Key Takeaways:
- Optimize your LinkedIn profile to attract and engage with passive candidates by sharing your professional story and company values.
- Utilize advanced search and Boolean techniques on LinkedIn to pinpoint the best passive candidates effectively.
- Engage meaningfully and regularly, using personalized messages and innovative tools like video to maintain a connection beyond just job offers.
LinkedIn is by far the best “playground” for recruitment. With over 900 million users worldwide, you can find people who are actively or passively looking for jobs in one place. In this article, we will cover effective strategies for discovering and engaging passive candidates.
Understanding Passive Candidates
What are Passive Candidates?
Passive candidates are professionals who are not actively searching for a new job but might be open to discussing potential opportunities. They often value their current positions and exhibit loyalty and proficiency at work. In contrast, active candidates are searching for new roles, readily browsing job listings and engaging with recruiters.
You might see how active candidates usually add the Open to Work badge on their main profile.
Why Target Passive Candidates?
Although it might seem counterintuitive, targeting passive candidates can revolutionize your recruitment approach. Even though they are not actively looking for a job this doesn’t mean they would be open for a better opportunity when it arrives.
There are a couple of benefits that targeting passive candidates can bring to your process:
- Access to a Wider Talent Pool
Passive candidates represent most of the workforce who are not scouring job boards. This untapped pool can be particularly useful if you are looking to fill niche or high-skill positions. For example, a company looking for specialized IT roles might find their ideal candidates already employed, not actively looking for change.
- Higher Quality Hires
Often, passive candidates are successful in their current roles rather than urgently seeking change, which can translate into them being highly skilled and valued by their current employers. Their satisfaction in their current role suggests stability and a proven track record. A LinkedIn report found that passive candidates are 120% more likely to want to make an impact, which can translate to higher performance.
- Reduced Turnover
When passive candidates make a move, it’s typically for compelling reasons, whether for career advancement or significant benefits. This deliberate change often leads to longer tenure at their new company. According to Trakstar Hire, passive candidates are 25% more likely to stay long-term at a company than those who are actively seeking a job.
- Cost-Effectiveness
Engaging with passive candidates can reduce the cost per hire as these searches often bypass the need for extensive advertising and high-volume screening processes typical of attracting active candidates. Moreover, hiring a passive candidate often means they are a better fit for the role, reducing the likelihood of early turnover and the associated costs of replacing a mismatched hire.
Strategies for LinkedIn Passive Search
Optimizing LinkedIn Profiles for Passive Engagement
Before reaching for passive candidates, you need to make sure you have a foundation in place, meaning your personal and company LinkedIn profile should speak professionalism and authenticity.
Your profile is often the first impression potential candidates have of you and, by extension, your company. Here’s how to optimize it for passive engagement:
- Compelling Headline and Summary: Your headline should clearly state your role and the value you bring to potential candidates, while the summary should expand on your professional background with a focus on how you help candidates achieve their career goals.
- Professional Photo and Background: Use a professional, friendly profile photo and a background image that resonates with your professional brand or company brand. This visual representation should convey professionalism and approachability.
- Detailed Experience and Skills: Outline your experience in recruitment and the specific industries or roles you specialize in. List skills that are relevant to sourcing and engaging candidates, such as “talent acquisition,” “strategic sourcing,” or “employee branding.”
- Showcase Your Company: Use your profile to promote your company’s culture and values. Include information about the workplace environment, core values, and employee testimonials. This helps paint a picture of what potential candidates can expect, making your offers more attractive.
- Content Sharing and Activity: Regularly share valuable content with your target candidates, such as industry insights, company news, and career advice. Engage with content others post to increase your visibility and position yourself as a thought leader in your field.
- Add the Hiring Badge: LinkedIn now allows you to add a Hiring badge to your profile. This way, people who might be interested but don’t want to announce it publicly can contact you directly via DM.
Mastering LinkedIn Advanced Search Filters
Once your profile is ready, you can use the Advanced Search Filters option. These filters allow you to narrow down your research and bring you results that are suitable for what you are looking for.
Let’s take an example:
Scenario: You are looking for software engineers currently working at top tech companies like Google or Facebook.
How to Use the Filter:
- Go to the LinkedIn search bar and select “People.”
- Click on “All Filters.”
- Under “Current Company,” type “Google” or “Facebook.”
- Add “Software Engineer” in the “Title” filter to specify the role.
- Optionally, use the “Location” filter to narrow down candidates in specific geographic areas.
This filter setup allows you to target individuals who are likely experienced and skilled, given their current employment at leading tech firms, thus ensuring a higher quality of potential candidates.
Leveraging Boolean Search Techniques
Another technique that you can use is Boolean search. Boolean searches refine your search process, combining keywords with operators like AND, NOT, and OR to produce more relevant results.
There are multiple ways in which you can use this technique. Let’s look into some examples:
- You can use “Project Manager” OR “Program Manager” when you are looking for candidates who might hold either title
- Developer NOT “Junior Developer” when you want to exclude junior profiles from the search results
- (“Software Engineer” OR “Software Developer”) AND (“New York” OR “San Francisco”) when you want to perform location-specific searches
Engagement Techniques for Passive Candidates
Once you use these search tactics, the next natural step is to look into engagement techniques for passive candidates.
