64% of HR professionals say it’s getting harder to find qualified talent. Our take? The right candidates are out there, but your recruitment strategies may attract the wrong profiles.
Passive candidates are skilled professionals who aren’t actively job hunting, but you can probably entice them with the right offer. They’re usually well-established in their current roles, which makes them less likely to apply to your everyday job postings.
To attract these top-tier candidates, you need to refine your sourcing techniques and get creative. Not sure where to start? Here are 23 creative sourcing strategies to land these qualified candidates.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Only half of the US population is extremely satisfied with their job, which means a lot of workers are open to new positions.
- Being visible on platforms like Tinder, TikTok, or YouTube can help you appeal to different generations of job seekers.
- Before getting creative, it’s important to nail the basics of a good job posting — a clear description, salary range, and benefits.
- Toggl Hire makes it easy to turn passive leads into engaged employees.
Hold on, why focus on attracting passive candidates?
One of the most commonly asked questions when discussing passive candidate sourcing strategies is, why even bother?
Here’s the deal: 73% of the global workforce is passively looking for another job and would be open to a change in their work situation. If you focus solely on active candidates, you’ll miss out on the majority of the global talent pool.
Need some more persuasion?
- Passive candidates aren’t actively pursuing a new position, so they won’t be interviewing with anyone else. This means less competition for you when it’s time to extend a job offer.
- They’re also highly unlikely to lie or exaggerate on their resumes as they’re reasonably content with their job (for the most part) and aren’t desperate to find their next gig.
- And finally, when you target passive candidates, you can zone in on their specific skill sets. You know exactly who you’re hiring and what they currently do in their position. So, you’ll spend less time and resources on training.
23 creative candidate sourcing strategies
There’s a vast pool of excellent candidates for your next opening — you just have to know how to reach them. If your same old, same old sourcing techniques haven’t been working, try these creative strategies out for size.
1. Find professional talent on LinkedIn with carousel posts
LinkedIn is still the best place to find professional candidates. But what’s the best way to attract candidates on the platform, rather than manually browsing through endless impressive LinkedIn profiles?
Embrace your creative side and try carousel posts. You’ve seen them around LinkedIn: They’re basically pages of a PDF that you can easily click through on a post. Create one that highlights the skills needed for a specific job or advice from current job holders.
- Work together with your social media manager or designer to create a professional, eye-catching carousel post.
- Don’t oversell your company — just focus on catching the attention of passive job seekers a la Semrush.
2. Use Facebook paid ads to source passive candidates
This may surprise some, but 39% of recruiters use Facebook to seek out top talent. Why? Compared to LinkedIn, job boards, and other sourcing channels, sourcing candidates on Facebook is often cheaper, faster and can reach more (passive) high-quality candidates. For example, you might catch the eye of a passive job seeker doom-scrolling Facebook during non-working hours.
There are many ways to find candidates on Facebook. You can:
- Source candidates manually using creative search queries.
- Create an appealing Facebook job post and share it with your followers.
- Boost your job posts to reach a wider audience.
- Share your job posts on Facebook groups and communities.
- Turn your job posts into an advertising campaign to specifically target the right kind of people (the most efficient tactic.)
For example, software development company Mooncascade received close to 250 candidates in a few days simply by advertising the post on Facebook and Linkedin.
- Use Facebook’s detailed targeting options to reach specific demographics — like location, age, interests, and job titles.
- Give your ad campaign a clear call to action and include high-quality images or videos.
3. Use podcasts to stand out
Getting on a relevant podcast gives you a chance to introduce potential candidates to your work culture and employee benefits in more detail.
Find Your Dream Job, Career Cloud, and The Job Hunting Podcast all focus on helping candidates land their next position. Reach out to shows like these to ask about sponsorships or if they can mention your organization. They already have a captivated audience of people hunting for their next position.
If you’re looking for a highly skilled new hire, consider sponsoring niche podcasts that have built an audience of experts in that field. For instance:
- Lenny’s Podcast for product management and growth
- Revenue Vitals for marketing talent
- Data Skeptic for data science
- People Managing People for HR and management
4. Attract candidates with work culture videos on YouTube
What better recruiting strategy than to meet your target candidates where they’re already hanging out online? For WizzAir, that place was YouTube. Under the umbrella campaign of #IamWIZZcrew, WizzAir used its YouTube channel to easily connect with anyone interested in pursuing a career at WizzAir. The employer posted details about the company’s aviation careers, and tips on pilot and cabin crew recruitment.
Potential applicants can also find thousands of pictures, posts, and tags on various social media channels created by many of the enthusiastic crew members showing their dedication to the company, passion for aviation, and WizzAir’s company culture.
- Spotlight your current employees in “day in the life” videos that give a behind-the-scenes look at a typical workday.
- Make sure these videos aren’t overly produced or scripted. They’ll resonate better with job seekers if they feel authentic.
