Here's exactly how to make yourself 'poachable' and land on a recruiter's radar for your dream job

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There's a better way to land a new gig without sifting through countless job listings.

• Job searching can be a cumbersome process - unless you get poached by a recruiter.
• Getting poached means a recruiter reaches out to you for a job opening, whether or not you're actively job seeking.
• Expert recruiters for top companies like WarnerMedia, Intuit, Microsoft, Tesla, and more shared their best tips for getting on a recruiter's radar for your dream job.
• They suggested building relationships with recruiters online and offline, keeping your LinkedIn up to date, and joining talent communities.
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Let's face it: Job hunting can be stressful and a lengthy process. According to December 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 60% of unemployed job seekers hunt for five weeks or more until they land their next job. And a 2017 Glassdoor analysis of the hiring process found that it takes the average candidate about 24 days to find their next role.

If you're looking for a new job, you may be wondering if there's another way to land a gig without sifting through countless job listings for months on end. And yes, there is - getting poached.

What does it mean to be 'poached'?

The business term "poach" originates from the traditional definition - to steal someone else's prized game or fish. In the recruiting world, it refers to when a recruiter snatches up another company's prized talent.

"If a recruiter is reaching out, that means that they've read through your profile and have identified some things in your background and experience that aligns with the current and future needs of his or her company," explained Dwayne Cash, a director of talent acquisition in the news and sports department at WarnerMedia who has 13 years of experience in recruiting.

Dwayne Cash

Dwayne Cash.

Prospective candidates benefit from getting poached by having leverage "even if the role isn't the perfect match," said Cash. You can (and should) use that leverage to have a conversation with the recruiter and make the connection, which will then, in turn, "give you permission to reach out to the recruiter in the future in the event something more fitting surfaces versus submitting [an application] online," added Cash.

Your goal is to become a "pipeline candidate," explained Cash. That is, someone a recruiter will keep on their radar and readily reach out to before new opportunities are posted publicly.

If you find yourself in the position of being poached, use the opportunity to tell your career story, outline what your ideal next role looks like, and explain how the recruiter can sell your experience and background to potential hiring managers.

"On average, depending on the role, a recruiter can easily receive a couple hundred resumes in one day, especially for entry-level and creative roles," explained Cash. "Being poached is one way to cut through the clutter and establish a direct line to the gatekeeper (recruiter)."

Sounds great - but how do you go about getting poached if no one's reaching out to you?

Cash has experienced some pretty unique approaches from individuals attempting to get poached by him. One candidate sent him an express-mail envelope addressed to him that required a signature to open it - inside was a resume. Another candidate sent him a pink-and-magenta-painted box containing a resume. And one time, a guy wearing a walking advertisement that read "Dwayne Cash HIRE ME" paced back and forth in front of his office building.

While these were all creative ideas, he doesn't necessarily recommend any of them.

To find out what does work and help job seekers stand out, we asked Cash and other top recruiters from both the internal side - in-house recruiters who work directly for companies - and the external side - recruiters from third-party recruiting agencies who work on placing candidates for client companies - about strategic ways to get poached.

Establish relationships with recruiters that specialize in your industry

"The best long-term strategy to stay top of mind for recruiters is to develop a relationship with two or three recruiters that specialize in your industry," said Tom McGee, general manager of the sales and marketing division at the executive recruiting firm Lucas Group, who has 35 years of experience in recruiting and has placed candidates at global companies like True Value, Ashley Furniture, and Thomson Reuters.

Tom McGee

Tom McGee.

While recruiters may be the first to contact you, you can initiate these relationships and introductory calls as well, said Pete Sosnowski, head of HR and cofounder of the resume-building website Zety. He suggested searching LinkedIn for recruiters by industry and inviting them to connect - try using keyword phrases that are relevant to your field or profession or for specific companies you're interested in. "Recruiters are used to getting such invites, so it is absolutely fine to make the first move," Sosnowski explained.

Once you're connected, feel free to keep in touch. Some great ways to do so are by referring friends and colleagues, checking in about what companies the recruiter is now sourcing candidates for, and sharing updates about your employment or job search. "If you don't have new information to share, limit contact to once per quarter," said McGee.

