Passive Candidates, an Oxymoron?

We all know what active candidates are, they have their resume prepared, they are on the major job boards and they are actively applying to jobs. What is a passive candidate? The common definition is that passive candidates are not actively looking and they have to be pursued.

Are candidates open to job inquiries on Linkedin.com, and other networking sites active or passive? The transition from passive to active is a click, literally.

Once a candidate prepares their resume, dusts off an old one, or reactivates it on a job board, they are now officially considered active. The second a candidate becomes active, he or she is a couple clicks away from accessing millions of opportunities on the Internet.

There is a perception that passive candidates are of higher value than active candidates. Doesn't that directly conflict with the belief that top candidates get multiple offers and choose among them? How could a candidate get multiple offers without sending their resume out multiple times? The reality is that both passive and active candidates are valuable. Instead, there should be two categories: Active and Ultra-Active. Ultra- Active candidates are on every job board and apply to many jobs they are not qualified for and they remain on job boards for a longer length of time.

Candidates that are too passive may also raise a flag. Being passive is not a good trait as an employee, why should it be a good trait as a candidate? After all, marketing yourself and maximizing your worth is a trait of motivated individuals. Companies should focus instead on casting a wider net, rather than narrowing the net to a specific set of candidates.

YourLeap, based in Stamford, CT helps companies cast the widest net possible to maximize their chances of attracting the best candidates, passive or not.