Best practices for effective recruiting through advertising, passive vs active

There are two methods to recruit job candidates. The first is active recruiting, which is posting position openings to job boards and other public forums. The second is passive recruiting, which is reaching an expanded audience that may or may not include active job seekers. In the latter, it’s very likely you are trying to recruit an actively employed candidate, luring them from another position.

Lack of employees seems to be an ongoing struggle for just about every industry, especially in any kind of skilled trade. The candidate pool is shrinking – there aren’t enough replacements entering certain fields to compensate for things like retirement and company growth. North Dakota is a particular challenge because the number of active job seekers for local jobs is relatively low. With a 2.6% unemployment rate (as of March 2025), few capable employees in North Dakota are presently unemployed. Not only that, according to Forbes, 91% of skilled tradespeople are satisfied with their current job. In either case, these candidates are not likely to be actively pursuing employment opportunities and, thus, won’t be visited job boards showing your vacancy. The only way to reach those candidates, other than word of mouth, is by marketing through passive recruiting.

As previously stated, passive recruiting means you may be attempting to lure presently-employed candidates elsewhere (with a high chance of current job satisfaction), such as a competitor, a candidate outside your coverage area, or maybe someone looking for a career change.

What would motivate candidates to switch employers, or in some cases relocate, to work for you? This is the primary consideration for candidates, especially those already employed. Even if their current job satisfaction is low, they have to know that there’s enough potential advantage to risk to trying another opportunity. Your advertising needs to clearly communicate these benefits. If you are struggling with determining what that key advantage is, decide who on your current team is your ideal candidate and ask them what motivates them to stay.

Benefits can be monetary, but don’t have to be either. Candidates natively assume pay and benefits are competitive, and monetary benefits on their own sometimes attract job hoppers instead of career-minded quality candidates. Other benefits can be career advancement, relocation assistance, housing stipends, flexibility, company paid vehicle/tools, work/life balance, and so forth. Demonstrating a positive culture and work environment is usually best of all.

Job recruiting is a long-term investment. It’s all about reaching the right candidate at the right time – that moment when something triggers them to consider a career change. You want to make sure they are aware of your career opportunities and workplace advantages when that trigger arrives.

The amount of time and budget needed is going to depend on several factors, including the level of preferred qualifications and the number of open positions. While it’s obvious you want to reach the candidate himself/herself, you should also market your message to other influencers on the candidate’s life such as a spouse or parent. This is why a full funnel marketing approach is best for recruiting.

We can help you strategize an effective passive recruiting strategy.