The difficulty in talent acquisition

Recruiting top talent has never been easy, but the challenge has evolved. In today’s competitive hiring landscape, the best candidates often aren’t the ones actively applying for jobs - they’re the ones who aren’t looking at all. These passive candidates, while more difficult to engage, often prove to be higher-quality hires with better retention and stronger long-term impact.

Studies have suggested that 60-70% of the workforce is passive, meaning they’re currently employed and not actively seeking new roles. Meanwhile only 25% of professionals are actively looking, with another 15% being “tiptoers” - open to new opportunities but not actively applying. Despite the smaller size of the active job seeker pool, traditional hiring methods still overwhelmingly focus on these candidates.

This approach, unfortunately, often leads to an influx of applications but not ones that necessarily offer the right talent. Active candidates may be between jobs, eager for a change, or responding to job postings out of immediate necessity rather than long-term career alignment. In contrast, passive candidates are already thriving in their roles, often resulting in them being more selective and therefore more motivated to stay longer when they do make a move.

What this means is that this group of passive candidates must not be overlooked in recruitment campaigns and that whilst harder to recruit, passive candidates can bring distinct advantages to employers:

• High Productivity - 120% more likely to add value to an organisation, 17% more relevance with their skillsets for job roles, 15% higher performance than active candidates (according to a study done by Glassdoor)
• Better Retention - On average, passive candidates stay in their roles for 41% longer after onboarding than active seekers.
• Cultural Fit & Commitment - passive candidates integrate well with company culture (56% more effectively) and tend to be more motivated to contribute

Passive candidate sourcing requires more effort, time, and resources than active recruitment, as these individuals aren’t actively seeking new roles. Unlike active candidates, they need a compelling Employee Value Proposition such as: career growth; culture; and long-term opportunities before considering a move. This can lead to longer and less predictable hiring cycles. While passive candidates often bring high value, companies must balance both approaches, maintaining a steady talent pipeline while proactively engaging top professionals. Shifting focus from just availability to alignment and motivation can transform talent acquisition and strengthen the workforce.

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