At CorTalent, we have thrived at recruiting passive candidates to succeed at new opportunities with our employer clients. When discussing opportunities with potential candidates, we are hearing some consistent questions and requests from these candidates during the qualifying process. These 5 requests are ones that can make the difference for an employed candidate to make a switch.
1. Better Compensation Package
As we have talked about in previous blog articles, there is more to a compensation package than a base salary. Considerations for executives and sales leaders are bonus incentives and stock options/profit sharing. Other considerations include paid time off, retirement contributions, and healthcare contributions. Employed candidates will almost always be enticed by a better compensation package when considering a switch. This can be a delicate process for employers, as passive candidates can have a small advantage during negotiations.
2. Better Work-Life Balance
A lot of the time that we hear this from candidates, they are feeling overworked and not getting enough time with their families. A lot of companies have addressed this by eliminating clock-in/clock-out hours. They have empowered their employees to determine their own 8 to 9 hour window of work hours. This small change allows employees to choose their shift hours for their own situation. Like, adjusting hours to spend less time stuck in traffic or get off work earlier to pick up their kids from school. Other considerations are paid time off, flex time instead of sick days, less traveling and work from home days or telecommute options.
3. Opportunities for Advancement
We recently shared a study from LinkedIn that showed 85% of passive candidates are open to discussing opportunities with recruiters. One of the biggest reasons was because they felt there was no opportunity for advancement with their current employer. But, when asked if they knew what their opportunities for advancement were or what would be the next progression of their career at their former employer, most had no idea. This shows that it is not only important for employers to show an ideal career path for potential candidates but the also identify those opportunities with current employees before they get restless and to keep their interest level high in their current position.
4. Opportunities to Contribute
We have experienced more candidates looking for opportunities to contribute to the success and growth in a new position. These candidates come from a company that has processes in place that might not fit their work style or can be outdated and inefficient. They will like to work in teams and be consulted by their managers for expertise requests. These types of opportunities are usually created by company hierarchy and culture where employees input is valued for collaborative progress, rather than a traditional linear hierarchy. When we identify these types of candidates, it’s important that we convey the work environment and inform our client they should emphasize that contributions will be a valued piece for the position the candidate is interviewing.
5. Offers a New Challenge
This candidate has proven they are loyal by staying with one company for many years and may have had an impact on the success of the company when they first started. Now, they have identified their current role no longer offers the same opportunities to contribute or the company is no longer interested in improving processes. Their role and their company culture has become stagnant and they are looking new challenges. If this type of candidate is presented, it is important to showcase that challenges have been identified, that this open position is available to help address those challenges and that the company is continuously looking for areas of improvement and growth.
If you are a candidate looking for new opportunities, please review our current openings and submit your application today.
