Recommendations

• Kill the idea of the passive candidate - passive candidates don't exist. Rather than focusing your energy trying to source "passive" candidates, realize that most workers are casually browsing at any given time. Develop a media strategy so candidates are likely to give you enough information about them to begin a relationship.
• Listen (3:40) to Managing Director of Social and Mobile Strategy, Eric Owski explain in more detail.
• The job search cycle is long (six months, on average), and candidates are likely researching companies in some form or another before they even apply. Employers need to make sure they have a presence on the various platforms candidates are using as information resources - such as their career sites, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn - in order to connect with candidates and control their message. They also need to work on enhancing their employment brand as much as possible in order to build a positive word-of-mouth where they can't control the message - such as Google, blogs, news sites and employer review sites like Glassdoor.
• Listen (5:00) to Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Branding, Jamie Womack explain in more detail.
• All talent acquisition strategies must include a "CRM" (candidate relationship management) strategy to keep a pipeline of talent interested, considering the vast amount of workers who are continuously browsing new opportunities. Consider developing a talent community or network that you can maintain and use to keep candidates engaged.
• Listen (3:55) to Managing Director of Business Development, Jen Seith explain in more detail.
• Employment branding is essential. With two-thirds of candidates viewing ratings sites, your company's brand (that is, your reputation as an employer) has a significant impact on whether or not candidates decide to apply. Engagement doesn't stop at application, either. A major component of your employment brand is the way you treat candidates once they decide to apply. Candidates today are very vocal about their job search experience and are likely to share their experiences - especially negative ones - with your company among their online and offline social networks.
• Listen (3:31) to Employment Branding Practice Leader, Keith Hadley explain in more detail.
• Develop internal brand ambassadors. Only a third of the respondents claim they evaluated opportunities within their current organization at the very beginning of their search. Make sure you actively inform your employees about internal positions.
• Listen (3:51) to Vice President of Human Resources, Rosemary Haefner explain in more detail.