How to Build A Successful Active Candidate Sourcing Plan

JANUARY 25, 2022 3 min read

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Previously, we talked about sourcing passive candidates and just how difficult it can be. If recruiting passive candidates is hard, some may assume that sourcing active candidates would be easier, right?

The answer is not so simple.

Even with more jobs being added to the markets post-pandemic and more industries on the road to recovery, recruiting candidates who are “open to new opportunities” comes with its own set of challenges. But before we begin, let’s go over what an active candidate means.

What is an active candidate? 

An active candidate is an individual who is currently searching and applying for jobs. You’ll find them looking through job boards, connecting with recruiters regarding job openings, and being referred into companies by current employees.

While passive candidates already have jobs and are not looking for new opportunities, active candidates may be currently unemployed or looking to move out of their current role for whatever reason. While job hunting, active candidates may apply to multiple roles, including those that they may not necessarily be qualified for. With these candidates being available for only a short period of time, it can be extremely difficult to catch them at the right time since they are likely to hop on another job offer quickly. 

How do I source active candidates?

Not all candidates are going to have that helpful green “#OpenToWork” frame on their LinkedIn profile picture. To make your job a little easier, here are 3 ways you can take to start sourcing quality active candidates right now.

Use availability filters

Well, you can skip the manual search and let AI Sourcing do some of the heavy lifting! 

Artificial Intelligence can help recruiters search for talent and predict their availability by leveraging public information such as employment experience, their average tenure at an organization and how active they are on career platforms and social networking sites. 

With hireEZ’s AI engine, recruiters can calculate the availability of each candidate and view a list of candidates ranked by highest availability scores. Take advantage of market and persona insights to also view the general availability of candidates within your open role’s industry.

Similarly, if you are aware of any companies having layoffs, you can leverage our Company filter to do a quick search for candidates from that organization and cross-reference that with the candidate’s availability rankings. 

List targeted phrases 

Creating lists of keywords that active candidates may use is also a great way to source those who have openly expressed that interest on their public profiles. It’s not uncommon for active candidates to share that they’re actively seeking new opportunities in their job title or profile descriptions sections on career boards or networking sites.

These phrases should be entered into the mandatory skills and job titles sections within your sourcing software. Below, you’ll find a list of useful keywords and phrases to help you get started.

Active candidates keywords

If you’re still having a hard time finding candidates, you can broaden your search by adding shorter phrases or key terms in the mandatory skills section. This should still be accurate and increase your candidate pool drastically. Below is a list of those terms:

Active candidates terms

Leverage personal branding 

Yes, we did talk about this tip in our passive candidate sourcing blog. But we’re mentioning it again because it’s just that important!

Active candidates may dig into some research to learn more about your company before applying, so it is key to have a strong personal brand. Having a great employer branding strategy will help you stand out in a job seeker’s search as well as provide a good candidate experience. While not all active candidates will be a good fit for your company, you should still keep them informed about their application and give feedback.

💡 PRO TIP

Katrina Collier, author of “The Robot-Proof Recruiter” talks to us about the importance of not ghosting your candidates! Watch the full interview here.

On the topic of candidate experience, it is key to make personal connections with applicants who show interest in your company. Because these candidates are only active for so long, engaging with these candidates is important unless you want to lose them to the competition. 

Add a personal touch or add a fun fact about your organization in outreach messages to give yourself an edge over competitors. It’s the little things that count! Check out our blog for more tips to increase your email response rates

Ready to start sourcing active candidates?

 Put these tips to practice in your hireEZ sourcing projects today! If you’re not already a hireEZ customer, check out our pricing page or connect with our sales team to learn how you can get started with sourcing active candidates on our platform. 

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