In today’s dynamic job market, where competition for top talent is fierce, HR teams are facing unique challenges. With shifts in workplace expectations and a growing demand for skilled professionals—especially in sectors like tech—recruiters need to adopt new strategies to attract qualified candidates. One effective approach is prioritizing passive candidates, those who may not be actively job searching but are open to new opportunities.
In the past, businesses often had large pools of active candidates to pick from. These are professionals who are currently searching for new opportunities, applying directly to jobs at regular intervals. They are usually immediately available.
Passive candidates are professionals who are currently employed and not available immediately. These candidates are not actively looking for work and don’t submit applications, though they are often open to new opportunities.
According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Future of Recruiting report, while only 24% of global professionals were actively seeking a new role, a significant 63% were open to exploring new opportunities. This highlights that a majority of employed professionals are passive candidates who are willing to consider changing employers, even if they aren’t actively looking.
Larger Candidate Pool
While 55% of HR professionals report that competition from other employers is a major challenge in hiring full-time employees, another 46% are experiencing an increase in candidate ‘ghosting.’ This reflects the growing difficulty of managing a high volume of applicants while still securing top talent.
Although the talent pool may feel overwhelming, focusing on passive candidates—who make up about 70% of the global workforce—offers a valuable opportunity to expand your hiring options. By actively engaging passive candidates, employers can cut through the noise and find qualified professionals who might not be actively job hunting.
Increased Competition
In 2024, the job market remains competitive, not because of a lack of applicants, but due to an overwhelming number of them. A survey found that 58% of recruiters are struggling to manage large applicant volumes, making it harder to identify top talent. In addition to this, competition from other employers remains fierce, with companies often needing to accelerate their hiring processes to secure high-quality candidates quickly.
While active candidates may seem abundant, focusing on passive candidates—who comprise about 70% of the workforce—remains a smart strategy. According to a report by InterQuest Group, passive candidates are 25% more likely to stay with a company long-term and perform 9% better than their active counterparts. By engaging passive candidates, you can take the time to build meaningful relationships without the urgency of competing offers, leading to better long-term hiring outcomes.
High-Quality Talent
Clearly valued at their jobs, it is obvious passive candidates work hard and gain enough experience to win the appreciation of their employers. If they weren’t being shown appreciation in this job market, they would be active candidates.
Active candidates’ applications often require a little more attention and research before deciding their qualifications. With passive candidates, hiring teams should still do research and thorough employment reviews, but remember to not overlook the original qualifications already there.
The Bottom Line
If you’re recruiting active candidates only, your business may miss out on the majority of high-quality talent. By engaging with passive candidates, you’ll gain access to a larger talent pool with less competition—and plenty of high-quality talent.
Ready to start recruiting passive candidates? We’d be happy to help.
This article was originally published on April 4, 2019 – it has been updated and was republished September 17, 2024.