How can you locate and hold on to top performers in a tricky economy with a diminishing number of qualified candidates? Many experts suggest that so-called "passive" candidates are the secret. Blogging on CIOUpdate.com, David Bair, vice president for Flex for Kforce Technology Staffing, talks about attracting the passive candidate.

The passive candidate has long held a certain mystique?difficult to identify and even more difficult to recruit, Bair says. But still they are considered by many to be the “Holy Grail” of job candidates for two main reasons:

1. Because they are happily employed, passive candidates are thought to be loyal and more stable.
2. Because they are not actively seeking a new position, there will be less competition for their attention.

The challenge, he says, is that passive candidates are unlikely to respond to traditional recruitment techniques: They don’t flock to job boards, and they don’t spend their Sundays picking through help wanted ads.

Nevertheless, passive candidates are proactively managing their careers. They aren’t averse to change if the right opportunity presents itself.

To Turn a Passive Prospect's Head

What might get a passive candidate’s attention? It could be a simple matter of timing?you catch them on a very bad day?or a change in circumstances such as a new manager who has negatively affected their quality of work life.

More often than not, Bair says, it’s an issue of long-term career goals. But when passive prospects feel their goals are not being met, they don't launch a traditional job search. Rather, they take a second look at an opportunity they had heard about previously, explore opportunities with a company they admire, or turn to a group of trusted colleagues.

Or, they call a recruiter that they have a relationship with. Maybe they met you at a professional meeting, or read your blog. Or maybe you've responded to theirs. But a pre-established relationship makes the difference.

Pooh!

Heather Hamilton, a staffing manager and Microsoft “employee evangelist,” offers a somewhat different perspective in her One Louder blog: 

Many people will tell you that passive candidates are better because the people looking for a job are not high quality. "Pooh!" Hamilton says. There are high quality active candidates, and there are low quality passive candidates, she warns. You know those people that aren't great performers but they fly under the radar? They're all in that passive candidate pool.

It's also a myth, she says, that it's hard to attract passive candidates because companies work hard to keep their best people. In fact, most companies don't even know who their best people are, she says, let alone have a retention strategy for them.

When it comes to recruiting the passive candidates, though, she believes that most recruiters get it wrong?they try to convert a passive candidate into an active candidate. The better approach, she says, agreeing with Bair, is to make sure that they know you and know how to reach you when they have a bad day.

In next issue of the Advisor, Hamilton's approach to "passive" candidate engagement and an introduction to the tool that helps with the compensation piece of the hiring process.

Attracting--and Compensating--the Coveted 'Passive' Candidates

Heather Hamilton, a staffing manager and Microsoft Employee Evangelist, shares her tips for attracting "passive" candidates on her One Louder blog:

Have something to talk to passive candidates about. Before they even start to think about looking for a new job, you need to be talking to them (blogging is great for that). Be credible in their space, says Hamilton.

Be easy to find. This means getting over fear of publishing your e-mail address. “Time to take the training wheels off,” she says.

Check in with your passive candidates once in a while. Don't manufacture a conversation. E-mail is fine, just to say hey, Hamilton says. Find out what kind of information the candidates want from you, and how often they want it.

Be in their community. You should be visible in places that passive candidates go. Repetition breeds familiarity and comfort.

If they refer people to you, follow up thoroughly. They are watching to see how they will be treated if they become a candidate themselves.

Never require a resume. It's OK to ask, but if the answer is no, keep talking, says Hamilton. Besides, as soon as you make them write a resume, they are going to send it out to other recruiters!

Finally, Hamilton says, even if you have done good networking, there still will be situations where you need to do the cold-call routine (for example, you need someone with a very specific skill set).  Keep in mind that even those calls are about networking and starting relationships. They are not just filling the one position you are working on at that moment. Always be thinking long-term, advises Hamilton.

Passive or Active, Money Counts

Once you have attracted a great candidate?whether passive or active?you'll have to deal with compensation, a key factor in sealing the deal. But how much to offer? Too little and you risk losing the candidate. Too much and you're just throwing money away. One thing you can be sure of?your candidate has done the research. How about you?