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The New Dictionary of Hiring

Employed Capability

/IM-PLOID KAY-PUH-BIL-I-TEE/
  NOUN

Employed Capability is talent already creating value for another employer, not a passive candidate waiting to be activated.

MEANING

Recruiting calls these people “passive candidates,” which is a remarkable way to describe someone succeeding at a full-time job. They're not passive. They're busy.

‍

They're also not sitting around hoping your recruiter discovers them. They have a manager, colleagues, a reputation, momentum and perfectly good reasons to stay. Forget the question of how to get them to answer an InMail for a moment. Why should someone who's doing valuable work elsewhere interrupt their career for you? There's the real assignment.

Defined by:
James Ellis,
Employer Brand Labs
Category:
Essentials
The New Dictionary of Hiring card: Employed Capability, noun. Talent already creating value for another employer, not a passive candidate waiting to be activated. Abstract iridescent glass shape on a white background.

MAKE THE CHANGE

Instead of:
Passive candidate.
Ask:
Why would somebody successfully creating value somewhere else interrupt their career for us?

EXAMPLE

The person you need already has good work, a trusted manager and influence in another company. A generic 'exciting opportunity' message gives them very little reason to interrupt any of that.

HOW TO USE IT

When targeting hard-to-find talent, research what successful people already have and value. Build the outreach around a credible reason to move, then make sure the job actually delivers it.

SAY IT TO LEADERSHIP

The people we most need are already creating value somewhere else. Our challenge isn't simply finding them. We have to give them a compelling reason to consider leaving.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH

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James Ellis
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