Passive Candidate

What is a passive candidate?

A passive candidate is an individual in the workforce who is not actively looking for a job. They may not be actively looking for work and neither have applied for an open position. However, their qualifications and experience make passive candidates attractive to hiring managers.

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How to recruit a passive candidate

Passive candidates are not generally active on job boards, not do they apply for open positions. To source passive candidates, recruiters may utilise their company’s employee referral program, review data from previous employees or candidates, consult professional communities, or utilise data from talent management systems. 

Why passive candidates are important

70% of the global workforce is made up of people who are not actively searching for jobs ad are passive candidates. The remaining 30 are active job seekers. Recruiters can’t simply only focus on 30% of the workforce who are actively looking for job opportunities. With an attractive job and the right offer, even passive candidates can be convinced to take on new roles. 

What is an active candidate?

Contrary to a passive candidate, an active candidate is someone who is actively seeing for an open position. They are actively present on job boards and networks for relevant job opportunities. Rather than being reached-out to and recruited, active candidates tend to reach out to hiring managers and complete applications for open positions.