As executive recruiters in Northern California, Pacific ExecSearch knows that sometimes the best candidates aren’t looking for new jobs. But, just because someone is gainfully employed, doesn’t mean they’re not open to a new opportunity. How can you actively seek them out and appeal to them? Follow these guidelines:

1. Do some digging ahead of time.

If there’s a candidate you’re interested in, doing some research about them ahead of time. Read their bio on the company website. Look to LinkedIn, as well as Twitter and Facebook, to see what you can find out about them. See if there are any online articles written about them, whether in industry publications or alumni ones. The more you can get to know the candidate, the better you’ll be able to craft your pitch to them.

2. Focus on growth.

When you’re putting a job ad out there, you can talk about the skills and experience your company requires. But when you’re reaching out to a passive candidate, you have to take a different approach and sell the opportunity to them. To do so, use the information you learned about the candidate to talk about what you think would interest them most, whether it’s better compensation, managing a bigger team, taking on challenging new projects, or more opportunities for advancement.

3. Ask questions and listen.

Remember, you’re trying to persuade a passive candidate to make the leap to your company. To be really effective, though, you have to get inside their head to learn what drives them. Once you’ve delivered your pitch, ask:

  • What about this opportunity piques your interest most?
  • What do you love about your current role?
  • What would you change if you could?
  • What would you need to see in an offer to consider making a change?
  • Is there anything that would prevent you from accepting this offer?

Asking these questions will help you gather the insight into the candidate and find their pain points. That way, you can customize your offerings to them and hopefully, close the deal.

4. Get the candidate excited.

During the conversation, talk about specific projects the role would entail. Go into detail explaining what each project involves, how you think the candidate could contribute, and why it’s important to overall company success. Then ask them to tell you about a similar or comparable project they’ve worked on. If they find your opportunity exciting or interesting, they’ll be eager to share what they’ve done.

Does your company need help recruiting passive and active candidates for leadership positions? Call the experts at Pacific ExecSearch. As executive recruiters in Northern California, we can leverage decades of experience and proven recruiting strategies to uncover leaders with skill, experience and a vision for success. Shorten time-to-hire and reduce the costs of identifying, qualifying and placing talent. Contact us today to learn more.