Recruiting Tips: Choosing Between Passive vs. Unemployed Candidates

February 1, 2013

The primary function of my role as a recruiter is to find top talent. There are a variety of different ways to network and recruit the best candidates. As I’m sure many other recruiters might tell you, from my experience, some of the best candidates I have placed were passive.

Why Recruiters Love to Aggressively Go After Passive Candidates

Recruiting Tips: Choosing Between Passive vs. Unemployed CandidatesWhat do I mean by a “passive candidate”? A candidate that is perceived to be “passive” is currently employed and therefore has the luxury of being picky and at times indifferent about about pursuing any new potential job opportunities. However, it should never be assumed that just because a candidate is employed he or she is not actively looking for other jobs.
A dilemma I am faced with is determining what makes a passive candidate so much more appealing than someone who is unemployed. Most of us have been unemployed at some point — I know I have. Did that mean I was not as viable a candidate as someone who was happily working? The truth is many recruiters and hiring managers probably thought so.
First of all, I think one of the reasons companies lean toward pursuing passive candidates is that they get excited about the prospect of seeming more appealing than another organization. They are interested in finding someone who is already successful in their role, and like the idea of convincing them to be just as successful at a “better” company.
Also, if you’re passionate about your company, of course you want to brag about how great it is and poach the best possible people to bring them on board. One potential drawback to passive candidates, however, is that having jumped ship once, they may be likely to do so again. They might always be looking for the next best thing, and could possibly leave for another, more lucrative role if another recruiter comes knocking.

Considering Candidates Who Are Currently Unemployed

When it comes to candidates who are not working, there is usually a slew of vetting questions you’ll want to start out with. Ex:

  • Why did you leave your last job or why did it not work out?
  • How has the interview process been going for you? (in other words, why have you not found another job yet?)

There definitely can be some red flags for candidates who have been very actively seeking employment for several months, yet have not been offered a job. On the other hand, I admire candidates with great experience who have decided to utilize their time off to find a very specific role, which they know will make them happy. In this case, these candidates can be just as picky as passive candidates.
There is also the case of the bad economy, although I have seen a surge of hiring over the past year or more. There is a fine line between using the economy’s state as an explanation and as an excuse for not having a job.
In either case, there are excellent and poor candidates who are currently passive and the same is true for those who are currently unemployed.
While I do tend to see a bias against candidates who haven’t been full-time employed over the former few months I think the best policy is to keep an open mind. If you come across a candidate with a large gap from their most recent job to present, but that candidate meets all of the qualifications, figure out the circumstances of their unemployment and go from there.
My policy is to screen candidates in, rather than screen them out. You never really know the situation unless you have a conversation first.

Have you found your best hires have been passive candidates? What’s your take on hiring candidates with employment gaps?

Recruiting Lead - Software

<strong>Katy Smigowski</strong> is the Recruiting Lead-Software at <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/">Fitbit</a>, where she is directly managing sourcing team, recruiting process and recruiting strategy dedicated to driving software hiring in our Boston office. Prior to Fitbit, she was a Talent Specialist at OpenView responsible for recruiting initiatives for both the firm and its portfolio companies.