Add Video to Your Passive Recruiting Strategy

So you’re ready to fill a new position, but after conducting many interviews you’re still not convinced any of the remaining candidates are right for the job. According to recruiter.com, traditional hiring costs an organization between $1,500 and $5,000 per hire, making hiring one of the most important investments a company can make. In addition to those expenses, organizations have to spend more money to provide appropriate training and development. The amount of dollars invested in hiring and training alone should prevent hiring managers from making rash decisions, but what happens when there aren’t any other options available?

Instead of risking the chance at a potential bad hire, consider passive candidates. 79 percent of working professionals are passive candidates, meaning they’re employed and generally not looking for new opportunities. But if you can make a top performer from another organization interested in your open position, then you might just have found the best option.

Generally, passive candidates are perceived as “better talent” than active, because their current organization hasn’t terminated the employee. With many companies looking for the best talent, organizations will do everything in their power to keep their star workers.

When pursuing these candidates, many recruiters and hiring managers depend on LinkedIn or other social media channels to connect with potential candidates. Emailing the candidate is another option, but your email may get lost in the shuffle. One way to effectively get a passive candidate’s attention is with video technology. HR must keep up with current trends to remain relevant, and video interviewing has grown significantly over the past few years. Recruiters and hiring managers are taking advantage of its many benefits, so why not use it to reach out to passive candidates?

For candidates not actively looking for a job, video technology can be the perfect way to entice candidates considering different possibilities. Before sending a link to the candidate, make sure to build a relationship first. Introduce yourself and your company and state why that candidate would be the perfect fit for the position. Once the rapport has been developed, invite the potential candidate to complete a video interview. If a candidate isn’t interested – simply move on, but the option to take a video interview is attractive to some candidates because they can take the interview on their own time instead of missing work.

In addition to solving the scheduling problem, video interviews also take away the hassle of traveling, making geography a nonfactor.  And since many candidates are hesitant to tell their current employers about interviews, in the event they choose to pass up the opportunity, pre-recorded video interviews allow potential candidates to explore their options while giving recruiters and hiring managers a chance to get to know the candidate better.

Video interviews can also be utilized during down periods in hiring. Whether a position is open or not, hiring managers should always be growing their talent pipeline, especially with the talent war taking place in today’s workforce. This is the perfect time to connect with potential talent and to attract them to your company. Once a position is made available, send the person a link to take a pre-recorded interview. You never know, you could build a relationship with a candidate who may consider joining your team.

Don’t fall behind in the talent war by not implementing video in your recruitment strategy. Hiring is an investment, so it’s critical to hire the best people to get the best ROI for your organization.