5. Use Tinder to attract millennials
Okay, before you close this tab, hear us out…This one might sound too “far-fetched” for most, but creative agency Fetch used Tinder to find an intern — with great results. In one day, they received 270 potential applicants (Tinder matches) from whom they asked for their best pick-up line. Next, they spent three weeks talking to applicants and narrowing the talent pool down to the five best candidates.
Fetch explained the rationale behind its unusual recruitment choice:
“New York City is a very crowded space, with every agency looking for top talent. We needed an intern, and we didn’t just want to be another posting on one of the numerous job boards. So, we thought Tinder would be quite an innovative way of looking for an intern.”
If this piques your interest, why not try Bumble, OkCupid, eHarmony, Match, Kippo, or one of the other top-rated dating apps to engage candidates?
- Make it extremely clear in your bio that this is purely business (you don’t want to lead anyone on)!
- Research the demographics of various dating apps to make a data-driven choice that best matches your work culture.
- Check that your profile is open to receiving matches from all genders so you don’t exclude anyone.
6. Use Snapchat to better appeal to young candidates
JPMorgan created its own geo-filters for UK and US high school and university events. Its strategy demonstrated to students that you don’t need to follow a traditional path to start a career in banking. The employer highlighted different roles and jobs candidates might not have considered when looking at the banking industry. Doing this on a platform that millennials trust made this even more powerful for JPMorgan.
- Team up with your designers to create eye-catching and on-brand visuals.
- Head to the Business Help Center to learn how to create and upload your own filters.
7. Leverage TikTok to appeal to Gen-Z
Many companies use TikTok to increase brand recognition. From Duolingo making entertaining content around its beloved owl mascot to RyanAir’s self-deprecating posts, brands have used this popular social media platform to gain a cult-like following.
TikTok is also a great channel for recruiting potential candidates from a younger, tech-savvy (and mostly Gen-Z) demographic. You might film your staff taking part in challenges, participate in the latest trending hashtags, or partner with employees and influencers to boost your presence.
- Remember to include a call-to-action in your videos or bio to direct the viewers to your job postings and careers page.
- Pay attention to viral trends and jump on those that make the most sense for your business.
8. Join public Slack channels
Beyond being incredible for team communication, Slack is also great for connecting with like-minded people and potential passive candidates. Many public Slack groups function as professional networks, and you can join and share your job posts in some for free.
For example, Superpath has a Slack community with more than 20,000 content marketers. You can interact with job seekers, network passively, and even post your job openings in forums.
- The more niche a Slack channel is, the better chances you have of connecting with the right talent.
- Don’t just use Slack communities as another job board. Get personal and interact with others in your industry — you might even get a referral candidate this way.
9. Sponsor a niche newsletter
Sponsoring newsletters tailored toward a niche market can be a great way to find new hires. By targeting an industry or interest group, you’re more likely to engage potential job seekers who aren’t actively seeking job openings.
Just like with a Slack group, check the newsletter aligns with your company’s values and goals. This will help you gain the right exposure and promote your job openings directly to the most relevant candidates.
- Ask your current employees what kind of newsletters they subscribe to, and start there.
- Develop a relationship with the newsletter owner to expand your network and even find talent through word-of-mouth.
10. Host a competition
To target passive job seekers, get creative and hold a competition related to the role you need to fill. For a writer, host a short story competition. Need a new graphic designer? Put out a request for a specific design. Reward the winners with a cash prize, and connect with them to see what their professional future looks like (and whether you might be part of it.)
Spotify took things even further by incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into its competition-related recruiting strategy. They held a diverse hackathon with an equal number of male and female participants. Not only did this help them build a diverse talent pipeline, it also showcased their company values.
- Be thoughtful about how you market your competition and offer an enticing reward.
- Incorporate other ideas, like Spotify did, that align with your company culture.
11. Grab applicants’ attention with short skills challenges
Another creative strategy for sourcing passive candidates is to make the application process simple, fun, and competitive with a skills test.
Instead of asking applicants to send in their resumes, start the recruitment process with a short skills quiz. This pre-employment testing is also popular among workers themselves, with seven out of 10 believing employers should focus on skills and work experience over degrees.
Use skills challenges to simplify your application process and source passive, qualified candidates.
The beauty of using a 10-15 minute skills challenge in the first part of the recruiting process is speedier candidate screening. But it also helps you attract those candidates who aren’t actively looking for a new job. Drafting up a resume and a cover letter takes a lot of time and effort. However, taking a short test to figure out your skill level and learn more about the job opportunity removes the barriers to applying for jobs.
- Pinpoint the necessary skills needed for the job and decide where you want to advertise your skills test.
- Get started with Toggl Hire and create your own skills challenge for free. It’s as simple as that.
