A term that gets a lot of attention in the recruiting world today is that of the “Passive Candidate”.  Whereas an active candidate looking for a new job is aggressively out checking job sites and posting their resume, the passive candidate is someone who is not looking for a job, but would be open to taking one if the right opportunity came along.  Essentially they would need to get an offer they could not refuse.

Passive candidates can often be right on the brink of looking for a job but hesitant to do so for a number of reasons.  The primary one is often the totally unpleasant nature of the job search.  It’s not something anybody really looks forward to whether they are employed or not.  A secondary and quite valid reason might be that they are fearful that their current employer might find out and terminate them.  So the most common course of action for such individuals is to do nothing proactively.

However, Social Media has proved a great avenue to reach these individuals.  All candidates, whether active, passive, or those totally not looking go to these sites daily to expand their connections and stay in touch with friends.  Companies who don’t have a social media strategy as part of their recruiting process are missing out on a whole hidden class of candidates that could help drive their business to the next level.  Don’t be one of them.