More often than not, the best talent is the ones who are not even considering a career change. Top talent that is in the market is already heavily sought after, meaning you have to take risks by acting quickly, and you are likely to end up paying a premium to do so.

Just because passive talent may not be actively searching for and applying for opportunities, does not mean that they could not be swayed… In this article, we will go over a few ways that you can beat out your competitors and appeal to the top passive talent the construction industry has to offer.

Make Your Posts Engaging and Specific

If you are trying to catch someone’s attention who is not in the job market, you have to do something a little extra. Think if there is a way that you can include some media as part of your job posting, maybe a video or photo gallery that shows the types of projects you typically work on. This is also a good way for potential candidates to get a sense of your organization’s culture.

In terms of job posting copy, try to be engaging and interesting; help people imagine what it would be like to work with you. A generic job description and a long list of bullet points detailing day-to-day duties may get you candidates, but they are not going to be the passionate candidates you are looking for. You want a job posting that speaks to someone.

Offer Things That Your Competitors Do Not

People are way less likely to go through the hassle of changing jobs if it is likely to be pretty much the exact same situation that they are already in. How can you make their professional experience better? What can you offer that is different? What does your potential hires actually care about? Maybe it is something like flexible work hours or on-site child care. Talk to your current employees to learn more.

Take Your Job Posting Directly to the Passive Talent

Okay, so this last one is a bit of a cheat, but I think it still works. Ask your star employees about any recommendations that they may have – perhaps previous colleagues or friends they can vouch for. Offering a referral bonus is a great way to get new potential contacts, if the application works out and the hire is with the company for a predetermined period of time, the referrer gets a monetary bonus. Win-win!

When you reach out and contact the passive talent directly and tell them that you have an opportunity that you think would be perfect for them, they are at least going to take a look at your posting. And, if you have already completed the first two recommendations, they are likely to be swayed.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash