Have you ever struggled to fill a position, but then you come across a physician candidate who seems like the perfect fit? The candidate is qualified, highly motivated in their work, needs minimal training, and could bring new insight and perspective to the role. That’s a great day to be a recruiter! That is until the candidate responds, “I’m not interested in new job opportunities at this time.” This candidate is called a passive candidate, and there are a lot of these candidates out there. They’re often overlooked by recruiters because passive candidates aren’t actively seeking a new position. Here’s how to identify them:

Passive Candidates are currently employed and not actively spending time looking for a new job:

• They might be open to a promising career opportunity if one came along
• They're more challenging for recruiters to engage with
• They may be less quick to respond, and/or they have more questions upfront

On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find active candidates – those who are actively looking for a new opportunity:

• They want to engage with you 
• They may be more responsive and able or willing to move along in the hiring process quickly
• They’re easier for recruiters to reach, as they use many channels to find employment and tend to be over-represented in job board profile databases
• They’re likely considering or interviewing for multiple opportunities 

Applying different recruitment strategies for active and passive candidates is critical to your recruitment success. Here are some tips from our Doximity Client Success Team on how to approach your searches, Job Posts, and DocMails. 

Tips for recruiting both active and passive candidates:

• Consider the role you’re looking to fill and what types of skills a candidate needs to fit the mold; allow this to inform your approach.
• Is this a leadership role? Are you looking for extensive experience?
• Once you’ve identified what type of candidates you’re looking to reach, consider the “whys” and motivations of those particular candidates.

Tips for recruiting passive candidates:

• Run a targeted search for the specific qualities you’re looking for in a candidate and plan to leverage this in your communication.
• Lead with an enticing introduction (Job Post title or DocMail message) to pique interest
• Convey why the job is exceptional for the candidate, incorporating it into your job description and outreach. What does your opportunity offer that their current position doesn’t? Doximity Talent Finder can help you target physicians who may have a connection to the local area or find doctors who have a subspecialty that could be key to your opportunity. Highlight that when you reach out. 
• Network as much as possible and ask for referrals. Let the physicians you’re engaged with know about your open positions so they can tell physicians in their network about them.
• Create a “candidate-first” experience. When you’re recruiting passive candidates, you’re likely not competing with other recruiters or another opportunity. Instead, the competitor is their current role. So keep that in mind from your initial outreach and throughout the interview process.
• Remember, YOU found THEM. The candidate didn’t come to you for an opportunity. Active candidates want to engage with you, whereas, with passive candidates, you’re trying to engage with them. You’re trying to convince the candidate to make a move. 

Tips for recruiting active candidates:

• Be visible: Job Posts are the most common way to reach active candidates.
• Be specific with your job descriptions and highlight features that would stand out to a candidate. Can you accept candidates with any state licensing requirement? Obtaining a state license can take as much as six months or more, so that feature could save the candidate (and you) a lot of time. 
• Factor in common motivators for active candidates, e.g. higher compensation, work/life balance, growth opportunities, easy call schedule, fast credentialing, loan repayment or assistance offered, or location factors such as less than one hour from a coastal beach or city that offers cultural opportunities. Talent Finder allows you to select three key phrases (from a list) that highlight your job opportunity on Job Posts. 
• Simplify and streamline the application/interview process and take the time to fully outline the interview process to help the candidate prepare for it if they’re selected.
• Share your Job Posts across other social channels.

Doximity Client Success Stories can be another source of inspiration for recruiters. If you’re struggling to find a creative way to reach out to candidates, these testimonials and hiring stories can give you a fresh perspective. 

If you’re not using Doximity Talent Finder to attract and recruit active and passive candidates, you’re missing out! Grab a free demo today, and our experts will guide you through the powerful tool.