Crafting Personalized Connection Requests
The most important part is how you write the connection request. People receive daily spam on LinkedIn, and you need to pay extra attention to detail to make them want to respond. Here are 5 key elements that you should take into consideration before sending any connection request:
- Mention Specific Details: Refer to details from the candidate’s profile, such as their recent job achievement or a shared interest, to show that you’ve taken the time to understand their background.
- State Your Purpose Clearly: Be upfront about why you are reaching out but keep it brief and professional.
- Make It About Them: Highlight what’s in it for them, such as potential career growth or opportunities to engage with new networks and ideas.
- Warm and Professional Tone: Keep the tone friendly yet professional, balancing warmth with respect for their current position and achievements.
- Call to Action: Encourage a specific action, like a short phone call or meeting to discuss opportunities, making it easy for them to take the next step.
Messaging Strategies Tailored for Passive Candidates
Once the candidate accepts your connection request, the next step is to craft a personalized message.
Here are 2 strategic approaches that you might want to use:
1. Highlight Career Advancement Opportunities
Passive candidates often value their current positions, so your message should emphasize how a move could benefit their career trajectory. Focus on growth opportunities, new challenges, and the potential for greater organizational impact.
Example:
- “Hello [Name], I’ve been following your impressive career at [Current Company], and I admire how you’ve [specific achievement or skill]. At [Your Company], we’re currently exploring ways to expand our [specific department or project] and I believe your expertise could play a pivotal role in this growth phase. Would you be open to a brief chat about how this role could offer you the [specific type of career advancement, like leadership opportunities, a more impactful project, etc.] you deserve?”
2. Personalize with Specific Details from Their Profile
Use specific details from the candidate’s LinkedIn profile or any public work to show that your approach is thoughtful and targeted. This can include references to their articles, projects, or interests related to the role or your company’s mission.
Example:
- “Hi [Name], I read your recent article on [Article Topic]—what a fantastic read! It’s clear you have a deep understanding of [Industry/Field]. It struck me that your insights align closely with the projects our team at [Your Company] is working on. I’d love to discuss how your approach to [specific skill or topic] could greatly enhance our efforts. Is there a good time this week to explore potential synergies?”
Building Relationships Beyond Job Offers
Apart from being careful about the way you craft your messages, there is another longer-term strategy that you can implement. LinkedIn was specially created to build relationships, and that is something you should also consider.
One thing you can do is to use LinkedIn as a personal brand-building tool and start sharing relevant information with potential candidates. You can share stories about the company, tips, and tricks on preparing for a job interview, or just give details about what recruiters are looking for.
You can also join LinkedIn groups and interact with your candidate’s posts.
Enhancing Recruitment Management with LinkMatch
Once you implement the strategies, your inbox will be flooded with potential candidates, so you might need a CRM tool to help you manage everything. As you interact with profiles on LinkedIn, LinkMatch can automatically capture key information and populate corresponding fields in your CRM. This includes contact details, work history, and notes from interactions, which are essential for maintaining an organized and accessible candidate database.
Explore LinkMatch’s CRM extension to optimize each stage of the recruitment process.
Conclusion
Successfully engaging passive candidates on LinkedIn requires a blend of strategic searching, thoughtful communication, and the right tools. By implementing these techniques, you can uncover and attract high-quality candidates who may not be actively looking for new roles but are open to the right opportunities.
FAQs: Strategies for Searching Passive Candidates on LinkedIn
What is a passive candidate?
A passive candidate is not actively seeking new job opportunities but may be open to discussing potential roles that align with their career goals and interests.
Why should recruiters focus on passive candidates?
Focusing on passive candidates allows recruiters access to a broader, often more qualified talent pool who are likely to stay longer at their new positions, enhancing team stability.
How can I use LinkedIn to find passive candidates?
Utilize LinkedIn’s advanced search filters, Boolean search techniques, and personalized connection requests to identify and engage with passive candidates effectively.
What are the best practices for messaging passive candidates on LinkedIn?
Best practices include personalizing messages with details from the candidate’s profile, highlighting career advancement opportunities, and maintaining a professional yet approachable tone.
Can tools like LinkMatch enhance passive candidate recruitment?
Yes, LinkMatch integrates with CRM systems to streamline candidate tracking, ensure consistent communication, and improve overall recruitment efficiency by effectively managing detailed candidate data.
This article is part of the comprehensive guide on LinkedIn Recruiting Strategies. Read our related content on Searching for Candidates, Linkedin Networking for Recruiters, LinkedIn Groups, Gender Diversity in Recruitment: Best Practices Using LinkedIn, Advanced LinkedIn Search Operators and Filters, Utilizing LinkedIn Analytics for Recruitment Success, Using LinkedIn’s Open to Work Feature for Candidate Search, and Leveraging LinkedIn Recommendations and Endorsements for Recruitment.
