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A tight labor market and the further expansion of the gig economy promise to define much of 2019’s labor relations. Beyond the direct impact they will have on things like team management and employee retention, these aspects also contribute to the increasing importance of passive recruiting.

The traditional mode of recruitment, dominated by sporadic, quick-turnaround hiring pushes for positions only as they become available, will likely become more passé as 2019 marches on. Instead, companies will rely more heavily on some form of constant recruitment. That is, they will look for talent all the time and bring in workers as they become available.

As such, you need to be prepared to jump on talent when you see it and be ready to lure qualified workers away from other situations. That takes a commitment to passive recruitment.

Here are four steps you can take to ramp up your search for passive candidates.

Activate the Company’s Social Network Profile

More and more of the heavy lifting of recruiting has moved online. In the typical hiring process, that includes postings on job sites or processing applications via an HR section on your website.

For passive recruitment, you need to integrate the endeavor with your already existing social media footprint. (And if you don’t have one of those, better get started. You’re only about a decade behind everyone else).

Use the corporate accounts to build awareness of the company, its goals and values. You can also encourage people to send in resumes or even engage interesting talent via social media.

Build a Strong Employee Brand

Expanding beyond the narrow social media space, drawing passive talent requires a dedicated branding effort. This isn’t a consumer brand, meant to sell a product. It’s an employer brand, meant to signal the benefits of working for your company.

You want to communicate a meaningful workplace culture, one that nurtures talent and energizes careers. You also want to find points of inspiration. Think of ways your company contributes to the greater good – make it a place that people aspire to work for.

Employee Referral Program

In terms of specific strategies for passive recruitment, an employee referral program represents a good place to start.

Basically, you deputize your current employers as recruiters. Let them sell their friends and acquaintances on the benefits for working for the company. In exchange, you offer a bonus for each quality hire that comes aboard.

The employee referral program can provide benefits on two fronts.

First, it takes the effort out of your hands. Instead of overworking your HR staff by making them dedicate time to a passive recruitment effort, it allows other employees to take the initiative.

Second, it strengthens the bond with your current employees. They become salespeople for the employer brand. This reinforces the benefits of the company for them. It also puts them in the position of choosing (to some extent, anyway) their own co-workers. And the bonuses don’t hurt either.

Leverage Your Personal Networking Skills

As part of your general career advancement, you should engage in an active networking effort. Generally speaking, it’s a selfish act. Keeping a strong network allows you to advance your career over time.

But you can also use these skills (and the network itself) for the company’s good, as well. Passive recruitment is a great example of this.

If someone you know is out of work, but perfect for your company, you can recruit them (basically, a personalized employee referral program). However, you can take it further.

You can also leverage your networking prowess to build relationships with talented outsiders, people who might become great hires someday. Something to keep in mind at the next conference or industry event: don’t just look for your next customer (or your next employer). Look for your next employee, as well.

A staffing firm makes another great strategy for passive recruitment. As part of their business model, recruiters are constantly bringing in talent – talent you can engage at a moment’s notice. A relationship with a top-tier staffing firm, like PrideStaff, can take the worry out of rolling out your passive recruitment program.

Contact our leading recruiters at PrideStaff Bend today to find out more.

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