The Passive Job Seeker Is Golden
Especially in today’s economic environment, employers are becoming increasingly “choosy” with regard to whom they hire… and rightfully so. With the unemployment rate reaching highs that we have not seen in decades, more and more job seekers have resorted to “fabricated enthusiasm” in hopes of impressing recruiters. These candidates are willing to settle for a job they are less than passionate about, while waiting for a career opportunity for which they are truly qualified to come around. This makes for a not-so-happy employee, and one with the potential to infect his or her coworkers. This becomes costly for the employer who has needlessly wasted time, energy, and money on an employee who is unlikely to remain long enough to justify the investment.
As a recruitment advertising executive with more than 25 years experience, let me share an important lesson that I learned through working with some of the most successful staffing professionals in the industry. It is simply this: The best candidates for any position are ones who are already employed in a similar or parallel position, and who are not unhappy with their situation. Just because they are not actively seeking a new job, however, does not mean they are not open to opportunity when it knocks. The question is, how do you reach the passive job seeker.
While career websites are a vital tool for recruiters, I have to believe that someone who takes the time to go on such a website is actively looking for a job. Does that make such people bad candidates? Of course not, but it does suggest that career websites are unlikely to provide more than a very limited number of the passive seekers described above.
Daily Newspapers, on the other hand, can be very successful tools for reaching the passive seeker — especially those who commute. And guess what? These people are commuting because they are going to work… because they are employed! Advertisements in national and regional dailies have performed very well at bringing these passive job seekers to our clients.
Using metropolitan New York City as an example, many of our clients advertise in such prominent dailies as the NY Times, Post, Daily News, and Newsday on a steady basis, especially those looking for top-notch salespeople and healthcare workers. Another excellent vehicle for reaching the passive seeker is the daily newspaper, amNewYork. Distributed at no cost at commuter venues throughout New York City and its suburbs, amNewYork enjoys a huge commuter circulation.
What about younger candidates who appear to be losing interest in the print media? Some magazines already have interactive editions compatible with such platforms as smartphones and the iPad. These turn print advertisements into live videos that are certain to attract the younger demographics. And as augmented reality applications help transform the print media into entry portals for web-based interactivity, they are bound to recapture a substantial share of the younger audience. They will undoubtedly find ways to dazzle those of us in the older demos, retaining our interest as well.
So, if your entire recruitment strategy is based on career websites alone, you may be missing out on a pool of ideal candidates. Only by integrating your online efforts with the print, radio, and television are you likely to find the golden goose, and not just one of an army of unemployed people eager to double park for a while on your dollar!
By,
Phil Adamo
Vice President of Sanna Mattson MacLeod (Recruitment)
