Using LinkedIn to Recruit Passive Candidates? Yep!

It’s a fact that companies are still filling 80% of their jobs with active candidates – candidates who are actively seeking other employment. Yet, most of the A-playing talent is found within the passive pool, a much smaller pool. How in the world will you be able to hire quality passive candidates if they are not applying for jobs? The most valuable and effective tool for finding and communicating with passive candidates is LinkedIn!

After reading this tidbit of interesting information; how many of you have been in or have known someone in that very same position? They are brought onto a job into a position that is more or less meant to be a mere stepping stone for what they truly want? Honestly; how many of us can say that we have never been at that same position?

LinkedIn is one sure-fire way to locate those prime-candidates that are not actively seeking other employment. It's as if you are walking around outside the local restaurant, not paying attention, and "OH!" there is a $20 bill that is off to the side, stuck in a bush. Now, you weren't looking for a $20 bill, and oh what an odd occurence that you have found one minus the effort. LinkedIn is your bush to find your $20 bill...uh...candidate.


The quoted first paragraph is from Strategic Advisor, Jennifer Millman.

Everyone Loves a PASSIVE, But We Hire Mostly ACTIVES

Attend any recruiting conference, or read just about any recruiting blog, and you’ll find a steady drumbeat about passive candidates: Why they’re better; How to source them; What to say to convince them to work for you, and; What you need to do to attract them and then keep them.

Active candidates are OK. But current fashion is to go find the people who don’t want your job.

Now we find that some of America’s biggest companies — collectively hiring hundreds of thousands of workers annually — hire only active job seekers, while more than two-thirds of them fill three-quarters of their jobs with actives.

These no-so-surprising revelations are in a new survey from the recruiting consultancy CareerXroads.
“There is a tendency by recruiters and hiring managers to believe that passive candidates are better,” says Gerry Crispin. But, “They’re hiring a mix that’s mostly the active candidates who come to the career site or (apply) through job boards.”

Crispin, who with his partner Mark Mehler, is a founder and principal of CareerXroads, described the survey as “interesting,” though it can’t be considered as representative of hiring practices generally. It was conducted only among the consultancy’s clients — 34 participated, many of them leading employers in their industry hiring thousands of workers annually.

Besides just getting estimates of the passive vs. active hiring the companies do, the survey asked the recruiting leaders to offer their view — and their perception of what hiring managers believe — about the qualities of both types of candidates.

For instance, 24 percent of responding recruiting leaders believe active candidates are more likely than passives to “perform the job.” By the same percentage, they say they think hiring managers feel the same way. But at the other end of that scale, they say they believe 47.1 percent of hiring managers think actives don’t perform as well as passives. 38.2 percent of the leaders report believing that themselves.

Actives do better when it comes to the currency and relevancy of their skills and abilities. By a significant majority, recruiters say they believe (73.5 percent), and they think hiring managers also (79.2 percent) are neutral to strongly positive on the statement that as compared to passives, actives have relevant and current skills.

Even though no broad, industry conclusions can be drawn from the survey, Crispin said its purpose is provoke discussion. Both the perceptions part of the survey and another part about how recruiters are engaging passives and actives are grist for conversation about recruiting strategies and practices.

“There are elements here that I think are kind of interesting,” says Crispin. “Our perceptions may not have anything to do with the actual performance of the people we hire.”

The survey does serve as a reminder that “we have biases and we need to operate against them … There”s a huge gray area embedded in the passive-versus-active discussion. These are perceptions we have that recruiters need to consider. What’s valid here?”

He adds, “It’s knowledge, skills, and experience that predicts future performance, not the status of employment.”

article found on "ere.net"

JOB POSTING - Apple Job Posting Hints at iPad Camera

It is interesting to know that not only are job seekers looking at the recruitment ads... Situations like this that raise a lot of awareness about a certain project or even a small chance for a candidate to become part of a project can hold a big part in the sway to recruit talent. Keeping your audience informed about projects you are working on and letting them know the potential influence they could have on projects is a great way to get them involved with the company and constantly seeking out new openings.

via: http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100210/apple-job-posting-hints-at-ipad-camera/

PRINT - Microland.com Recruitment Ads

This campaign helps use the headline to draw attention and makes a quick delivery of the requirement, "If you have a neutral accent, call us." It is a great example of displaying a headline, call to action and company name. By being so simple in design and straightforward it keeps potential candidates from having to sift through information to find the message.

Targets already have to notice your ad out of the rest of the advertising clutter, don't make them have to work even harder to find your message.

How would your start to eliminate clutter from your message?
via: adsoftheworld.com & remmyawards.com

PRINT - Associated Ready Mix Concrete, Inc.

Creating in-jokes and addressing things the way your target candidates would, helps to spur on your conversation with your audience. The goal is to create and share something and find a way to win over your candidates towards you company; why not show them you are already with them and share the same attitude or tone that they are looking for. Humor is also one of the best ways to connect with audiences, the challenge is to create a humorous ad without offending.

Your thoughts?
via: www.adsoftheworld.com

ALTERNATIVE RECRUITMENT - Shield Security: Jobcases

Shield Security created these "Jobcases" to try and recruit active and experienced security personnel. Aside from promo teams, Shield Security also uses these cases whenever they travel.

