The Truth About Recruiting Passive Candidates
“Honestly, I’m a little shocked to get this call. I’m really happy where I’m at and it’s probably been years since I’ve even considered looking for a new job.”
This is what “Quinten”, a prospective association CEO candidate, said to our recruiter when we called him on the phone. Quinten hadn’t even considered getting a new job, let alone scouring through association CEO job postings on LinkedIn, ASAE, and Indeed to see if there was an opportunity that met his skills, experience, and next steps.
Quinten was happy, fulfilled (AND SUCCESSFUL) in his current role. But, now that he’d thought about it, he’d probably be open to a conversation! Quinten was a textbook “passive candidate”! For nonprofits, passive candidates like Quinten (the ones fulfilled and doing a great job where they are), are gold mines!
But, the truth is when nonprofits develop a strategy for filling leadership roles, they often focus too much on finding active candidates. In this blog post, we’ll explore why passive candidates are so important to focus on during a leadership transition and why your organization should focus on recruiting them.
What is a Passive Candidate?
A passive candidate is a person who is not actively searching for a new job but may be interested if approached. They typically have successful careers, are employed at reputable organizations, and may already possess the skills necessary to effectively contribute to your organization. So, if your organization is focused only on putting out job postings to attract candidates, you’ll never attract passive candidates! They aren’t looking.
Passive Candidates Have Experience and Talent
Passive candidates often possess the expertise and experience that is directly transferable to a new role. They tend to stay with the same organization for longer periods of time and become experts in their field. This means they come pre-equipped with skills that could benefit your organization. They bring experience from their current positions that can add value to any organization they join. Often for nonprofit leadership roles, a passive candidate has demonstrated success navigating through some of the struggles the organization seeking a leader is facing.
Here are a few key positions that might benefit from recruiting passive candidates: nonprofit executive director, association CEO, VP of Philanthropy, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Clinical Director, marketing director, case manager, Development Director, and more!
Additionally, since they are not actively looking for a job, you know that when you recruit them, they really want to work at your organization—not just any nonprofit!
So, Your Nonprofit’s Executive Director is Leaving… Now What?
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Reach Out With Careful Consideration
Because these individuals are not actively searching for a job, it can be difficult to recruit them—but it’s worth the effort. It takes creativity and innovation to get these people on board (often done by a recruiting company), but once they are on board you will reap the rewards of their knowledge and abilities.
When reaching out to passive candidates, there are several things you need to consider before making contact.
Ensure that there is alignment between your organization’s mission and the individual’s values and career goals.
Clearly communicate how their skillset will benefit your organization and why they should join your team.
Make sure that you create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their career aspirations with you so that both parties can come away feeling satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.
Recruiting passive candidates like Quinten is essential if you want top talent for your organization! By understanding why these individuals are so valuable and by having a sound recruiting strategy in place at your nonprofit, you can find the best people for your team without having to rely solely on active candidates who might not be as well-suited for the role.
With a little bit of effort upfront, you can set yourself up for success in hiring amazing talent—and ensure your organization stays competitive in today’s market!
