# How to find passive candidates

Source: https://talent.kudoswall.com/resources/find-passive-candidates

Passive candidates are employed professionals who are not actively applying to jobs. They represent the majority of the talent market — and the hardest people to reach through job postings alone.

## Active vs. passive candidates

| | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| **Behavior** | Applying on Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed | Not searching; open if the right role appears |
| **Reach** | Job posts, inbound applications | Direct outreach, referrals, talent databases |
| **Volume** | High application count, low signal | Low volume, higher fit potential |
| **Best channel** | Job boards + screening | Semantic search + WhatsApp outreach |

## How to reach passive candidates without a job post

1. **Paste the JD** — Describe the role with must-haves and seniority. No Boolean string.
2. **Search Talent Discovery** — HaiTalent matches the JD against **750,000+ anonymized KudosWall resumes** (select India cities). These are people who built verified profiles on KudosWall — not applicants to your posting.
3. **Review fit** — Semantic matching understands transferable skills. A candidate with GCP experience can score well for an AWS role.
4. **Outreach on WhatsApp** — Contact matched candidates directly. Passive candidates respond to specific roles, not generic "we're hiring" blasts.

Start here: https://talent.kudoswall.com/find-talent

## What this is not

- Not a Naukri or LinkedIn replacement. Job boards find active applicants.
- Not Boolean search. Boolean finds people inside a database with keyword strings. Talent Discovery uses semantic JD matching.
- Not auto-reject. A recruiter reviews every shortlist and decides who to contact.

Related: https://talent.kudoswall.com/resources/talent-discovery-vs-job-boards