I know I've talked about this before, but reaching out to your potential candidates on their turf or in their language and being able to surprise them can really create that bond or connection you need to get the conversation started for recruitment. It is also great for finding experienced employees because you are catching them off guard in the middle of their regular routine.

Via Ads of the World:

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/shield_security_jobcases?size=_original

Previous posts about speaking directly to your candidates include:

http://patriotadvertising.blogspot.com/2009/12/non-traditional-recruitment-speak-to.html

http://patriotadvertising.blogspot.com/2008/09/nontraditional-frequently-asked.html

http://patriotadvertising.blogspot.com/2008/08/non-traditional-using-your-recruitment.html

http://patriotadvertising.blogspot.com/2008/07/alternative-print-another-example-of.html

http://patriotadvertising.blogspot.com/2008/06/airline-india.html

BRANDING - IBMers

IBM's "Smarter" campaign creates an empowered point of view for those aspiring to be part of something greater, to do something more, and to possibly apply to IBM. They might not be hiring at full speed right now but this is a great way to reach out and really create a name for their brand among potential candidates as well as the communities they are part of. Take a look at a few of the videos but know that there are many more on YouTube.com. What are your thoughts on their direction?

RECRUITMENT: How to Activate the Best Passive Candidates in the Federation

It can be difficult to get potential candidates interested in your company's open positions. How do you make active and passive candidates want to call back seeking more information about a new career move? These are some great-and as ere mentions-not so great tips talking about using the reticular activator part of the brain which separates boring information from the important and critical. Depending on how you formulate the information and questions to candidates, using these tactics can help increase the success of your recruiting efforts to find top qualified candidates.

ere.net (Full Story) How to Activate the Best Passive Candidates in the Federation

Some Great and Not-So-Great Reticular Activating Voice Mails

• Your mother called and told me she wanted you to consider this job. (This actually worked.)

• Your boss just called and strongly suggested you consider this job. (This didn’t work too well, but it’s worth a shot.)

• You’re the 87th person I’ve called for this senior-level creative director level position, and I haven’t found anyone creative yet. I hope you’re not like the other 86. Even if you’re not interested in the job, I’d love a new idea for a better voice mail.

• We’re trying to adopt the marketing concepts Obama used to become President. We’d like to talk to you, if you think you can help.

• Our team of seven ASIC design engineers is looking for a new leader. Two of them said they’d like that person to be you.

• We just opened a req for a new security analyst cadet for Star Fleet Academy’s Class of 2387. Is this something you’d like to explore? There is some travel involved.

• Have you heard the story about the priest and the rabbi who went into the bar across from Fenway? If not, I’d like to tell you about it and what it has to do with our new Plant Manager position.

• I call every person I’m referred to at least eight times before giving up. This is the 3rd call.

• (Name) just suggested I give you a call. He said you’re one of the best people he’s every worked with, and while you’re probably not now interested in our executive marketing position, he thought you’d know someone who would be. (This one always works if the name is important enough.)

There are a bunch of points and principles demonstrated by these types of messages. First, they’re marketing-oriented. Since they’re not boring, the candidate’s reticular activating system won’t filter them out. This is the critical point. While the person still might not call you back, at least you’ll get noticed. As your callback rate rises, fine tune your messages to get to the 80% threshold.

Now when the person calls you back, don’t blow it and lose your mojo. Don’t be shocked. Maintain your composure. If you don’t, you might say something stupid, like telling the person about the job. If the job has no interest, or it sounds boring, you’ll shut down the person’s reticular activating system, faster than a bear trap on a frigid day in Montana. Not only won’t you secure a great candidate, but also the possibility of any good referrals. (Here’s an article on this critical point you might find useful.)

So instead of flubbing it, keep the candidate interested with more compelling information and clever pre-planned pitches. Think of this as the old carrot and stick approach by withholding some critical information to induce the candidate to reveal more about herself. Here are some ideas on how to pull off this critical step:

• Once you get the person on the phone, just ask if she’d be open to explore a position if it represented a significant career move.

• The candidate is sure to say yes since he called you back. Then say, “Great. Could you give me a super short overview of your background. I’ll then give a snapshot of the opportunity, and if it sounds like something mutually worth pursuing, we can schedule a time to talk in more depth later.

• Don’t push the process. If there’s a relo involved, or if you’re not sure the candidate is ready to move quickly, suggest another call in a few days, after you’ve talked to the hiring manager. Alternatively, suggest there are other strong candidates you want to contact first before setting up a detailed conversation. For a high-achiever, competition is a great way to maintain or increase interest.

• Don’t be the pursuer. The idea here is to switch roles. If you can get the candidate to pursue you, and sell you on her competency and interest, you’ll not only close more deals, but compensation won’t be the decider.

HR - Recruiting Passive Candidates in Tough Economic Times

This may be more along the lines for once you get candidates on the phone but this article lists several important points to keep in mind that can be applied when in conversation with your audience as well as points to hit on in your ads.

In tighter economic situations those that already have a job are much more inclined to remain at their current position while those applying may not be the highest quality candidates you are after. They then discuss ways to turn conversation to your favor if it seems like rejection is heading towards you as an answer to your offer from passive candidates.

How do you draw appeal from quality and experienced passive job seekers?

http://www.ere.net/2008/07/18/recruiting-passive-candidates-in-tough-economic-times/