12. Offer your employees referral bonuses
Try motivating your employees to share any open roles on social media. You can even create an internal employee referral program leaderboard to gamify the incentives for more referrals.
To make life easier, there are even special platforms focusing on employee referrals. Try out ERIN for free software setup and integrations, or pick Boon if you want to allow your employees to make referrals through Slack.
Experiment with different types of rewards. If cash isn’t working, try offering an exclusive trip — or even follow in InMobi’s steps and offer the chance to win a Vespa.
It was a while ago now, but after switching from cash rewards to trips and motorbikes, InMobi saw a significant boost in employee referrals, doubling the number of workers sourced through this method. They parked the InMobi-themed Vespa in front of their San Francisco office as a physical reminder that they could win the bike simply by referring someone.
Make it as easy as possible for employees to refer ideal candidates and provide them with feedback about their referral.
13. Set up a happy hour
Happy hour doesn’t have to be all about cocktails and appetizers. You can also host a more relaxed and inviting event with pastries and coffee. It’s a great, low-pressure way to tell interested job seekers more about your company. No matter what the event is, you’re at a competitive advantage when you get prospective talent in the room.
Post about the meet-up on your socials and encourage your current team members to attend as well. These events can also serve as a casual time for informal interviews. Companies like Salesforce have successfully hosted happy hours during conferences to connect with potential candidates in a more relaxed environment.
- Promote your event ahead of time and make sure everything is organized — like catering and venue.
- Collaborate with your marketing team to generate a lot of buzz around the event.
14. Host a virtual event
If you’re a remote company, it might be hard to encourage qualified candidates to engage with you in person. So, meet them where they’re at with your sourcing efforts and host a virtual event on Zoom.
Make sure there’s a good balance of social and professional. You don’t want it to feel like boring online office hours, but you also want enough time to promote your company. Take inspiration from Verizon, who collaborated with Women’s CoLab to host a virtual event in honor of International Women’s Day.
- Decide if your online event needs an agenda or should be more casual.
- Double-check all your technology before the networking event to avoid any mid-call issues.
15. Set up a booth at college job fairs
One of the most effective ways to enhance your recruitment efforts is to attract fresh, young talent at college job fairs. This is a great talent-sourcing opportunity that allows you to grow your brand with a younger demographic that’s looking for new job opportunities.
Remember, you’re pitching yourself among a sea of other companies. Take the time to prepare thoroughly and find a unique way to engage students. Consider offering freebies like custom pens or T-shirts to make a lasting impression. You can also put up your company’s slogan or motto, like New York Life, to give prospects an immediate glimpse at what your company stands for.
- Offer a virtual office tour at your booth so top candidates can get a better idea of what it means to work at your company.
- Research the best college job fairs for you — many are themed by industry and allow you to get in front of more qualified candidates.
16. Organize community service projects
Organize community service projects and invite potential candidates to join. This builds a positive employer brand and allows you to connect with the right candidates in a meaningful way. In such a crowded job market, doing something meaningful like this can help your organization really stand out and even improve retention rates.
Best Buy employees volunteer at everything from museum fairs to after-school programs. This approach also engages current team members in the recruitment process. They get to chat with potential job seekers while also partaking in new opportunities that give back to the community.
- Learn about existing volunteering organizations in your community you can form partnerships with rather than trying to set something up from scratch.
- Encourage everyone in the community to join your efforts.
17. Go bold with out-of-home advertising
Place ads in public spaces like billboards, bus stops, or subway stations with eye-catching visuals and succinct messaging to communicate your company’s culture and values. Target high-traffic areas that are industry-specific to you or your target demographic.
Place them around your head office and — to be a little bit cheeky — around your competitors’ offices.
Use technology, like QR codes, on signs placed at eye level — like posters or bus-stop advertisements that the user can scan. These QR codes should link to the open position or jobs portal.
- Decide what area will reach your target demographic best.
- Compare different advertisement options based on reach, budget, and expected ROI.
18. Post content on Medium
Expand your audience and attract top talent by publishing on the blogging platform Medium. Basecamp CEO Jason Fried used Medium to generate interest in Basecamp while sharing his thoughts on design, business, and technology.
Encourage your co-founders and team leaders to post about challenges and their solutions. This strategy allows potential candidates to learn more about your team and organization without any strings attached. With this approach, you might catch the attention of a passive candidate unhappy with their workplace and intrigued by how you run and structure yours.
- Make sure you publish free articles that aren’t hidden behind a paywall so the right candidate can find you.
- Work with a copywriter to publish well-written, error-free copy.
19. Showcase your employees, managers, and C-suite
Promote employees’ personalities, talents, and stories on social media and your website. For example, Automattic features employees in videos on their YouTube playlist, Harvest showcases employee stories on their website, and HelpScout’s blog is primarily written by employees.
