In the United States, the ever-growing talent shortage has made recruiting efforts more challenging. Specifically, there are more open positions in the country than there are active job seekers.
So, what can you do to find the right talent if fewer talented candidates are looking for a new job?
First, you should understand why someone would consider moving to a new job. In other words, what is—or isn’t—motivating that candidate to apply for a new job?
In the end, understanding what can motivate a candidate can help you engage with the right candidates and keep them interested.
To help you get started with creating a more engaging hiring process, consider some of the information on candidate job search motivation and why it matters below.
Understanding Job Search Motivation
Why Should You Learn About Candidate Motivation?
In today’s candidate-driven job market, employers must be more proactive in providing positive hiring experiences.
Thus, understanding what can motivate candidates to move jobs can help you adapt your process to engage with their needs.
As a result, candidates experience a more personalized interview process and feel like more than just another resume.
Additionally, you are more likely to gain the interest of candidates through positive experiences with your employer brand. Among millennials, finding an employer with values that align with their own is a major driving force during a job search.
Thus, it is important to have active and diverse employer brand strategies in place to show candidates why they should want to work for you.
All in all, keeping a candidate’s motivation in mind when recruiting helps you become more prepared. So, when a candidate asks a question about company culture during an interview, you know why they asked and how to best respond.
Active and Passive Job-Seekers
To streamline your search, you should create an ideal candidate profile that includes their job search motivation.
To determine what that motivation is, you should ask yourself if your ideal candidate is an active or passive job seeker. Not only does this make your search focused, but it also narrows down what approaches are likely to work best when recruiting.
With active job seekers, your approach might be more straightforward and follow traditional recruiting methods. You might write a job description that focuses on career growth. Then, that description is found by an active job-seeker, and the interviewing process can begin.
Conversely, engaging with passive job seekers is different than merely putting together a well-written job description.
Essentially, the best way to attract more passive candidates is by having a proactive recruiting strategy.
What Motivates a Passive Job Seeker to Change Jobs?
Motivation comes into play when building a proactive and targeted recruiting strategy to engage more passive candidates.
Examples of strategies like this can be reaching out with a personalized message to talented individuals you find on LinkedIn.
In general, a passive job seeker may not have any urgent need—like unemployment—to find a new job. However, that doesn’t mean passive candidates will be less motivated—they need the right reason.
Plus, a passive candidate might not have known a new career was possible until you reach out to them.
After all, a candidate won’t know a great job opportunity is there for them if they aren’t actively searching for it.
Are you looking for ways to improve your recruiting efforts?
Contact TruPath’s team of staffing experts and find the culturally aligned talent you need.