For VARs and MSPs, the need to entice passive candidates vs. active candidates to consider a career move continues to increase in importance in today’s talent acquisition market.
As the message of outsourcing IT Services continues to resonate with the client base of VARs and MSPs, and with cloud and virtualized IT services gaining more acceptance, the need for competent and experienced professionals who have designed, delivered, and supported the latest business-class IT Solutions has never been higher.
As the US economy continues to remain robust, and with a finite pool of active candidates at any one point in time, the necessity of accessing the passive candidate pool has become even more heightened.
For VARs and MSPs, recruiting passive candidates has its advantages and risks. Here are some important items to remember about recruiting passive candidates:
- Sweeten the “career” pot. For a passive candidate to leave his or her current employer, be sure you have an attractive compensation and benefits package waiting. Most employees won’t leave a job he or she is content with for another job that promises effectively the same duties and vision. Whether it’s an enhanced title and duties, a better salary or both, remember your message needs to resonate strongly with a passive candidate. A clear map for advancement, benefits and job satisfaction will set your company ahead of the competition.
- It’s not always about just the Money. As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, employees aren’t just looking for the most money, but a strong compensation package is a requisite just to effectively compete. In our 2018 top 5 predictions, we detailed the most common desired improvements we hear candidates express (besides compensation). A quick recap is below:
- Continued technical training and career growth
- Work/life balance
- Immediate and improved healthcare benefits and expense moderation or reduction
- Greater control over the use of PTO (also relating to work/life balance challenges)
- Prepare for the counter-offer. If a company gets wind that one of its star employees might jump ship for a better offer, executives might leap into action to retain the professional. It’s important to anticipate the fact that a good candidate will likely be enticed to stay with his/her current employer.
The best advice for combatting a counter-offer follows:
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- Move quickly once you have identified the right candidate….with experienced talent at a premium, nothing works against successfully hiring a passive candidate hire more than a lengthy interview process
- Make the best possible offer the first time…remember to highlight both the improved overall compensation package, as well as the “soft benefits” of joining a new employer
- Communicate the vision of the passive candidate’s role in the success of your organization… show the candidate how his/her addition is a long-term strategic move that is mutually beneficial for both the candidate and your organization
If increasing your technical staff size, or upgrading the talent level of your existing staff is on your strategic task list, VAR Staffing welcomes the opportunity to work with you. Call us at 972-996-0966, or send an email to awilliamson@varstaffing.com regarding your needs.
