How to Poach Currently-Employed Candidates

With the unemployment rate so low, the need to poach currently-employed candidates has intensified. As a result, identifying sourcing and recruiting strategies that not only appeal to potential candidates but also inspire them to hear you out is imperative.

By unearthing an influence plan, you can, at the very least, spur a candidate’s interest in taking your call. As such, we've highlighted five ideas to break through the wall of challenges in attracting gainfully-employed candidates:

1. Tap Into Their Ego

Leverage endorphins that buoy a winning candidate’s ego. For example, while compiling a list of potential sales leaders, don’t just identify the winners; also, take the time to familiarise yourself with their specific achievements and the personality traits that compelled their gains.

Do research online to find out what your target candidate’s successes are — LinkedIn is a great place to start — and mirror those stories back to them. Build the candidate up, reflecting back their winning stature. Create a case that proves you understand what makes them tick.

Then, prove that your organisation elevates such talent through meaningful, at-the-ready opportunities to win new deals, build market share, expand regions, etc. Show that you are ready to build on their reputation and help them leap to new career heights.

By embedding their value proposition into your company’s, you not only develop a picture of how the two align, but you also begin carving the next steps of onboarding and goal setting, once the candidate accepts the offer.

By engaging both their ego and overall ambition for future wins, you can deepen a candidate’s commitment to taking the interview process seriously.

[Related: The Value of Hiring Downsized or Laid-Off Employees]

2. Meld Your Organisation’s “Why” With the Candidate’s “Why"

For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has a clearly articulated “Why Work for Us.”

Their “why” includes a striving to “recruit and retain the most driven and talented professionals in our field, and encourage them to stop at nothing when it comes to saving the lives of the children we serve.”

And that’s just the first sentence. St. Jude continues on by describing the company’s pedigree as a top paediatric cancer hospital and articulating their employees’ “strong connection to the mission.”

By having a crystallised “Why Work for Us,” you then can identify candidates whose “why” aligns. From there, build a convincing pitch that converts a cold, currently-employed professional into a warm, future employee, excited at the fit and eager to dive into the interview conversation.

3. Show Them That They Matter

Illustrate, through a visual and/or content-pithy tour of your organisation’s value proposition, that top-performers like them matter. Create a storyline around your culture that is so compelling that they have to know more.

At Zoom Video Communications, a consistent, positive, people-centric culture is articulated in employee reviews.

Comments such as “Fantastic company culture of happiness,” “You feel cared for,” “Acknowledgment of hard work,” “Wonderful camaraderie and welcoming people” and “Work here if you have the opportunity” will create interest, likely converting the most disinterested candidates into raving fans.

Who wouldn't want to explore such a welcoming, employee-centred culture?

4. Show Them the Money

Many a contented, gainfully-employed candidate can be tempted by the opportunity to explore a higher salary. And benefits, such as access to an onsite gym, a well-stocked kitchen or education and training, matter to many people.

However, other candidates may not place as much value on benefits like those, and some already work for companies where all the culture and benefits checkboxes are fulfilled. In these instances, they may only be enticed by a higher salary opportunity. Coming equipped to “show them the money” can be the difference between them listening to your pitch or them slamming the door shut on your presentation.

[Related: 3 Top Tips for Hiring Highly-Skilled Workers]

5. Nourish Their Intellect and Creativity

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s “Why Work for Us” video does a great job of this. They articulate a desire to deliver globally impactful solutions from the first few seconds of their intellectually rich script.

Further, by digging into LLNL’s reviews, you will find mentions of their “free and creative environment” and “advanced research equipment,” as well as affirmations that you “get to work with lots of scientists and engineers” in a “challenging environment” and much more.

Candidates who seek out environments that will set their imagination and intellect on fire will be drawn to these nourishing organisations — craft and sell a story that convinces them of this possibility.