In today's competitive tech industry, finding the right IT talent is challenging. The IT Skills Gap Report surveyed 500 UK businesses. They reported a scarcity of skilled candidates, with 35% of businesses seeing competition in the job market as a major challenge.
The number of opportunities in these sectors makes recruitment and retention of staff a demanding task. While active job seekers are easier to find and engage with, often it is passive candidates who have the specialist skills and experience your company needs.
Attracting passive tech candidates needs a strategic approach. As passive candidates are not looking at job boards, talent acquisition (TA) and HR teams need to look beyond posting jobs to websites and explore different sourcing methods.
Step 1: An Engaging Online Presence
In the tech world, your online presence is a powerful magnet for passive tech candidates. Speak to your marketing team to ensure that your website and social media profiles are up-to-date and current. Remember to share with them compelling content about your IT projects, culture, and achievements. Highlight the technologies and tools you work with, as this will resonate with tech workers.
Take time to search online review boards such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn reviews to see what current and past employees are saying about your organisation and the interview process.
Step 2: Referrals
Your existing tech team can be your greatest asset in attracting passive candidates. They are likely to know and have worked with skilled tech professionals. Employee referrals are a valuable source of new hires and can help keep recruiting costs down. Offer an incentive, such as a bonus or voucher for successful referrals.
Step 3: Engaging Job Adverts
Job adverts are often the first interaction passive candidates have with your business. Instead of listing qualifications, skills, and daily tasks, focus on what makes your company unique. Talk about the exciting business transformation projects they will be a part of.
Be mindful that employee demands have changed during the pandemic and this is no different for tech workers who may want more flexibility including remote and hybrid working options. Passive candidates also want to know how your company can enhance their IT career, and what benefits they will receive when joining your firm, so highlight this in your job postings.
Step 4: Find a Specialist Tech Recruiter
Specialist tech recruiters will already have access to a large database of passive candidates. They will be familiar with the kinds of roles you are looking to fill. Experienced tech recruitment consultants will also assess soft skills, including communication, teamwork, general competencies, business exposure, motivations, and career plans. So, you’ll benefit from interviewing candidates who have skills beyond their technical expertise.
NU Concept Solutions is a leading provider of cloud resourcing solutions. You will have access to a team of tech experts who understand the intricacies of sourcing skilled professionals. They will give you access to pre-screened passive candidates that match your company’s set criteria and job specifications. This can help your organisation save both time and money while improving hiring and retention.
Step 5: Engage with Tech Communities
Tech communities and online forums are one way to find passive IT candidates. Visiting platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, or tech-specific subreddits is a way to share your knowledge, answer questions, and engage in tech discussions. When passive candidates see your expertise, they'll have more brand awareness about your company.
Senior Developers, Cloud Specialists, and IT contractors often attend technical meetups and events to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and developments in their field. Sponsoring hackathons or similar events can also help raise your profile.
The benefit of hiring passive candidates
Passive candidates are not unresponsive to hearing about new opportunities. As they are currently working, they will only consider jobs that they have an interest in. And it is likely that they are only interviewing with you. This gives you a higher chance of obtaining an accepted job offer. A skilled tech candidate who is on a mission to find a new role is likely to have other interviews and opportunities they are considering.
Perseverance for passive candidates
Attracting passive tech candidates needs a solid online presence, engaging job descriptions, access to a dedicated recruitment firm, and engagement with tech communities. By following these five easy steps, you'll be well on your way to tapping into the tech talent pool and ensuring that your tech team continues to grow and innovate. Remember, as in any recruitment, patience is key, as passive candidates may take longer to consider their options. But, rest assured, your efforts will pay off in the long run as you build a dynamic and talented tech team.
If you are looking to ensure you have the right digital talent available for your digital transformation projects, you can book a free consultation with NU Concept Solutions by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling us on 0330 058 3400.