In Part I of Why Your Internet Postings Aren’t Yielding the Results You Expect, we discussed LinkedIn’s research showing that only 15% of the workforce is completely satisfied with their current employment and not open to new opportunities.
That leaves a massive 85% of the talent pool who are at least willing to consider a change. However, only 30% of those individuals are actively searching for new jobs. That means less than one-third of the available talent is even looking at your job postings.
Let’s take a look at what that actually looks like:
Job Search Activity Breakdown
Even more telling is why the remaining 70% aren’t actively looking online.
We recently conducted a poll asking job seekers to rate their experience looking for a new career online. The results paint a clear picture.
How Would You Rate Your Experience Searching for Jobs Online?
So what does this tell us?
Nearly 70% of respondents rated their experience as either Fair or Poor, and another 11% have never even tried. That’s 8 out of 10 people either discouraged or disengaged with the online job search process.
This highlights a crucial gap in how candidates interact with the digital hiring process. Many are frustrated with the time, effort, and lack of results that come from job boards and online applications.
And when we narrow the lens to the heavy civil construction industry, the issue becomes even more pronounced. This is a sector where the average work week is 50+ hours, and long commutes are the norm. After putting in 10-12 hour days and commuting to remote job sites or field offices, most candidates simply don’t have the time or energy to scroll through listings or retool their resumes.
Most are focused on meeting project deadlines and delivering results for their current employer. These aren’t unmotivated job seekers—they’re top performers who are too busy succeeding in their current role to engage with the traditional online hiring funnel.
This group—known as passive candidates—makes up the majority of the workforce. And they are also the ones you’re likely missing entirely if your recruiting strategy relies heavily on job board ads or online postings.
Some employers try to bridge this gap by using LinkedIn messaging or internal outreach. While that’s a step up from passive advertising, it still falls short if there’s no relationship built or context provided. What we’ve found to be the most effective method for reaching these candidates is a direct contact recruiting campaign led by a recruiter who acts as a career advisement consultant.
This means going beyond the résumé and digging into:
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What would they want to change in a new role?
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What personal factors (commute, work-life balance, family needs) should be considered?
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What career goals do they have that haven’t been met?
If you don’t know what a candidate wants out of their next move, you’re essentially throwing darts in the dark.
Recruiters who can clearly communicate a company’s Employer Brand and Employee Value Proposition (EVP) are essential in this process. Unfortunately, these key messages are often absent—or lost—in traditional online job postings.
By intentionally connecting what your company offers with what passive candidates truly need, you create opportunities for lasting, meaningful hires.
The Bottom Line
If your goal is to hire the best candidates—not just the most available ones—you need to invest in a direct outreach strategy. That includes working with recruiters who understand your EVP and can translate that into real, human conversations with passive candidates.
Online ads alone aren’t enough. In fact, they may be discouraging the very people you want most to reach.
For more advice on choosing the right recruiting partner or training your internal team to engage passive candidates more effectively, check out my other blog post: “How To Find The Best Talent Acquisition Partner.”
