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Poaching: Stalking The Passive Candidate
Passive or active candidates: Who makes the better employee?
Funny thing, in my more than 25 years of being an executive recruiter, I never minded being called a "headhunter." But I really dislike the term "poaching," a word associated with illegal hunting. It's a one-sided, hypocritical description of the talent acquisition process.
If you're the poacher - the company looking for talent - targeting the "passive" candidates among your competitors- it's okay; but if you're on the receiving end and people in your organization decide to leave (and by the way, no one ever holds a "gun to their heads"), then it becomes an unethical practice. (But not as bad as stealing someone's baby sitter.)
There is a certain mystique surrounding the "passive" candidate: the individual who is happy, not currently seeking a new employment opportunity, working away in your competitor's building, difficult to find, and even more difficult to contact. In fact, many hiring managers and executive recruiters believe they are far superior, make better employees than "active" candidates - the ones actively seeking new employment opportunities. Or maybe it's about wanting what you can't have. But don't beat yourself up. There's no guarantee you'll always get a better employee when you hire a passive candidate.
But before you decide to poach (steal, lift out, lure away, entice, recruit) or not to poach, know the advantages and disadvantages of the active and passive candidate, and what each has to offer.
Active and Passive Candidates: Which Is Better?
ACTIVE JOB SEEKERS
Advantages
- Quality candidates can be active candidates, too.
- There is no question about their interest level.
- Flexible. Eager to make themselves readily available to interview and join the team.
- May be more willing to negotiate on salary and benefits because they are motivated to find a new opportunity.
Disadvantages
- They may be desperate to leave their current job, or if they are unemployed, to find a new opportunity, therefore, they may jump at the wrong opportunity.
- Sometimes active candidates who are unemployed are that way for a reason.
- Active candidates may apply in droves and many may not be qualified.
- Because they are active, they may be off the market quickly.
PASSIVE JOB SEEKERS
Advantages
- May find quality candidates who would not have come to light otherwise.
- May identify quality candidates that no one else has contacted.
- May be the best source for candidates with difficult to find or unique skill sets or experience.
- Will tend to be more selective about finding the right position and not jump at just anything.
Disadvantages
- The process of finding quality passive candidates and changing them into active ones can be very time consuming and not net the desired end results.
- May be more likely to back out once into the recruiting process.
- Longevity with a company may result in higher expectations and demands; therefore, it is very important to determine what will entice them to move to a new organization.
Since finding the best candidate should be your ultimate goal, it really doesn't matter whether a candidate is actively looking for a new opportunity or not. Except that people will always have their preferences.
In the meantime, a new trend appears to have emerged over the last few years: the actively passive candidate. This group of individuals, while not actively seeking an immediate opportunity, keeps their eyes and ears open and try to be aware of what's going on in the market. I often come across these active-passives who have their profiles posted on social and business networking sites like LinkedIn, saying they'd be interested in hearing about "career opportunities." They also post their resumes on online job sites just to test the waters, selectively choosing whether or not to respond to any contact.
The challenge with this group is that it's not only hard to determine whether there is any real interest, but it can also be frustrating when trying to follow up. However, given the right opportunity, the actively passive candidate is more likely to make a move than the passive one.
So whether you go after and hire active, passive, or actively passive candidates, the ultimate goal should be finding the right person to do the job. And review your own development, promotion and retention programs. They just might keep the illegal hunters away.
This material is provided as general information only and does not constitute and is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice.
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Comments
If you would you like to comment about this article or have ideas about future articles, please email me at les@execsearchintl.com.
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