Will Passive Job Seekers Apply to Your Job?
More than half of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com say they plan to increase their staff in the coming year. One–in–ten expect to hire more than 100 new employees. While job opportunities are expected to increase by 18.9 million jobs (13%) between now and 2014, the availability of qualified talent will tighten as Baby Boomers retire and smaller replacement generations enter the workforce. Already 38% of hiring managers report having difficulty finding good candidates today. Obviously, you want your recruiting process to run as successfully as possible without continually losing top–notch candidates to the competition. To ensure this happens, you must take a proactive stance to your hiring process.
Being proactive means attracting both active and passive jobs seekers and letting them know what your company has to offer. Active job seekers are easier to attract than the passive seeker. Active job seekers are people that consistently post their resume on job boards, apply to listings, and keep their online job profiles up–to–date. The passive job seeker is someone already gainfully employed. They may or may not be happy with their current job; nonetheless, searching for a new job consumes little to none of their time. They are, however, proactive about their career path, and would consider changing jobs for the right opportunity.
Most passive job seekers do a quick job search at least once a month to check for new and interesting opportunities. They are often search for jobs after reading a career related article on a newspaper website, MSN, AOL, CNN or one of CareerBuilder.com's 800+ other partner sites. Others search while relaxing with their laptop at a coffee shop, while on vacation, or when they get home after a frustrating day at the office.
Be clear about the details of your open position and highlight the benefits of your company. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey*, 27% said failure to include a salary range, was a major turnoff. Unclear job titles left another 18% frustrated. Moreover, 13% said insufficient company background was an additional turnoff. Other details job seekers are looking for, beyond competitive pay and benefits, include information about career advancement, stability and growth, work/life balance, training, camaraderie, and a sense of ownership. An online posting is your chance to "sell" your position. Make sure you use it to your advantage.
- 23%* of job seekers say they are unlikely to continue applying to a job online if they have to register on the site (CareerBuilder.com never makes job seekers register in order to apply for a job).
- 29%* of job seekers say they are unlikely to continue the application process if it requires them to go to another site to complete the application.
Finally, being proactive also means going to the passive job seeker, instead of waiting for them to find you. Beyond the online job posting CareerBuilder.com offers other products and add–ons to help you connect with the right people.
Following these tips allows you to turn your applicant search from one that is purely reactive to one that is proactive. Remember, the competition is tight for the best talent. Do not sit back and wait for them to come to you. Get out there, grab their attention, and make the hire.
This article is courtesy of Careerbuilder.com
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