Recruiting: Why Your Fishing Technique Matters to Top Candidates

One of the most common complaints our talent strategy team hears from companies, big and small across the U.S. is “I am wasting so much time weeding through junk to find candidates.”

If you’ve ever spent a full day sifting through applicants that miss the mark, you’re not alone.

Why is that happening?

We have found that traditional “recruiting” of posting a job ad on a job board, which is what most companies are doing, is like going to a lake, casting a net out and seeing what swims in….AND without knowing how well stocked that lake is with fish in the first place.

This is an ineffective and exhausting way to recruit.

In fact, in today’s market only about 20%-30% of professionals are “active”––meaning they’re applying, interviewing, and ready to make a move. The other 70% to 80% are “passive” candidates––currently employed, working, and not currently looking for a job.

Can you guess which group the best candidates typically come from? That’s right, the passive.

So what if we were to tell you that REAL recruiting isn’t about throwing a net out and waiting, waiting, waiting … and instead it should be you finding a lake with quality fish and then strategically casting your line with the exact perfect bait and catching a lot of your ideal candidates.

Well that is the reality of all of our clients, because they are following our 3 Fishing Tips:

Tip #1: Fish ONLY in the Best “Lakes”

Not all talent pools are created equal. The key is to think like your ideal candidate.

If you were hiring a Marketing professional, you wouldn’t randomly post everywhere—you’d go where marketing professionals already are. Just like you wouldn’t shop for business attire at a gym store, you’d go to a business clothing store. Right?

Try this: Customize your recruiting strategy and only go where you know the best fish are

• Search the job title you’re looking to hire for on various job boards to see where similar positions are also posted
• Explore platforms like LinkedIn to confirm your target candidates are active there or not
• Find associations, groups and events where your ideal candidates will gather regularly

The takeaway? The right platform = better quality candidates.

Tip #2: Create Bait Specifically for the Passive

Top performing professionals aren’t always on job boards every day—they’re busy succeeding in their current roles, and not looking for a job. That means you have to go to them.

This is where strategic fishing will work well. Tools like LinkedIn Recruiter Lite or Indeed Smart Sourcing or a University Alumni newsletter aren’t just upgrades or money pits—they’re access points to possibly passive professionals.

What Bait will work?

• Send personalized outreach that feels human, not transactional
• Lead with the Opportunity, not a job: Focus your messaging on the company, opportunity and networking, not just the job and you wanting them to apply right now
• Keep in mind that a simple, thoughtful message goes further than a generic blast every time, because no one wants to be sold to or feel like a number

Tip #3: Small Bites Work Better

Here’s where most outreach falls flat: when most recruiters or companies reach out to passive professionals, it feels like a pitch. Because it is, they are selling from the start!

Passive candidates aren’t looking for “a job”—but they may be open to exploring a better opportunity. So taking the time to learn about them first to ensure it would be a good fit for them is a subtle shift, takes the same amount of time, but will result it a lot more bites from the best fish.

When companies actually take the time upfront to FIRST really understand the WIIFM and what an opportunity would be for someone working, already in a similar job, then they are able to truly create the tastiest bait.

Because it doesn’t matter how great your culture is, or how solid your interview process is, if you aren’t attracting the best candidates from the start, then you will NEVER hire the best talent.