LinkedIn recently pulled together data from its surveys to paint a picture that may or may not surprise you around the current hiring landscape. I’m sure you’ll find something that’s surprising and makes you rethink things. There’s a lot of talent out there just ready for you tap into.

70% of the US workforce is not actively seeking a new job (passive candidates)

87% of the US workforce (active and passive candidates) say they are open to new opportunities

#1 Reason why people change jobs: “Opportunity”

How they look for jobs:
1. Job Boards
2. Professional networks
3. Word of mouth

What makes them say yes to a new job:
1. Compensation
2. Professional development
3. Work-Life balance

How they hear about a job: Referral

Companies can expand their talent pool 10x through their employees’ networks

Employee referrals are a top source of quality hires

Top Talent Branding Tools:
1. Company website
2. Professional networks
3. Social Media

94% of candidates would like feedback on their interviews

89% of candidates say being contacted by their recruiter can make them accept an offer

We feel the most important takeaway from all of this is probably the size of the passive pool of talent: workers who are not actively seeking jobs, but are very open to seeing what’s out there and how they can grow. The quality hires are out there and while many come through employee referral, there are many more out there that a good recruiter can give you access to. If your rockstar employees are getting overworked, maybe it’s time to come up with a plan.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.