In today’s Recruiting world, there are times where you are going to have to step outside of the box and recruit passive candidates and encourage them to come with you. In a perfect world, you could find all of your candidates from internal recruiting databases where they have applied directly to the jobs/positions and already have a strong interest in your organization. We all know that this is not always the case, and as Recruiters, we may need to use “The Jerry McGuire Method.” You have to convince candidates to take a chance on the unknown. Time is of the essence since most of these candidates are working full time. You may only have a few moments to grab their attention. Having a strong desire to make things happen should be the main goal for increasing your passive candidate hire rate.
When connecting with a candidate, be prepared and have your elevator pitch ready.
- Overview of the position- discuss their experience and how it matches to the job you are currently recruiting
- Sell the company’s culture/environment
- Sell the location of the company-Discuss local activities/landmarks/schools
As you are wrapping up your conversation, just remember that you are “Jerry” working to build your own “sports agency” from a list of passive candidates. If you execute a strong game plan with your elevator pitch, you can be confident in asking that important next question: “Now Who’s Coming with Me?”
This post was written by Ashley A. Smith.Ashley brings with her eight years of Human Resources experience which began in the Staffing Industry and then moved into Corporate HR. Ashley is also an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management, Louisville Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management, and received her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in June of 2010. Learn more about Ashley.