Recruiting Silver Medalists: A Winning Hiring Strategy

Most job searches yield a single hire but may have identified other highly qualified candidates who would have been a great fit for that role. These runners-up are often referred to as Silver Medalists, the candidates who came in second place.

Silver Medalists have already demonstrated the skills, qualifications, and potential to perform well — yet they’re often overlooked for future requisitions.

When you identify these highly qualified candidates, highlight their profiles so you can easily surface them for future opportunities. This proactive approach ensures that you have a readily available pool of top-tier talent whenever you need it.

The benefits of reengaging Silver Medalist candidates

Silver Medalists — and some job searches will produce several — make an excellent source of hire because you already understand their skills and qualifications and have an existing relationship with them. This dynamic offers a host of benefits.

Improve your quality of hire

Silver Medalists have already demonstrated their high level of competence by making it to the final stages of your recruitment process. They may have also gained new skills and experience since you last spoke with them. 

Adding these highly qualified candidates to the talent pipeline for open roles can help you raise the bar for candidate evaluations and improve your quality of hire. 

Reduce time to fill

Silver Medalists have already been through your recruitment process and may require less time to source, screen, and hire. For example, you may have recent reference checks on file for Silver Medalists, allowing you to skip over this step.

Keeping a list of runners-up can be particularly helpful if you experience quick turnover after filling a position. Reaching out to a Silver Medalist can help you quickly backfill the position with your next best candidate.

Improve the candidate experience

Candidates are accustomed to hearing that they’ll be considered for future roles but ususally don’t hear back. 

Your organization can stand out by following up when a past candidate is a good fit for an open position. This relatively simple act can help candidates feel valued and improve their overall experience with your organization.

Lower cost per hire

Imagine if you could fill a role without spending any of your budget on job ads, employee referral payouts, or agency recruiter fees. You’ve already invested in candidate sourcing activities; reengaging Silver Medalists can increase the return on those investments to help you achieve a lower cost per hire. Of course, if the candidate came from an employee referral or external recruiter, make sure to honor any previous fee agreements.

More engaged talent pipeline

There are more open jobs than there are unemployed people and 61% of U.S. business leaders say it’s challenging to attract top talent. 

Your Silver Medalists are already familiar with your company and interested in joining your team. You can build a more engaged talent pipeline by revisiting your runners-up from previous job requisitions.

Best practices to successfully reengage Silver Medalists

Sourcing Silver Medalists can be as simple as building a list and reaching out to past candidates when the right opportunity arises. However, following some best practices can make this candidate reengagement program more effective and successful.

Provide a positive candidate experience

Sourcing Silver Medalists will only be a worthwhile endeavor if your candidates are still open to exploring opportunities at your organization.

Make sure each candidate has a positive candidate experience from preapplication to rejection.

The steps for creating a positive candidate experience include:

• Sharing information around what makes your organization unique and why candidates might want to work there
• Writing clear, enticing, and inclusive job descriptions that help qualified candidates envision themselves in your role
• Providing an easy, accessible application process that doesn’t screen out your best candidates
• Crafting a fair, engaging interview process focused on skills — not pedigree
• Communicating often to provide feedback and update candidates on their status and next steps

Emily Jurlina, a customer success manager at LinkedIn, shares: “Throughout my original interview process I had a really positive experience — my recruiter was friendly and available to answer my questions, and I received feedback promptly and was kept informed about my place in the interview process. So, even though I didn’t get the job the first time, I immediately knew I wanted to try again when a recruiter contacted me a year later.”

Let candidates know when they’re no longer being considered

A recent Lighthouse Research & Advisory survey found that half of all candidates have been ghosted by a recruiter after having a personal conversation with them. Ben Eubanks, chief research officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, says: “It’s become socially acceptable to skip out and leave the other person hanging. It’s common. It’s normal. But it’s still demeaning and disrespectful.”

You can’t expect your Silver Medalists to respond to your future outreach if you neglect to follow up after your last interview. Your candidates put time and energy into your recruitment process and deserve to know their current status. 

Let candidates know when they’re no longer being considered for a role and ask if you can reach out with future opportunities. Provide feedback if there’s something actionable the candidate can do to improve their future career prospects — whether that’s with your company or at another organization.

Ask for candidate feedback as well. Engaging with Silver Medalists gives your organization unique insights into what some of your most qualified candidates think about your recruitment process, candidate experience, and organization. Your new hires may hold back constructive criticism for fear of jeopardizing their job offer, but rejected candidates may feel more comfortable being open and honest. This feedback loop can help you refine your recruitment strategies, making them more efficient and candidate-centric.

Build a list of Silver Medalists in your technology of choice

Don’t make the mistake of trying to commit Silver Medalists to memory. Create and maintain talent pools specifically for your runners-up so you can follow up months — or even years — into the future when the right opportunity arises.

There are several ways to build a Silver Medalist talent pool, depending on which tools you’re already using. For example, you could add a tag in LinkedIn Recruiter or your ATS, add candidate information to a spreadsheet, or move applications to a dedicated folder in your email account or file storage app.

Show everyone on your talent acquisition team how to track and access Silver Medalist candidates so your entire organization can benefit. Making this part of everyone’s workflow can yield tremendous results.

Connect with Silver Medalists on Linkedin and stay in touch

Build long-term relationships with your candidates by connecting with them on LinkedIn and periodically reaching out. 

For example:

• Congratulate them when they land a new role
• Check in around work anniversaries to learn about their accomplishments and growth goals
• Wish them a happy birthday
• Engage with their updates

You may also invite candidates to subscribe to a LinkedIn newsletter. Sharing things like industry news, job market trends, professional development tips, company news, and open positions can provide value to your Silver Medalists so they look forward to hearing from you. 

Regularly checking in with your candidates will help you build rapport and keep your company top of mind as an employer of choice. When an appropriate opportunity opens up within your organization, you’ll have more engaged candidates ready to chat.

Send a thoughtful message when the time is right

As with any sourced candidates, personalized outreach is the best way to reengage Silver Medalists. Acknowledge their interview history with your company, express your admiration for their qualifications, and highlight how their skills would make an impact at your organization. Tailoring your approach shows that you genuinely value their potential contributions.

Let your returning candidates know where you can expedite the recruitment process. For example, you may be able to forgo a new skill assessment if they’ve recently completed it.

Final thoughts: Silver Medalist candidates should be treated like gold

Simply rejecting and archiving your runners-up for a given position would be a mistake. Silver Medalists are extremely valuable candidates who should be resurfaced for relevant roles. Keeping in touch over time can help you stay up-to-date on their recent achievements so you can find the ideal position for these qualified candidates within your organization.