Key Motivators of Passive Job Seekers

A study in late 2010 by Jobvite found that nearly two-thirds of America’s workforce (some 77.5 million people) was ready to leave for another job. If, while involved in startup recruitment initiatives it is common for you to post a job description to job boards and wait for resumes to come in, listen up!

Don’t forget passive job seekers. They are out there, and they are open to hearing about your company’s available position, even though they have not applied for it yet!

A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Plateau Systems found that 77% of workers (considered in this particular statistic as college graduates employed full time or part time and not self employed) would consider a new job opportunity.

Even more telling, and important for expansion stage companies to remember, is that generally these people are satisfied in their current jobs. Why should a top candidate want to leave their current position, if they are happy with it, to join your team? The idea of creating company and role-specific employee value propositions is something I have written about in the past in this blog, but Plateau’s recent study also examined the key motivators for job seekers when they are considering a new opportunity.

When passive job seekers were asked, “Why would you leave your current role?”,Their top 5 reasons for considering a move were:
1. Salary – 57%2. Need a Change – 31%
3. Career/Advancement Opportunities – 29% (This is the top reason active job seekers would make a move, at 42%)
4. I’d like to change careers and/or professions – 22%
5. I’m not confident in my employer’s future – 18%
Since only 25% of working college grads are engaged in a job search, according to Plateau’s study, tap in to the total candidate pool by contacting and networking with top prospect candidates. While providing recruiting support and networking, keep these 5 key motivators in mind, and you may find stronger returns on your networking attempts.