive active candidates, but sharpen the skills with passive candidates.
In rapid response/volume recruitment, it is imperative to build and maintain a list of active candidates. If your company has spent £thousands developing and maintaining a database through advertising/registrations and it works, then use it. You don’t need to go anywhere else. Why would your businesses have a tired old database? Why would your active list be full of rubbish? Mine isn’t. If this is the case then don’t get distracted by searching LinkedIn and other sources unless your job demands it, especially if you are a Junior Consultant. You will waste a lot of time and achieve very little.
It is very different in contingent/contract recruitment, especially for an SME competing against the more established businesses. You need to differentiate your services by being quicker or providing better candidates. The chances are that you won’t be quicker without the resources or the candidate pool. A “passive candidate” is one who is not looking for a new position at all, but who may or may not be registered with your business. The approach to a “passive candidate” is different to an “active” or job board candidate, so don’t start approaching them without the correct training or advice. If you can turn them, then the chances are that they will be EXCLUSIVE to you. If you can provide something different, you will win more business. My word of warning is that that the best candidate may already be on your database or on a job board. So be sure to make a recruitment plan for each role before you wander off headhunting.
If you have done your job correctly, a lot of your initial approaches to passive candidates can be as referrals, references or testimonials for your active candidates. Mapping and building a network of relevant passive candidates takes time and skill. Expect rejection and don’t take it personally.
RT @Azmat: There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of ‘a… http://t.co/iiW …
RT @Azmat: There is no such thing as a ‘passive candidate’: I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of ‘a… http://t.co/iiW …