This kind of recruitment sourcing strategy is typically low-effort, great for brand recognition, and appeals to a younger crowd. Gen Z enjoys short-form, authentic videos, so a day-in-the-life or behind-the-scenes might just be the perfect way to reduce your time-to-hire with the younger generation.
- Don’t invest too much time or resources in recording or editing equipment — these videos resonate better when they’re raw and authentic rather than over-polished.
- Use cross-channel promotion to share your videos on different platforms
20. Use your own product as a sourcing tool
Spotify’s hiring manager, Andre Hellström, uses the platform creatively to find new talent. He created a public playlist called “Join the band?” where the order of the song names makes up the job posting description for a frontend developer position. Listen to the playlist here.
Non-Spotify recruiters can rely on other creative ways to use their product to source candidates. If you’re a food and beverage company, you could list your hiring needs on your product packaging. A tech company could create a public GitHub repository with a README file that outlines the job description and requirements.
- Host a team brainstorming session to concoct a clever way to use your product for outreach and talent acquisition.
- Collaborate with your designers or marketers to make high-quality imagery and copy.
21. Promote dev jobs on your site’s browser console
When a developer wants to check the code behind any website, view the site’s CSS files, or check anything else code-related, they’ll open the site’s console. So, what better way to grab their attention than adding a big “We’re hiring” message right in the console?
Take a look at Reddit, for example. They’re well aware that many people browse their site when they should actually be working. So, they came up with a clever tagline and promoted their open jobs in the site’s console.
- Come up with clever copy (like Reddit did) to catch the ideal candidate’s eye.
- Work with your existing dev team to ensure the job ad appears correctly.
22. Attract talents with a catchy Wifi name
If people connect to your office WiFi regularly, why not change your network name to a catchy recruiting headline and see if you get any new applicants this way? You never know who might stumble upon it.
- Keep the Wifi name brief so people can read the entire thing at a quick glance.
- Ask candidates who apply where they saw the job advertised, and keep note of metrics related to this sourcing process.
23. Put up a photo booth
Who doesn’t love a fun, themed picture? You can set up an interactive photo booth with props related to your industry. Candidates sharing their photos on social media will increase your visibility and make for a strong employer brand.
NETZSCH Pumps & Systems put up a “social branding wall” and encouraged visitors to take pictures. To encourage social sharing, they also ran a raffle for AirPods.
- Figure out where to place your photo booth — perhaps at an event or around your office.
- Come up with a clever hashtag candidates can use when they share their photos — and don’t forget to #repost!
Expert tip: Don’t forget the basics
This article is all about creativity, but let’s not forget the basics. If you’re not already doing these, you really need to refine your hiring process before you start getting fancy. Here’s what you should have nailed down first:
- Write descriptive and catchy job descriptions: A well-written job ad is your first and best chance to grab attention. If your job descriptions are bland and generic or have subtle biases, you’re already losing out on top, diverse talent. It’s important to avoid masculine-coded language, like “assertive” or “dominant.” Use this free gender decoder tool to double-check your descriptions for biased language.
- Add the salary range to your job posting: Excluding the salary range from the job posting is a rookie mistake. It’s a surefire way to attract a flood of candidates whose expectations are way off base. Many US states have pay transparency laws requiring employers to post expected salaries. Failure to do so can result in fines.
- Mention the company’s perks and benefits: Even the smallest perks can make a big difference. Whether it’s free coffee and snacks, flexible hours, or a relaxed dress code, highlight these in your job postings. If you’re not doing this, you’re missing out on a simple way to stand out from the competition.
- Use your public website to let people know you’re hiring: A great way to inform people about your job openings is to advertise it on your website’s front page. Make it clear and easy for potential candidates to find and apply to your jobs.
Get these basics right, and then you can start thinking about the fun and creative stuff (like filming the CEO doing silly dances). But seriously, if you’re not doing these, you’re just setting yourself up for failure.
How to build a great employer brand with Toggl Hire
A strong employer brand attracts both passive and high-quality active candidates. Yet, too many companies struggle because they either botch the basics — like writing vague job descriptions or omitting salary ranges — or they simply don’t know how to engage candidates.
That’s where Toggl Hire can help. We’ll help you nail the fundamentals of a great brand by engaging and converting those passive jobseekers with a fantastic candidate experience. Applicants love taking our tests — they’re quick and user-friendly, and feedback is instant, so no one is ever kept in the dark about their progress. For recruiters, features like ready-made skills tests, automated shortlisting, and objective candidate filtering make it quick and easy to source the best talent using a fair process.
Ready to elevate your hiring efforts? Try Toggl Hire for free today and turn passive job seekers into satisfied, engaged employees.
Michelle is an experienced freelance writer who loves applying research and creative storytelling to the content she creates. She writes about B2B SaaS software while also participating in conversations about other industries, such as the digital publishing landscape, sports, and travel.
