The desire of companies for highly skilled employees has led recruiters and HR professionals to increasingly hunt for passive candidates. Passive candidates are appealing to companies because they are already thriving in a similar position which demonstrates to employers that they are able to contribute to their company. They are also likely to immediately hit the ground running once hired. However, getting a hold of a passive candidate can be hard due to him or her already being employed full-time, thus, they aren’t actively searching for a job.
The difficulty of pinning down a passive candidate shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing them, though. A 2012 survey conducted by CareerBuilder determined that 74% of employees would consider leaving their current jobs if they were given a better offer. If you turn your back on passive candidates, you’ll be ignoring a large group of talented people that are ready and willing to take on new opportunities.
Video interviewing technology has now made it easier and faster than ever to connect with job seekers. The one-way video interview in particular is a powerful tool that can help you turn great passive candidates into awesome team members.
With the one-way video interview, HR and staffing professionals can pose text-based or video questions to candidates who will then record their responses. Additionally, one-way video interviews are asynchronous; simply put, both candidates and employers can fit this interview into any gaps in their schedules.
Moreover, one-way video interviews allow you to personally connect with passive candidates faster than in the traditional hiring process. Passive candidates may not want to commit to a full-scale job interview with your company, but will agree to a time-saving video interview. Through a one-way, a passive candidate can still show off their personality and communication skills. Furthermore, when reviewing their completed one-way, you can evaluate not only their personality and verbal skills, but their nonverbal behavior as well.
The one-way video interview can also help you to ensure a positive candidate experience, which should be a priority for all companies. Passive candidates will appreciate the flexibility a one-way offers them. After a day at work, they can easily find a few minutes at home to record their answers to your questions on their webcam. Passive candidates can even use their mobile device to complete a one-way, making it easy for on-the-go candidates to still interview with your company.
By utilizing video interviews, you are showing passive candidates that you respect their time and know how valuable it is. When it comes time for them to make a decision about whether to accept your job offer or not, they may think back to their interview experience. If it was pleasant and not at all complicated, they are less likely to be hesitant about saying yes.
Passive candidates are a great source of talent that all companies should consider pursuing when filling open positions. With video interviews, reaching out to these busy candidates is no longer a hassle and personal connections can still be made.