You can keep in touch online via LinkedIn as well by liking, commenting on, and engaging with your new recruiter contacts' updates, suggested Sosnowski.

Pete Sosnowski

Pete Sosnowski.

The important thing to keep in mind is that this is not a strategy you should employ only when you're ready to make a career move - it should be an ongoing practice.

"If you only reach out to recruiters when you have decided to make a change, the right opportunity may not be there," said McGee. "You have to actively promote yourself on a regular basis and keep in touch, otherwise the relationship disappears."

Optimize your LinkedIn

In a nutshell, recruiters are looking for keyword matches, completeness, professionalism, and a fit for the roles they're looking to fill when they review LinkedIn profiles.

Don't just include your past and current job titles. Make sure your job descriptions and summary are complete as well. Cash of WarnerMedia said he gets frustrated when he encounters incomplete profiles - if he has to think too hard, he'll move on to other profiles that are more colorful.

"I also assess the way a candidate tells the story about who they are. I encourage everyone to include lots of detail around technical skills and knowledge," he added.

In addition, recruiters are looking for you to demonstrate your leadership and management style, showcase recent projects you've successfully completed along with the main metrics or KPIs for these achievements, and your newest capabilities (such as learning new programming languages), said Kim Hoffman, a talent acquisition director at Intuit who has 20 years of recruiter and talent experience.

Patrick Cahill

Patrick Cahill.

"At Intuit, managers who need positions filled connect with recruiters to explain what qualities and skill sets they are looking for in a new hire," she said. "If you have your skill sets, accomplishments, and expertise listed on LinkedIn, you make yourself more accessible to recruiters."

Be discoverable (searchable), not clever. That means using common industry titles, terms, and skills. Using the title "VP of Sales" will help you get discovered, while describing yourself as a "fun Chief Connection Maker" won't, explained Patrick Cahill, founder of #TwiceAsNice Recruiting, who, after 10 years of consulting for recruiters, launched his business two years ago and has worked with hundreds of companies, including Schunk Group, Harpoon Brewery, and Mitsubishi Fuso.

Finally, mark yourself as open to new opportunities on LinkedIn. "When I'm working on any roles, my first target is those who are actively looking," said Cash. "This increases the likelihood that they will respond to my outreach." He explained that your current company won't be able to view that you've selected this option: "They'd have to set up a separate account that is not tied to the company in order to find out that you're 'open to new opportunities,'" said Cash.

And get feedback on it

Ask a few colleagues for honest feedback on your LinkedIn profile, advised Bryan Zawikowski, a recruiter with 25 years of experience and the vice president and general manager of the military transition division for Lucas Group who has helped place candidates at global companies like Microsoft, 23andMe, Tesla, Stryker, and Honeywell. "People often have blind spots when reviewing their own profile," he explained.

Bryan Zawikowski

Bryan Zawikowski.

Some questions Zawikowski suggested asking colleagues include:

• "When you look at my profile photo, what is your first impression?"
• "Is this a professional photo?"
• "When you look at my profile in general, what is your first impression (professional, sloppy, disorganized, confusing)?"
• "Are my LinkedIn posts professional? If not, what stands out?"

"First impressions matter. Your headshot on LinkedIn is the first impression people have of you. When you look up someone on LinkedIn, the first thing you do is look at their picture," said Zawikowski.

Build your personal brand via other online channels

Start making yourself more searchable for recruiters by searching your name online and seeing what comes up.

"The first place many recruiters go to search for talent is the internet - so consider your entire digital brand presence," said Claire Telling, CEO of the marketing, media, and communications executive search firm Grace Blue Partnership, whose clients include Amazon, Coca-Cola, Ford, the New York Times, LEGO, and more.

Claire Telling

Claire Telling.

She suggested job seekers looking to bolster their online presence write articles and thought-leadership pieces on places like LinkedIn or Medium to increase the likelihood of coming up for Google searches relevant to their professions.

Online, you also have the chance to showcase other work you're doing outside of your current role that can boost your reputation and authority, such as serving as a chair member of a board or raising awareness for a specific cause.

One digital channel to seriously consider is Instagram, especially for millennials as well as artists, photographers, creatives, marketers, audience development professionals, and influencers, said Cash.

"Considering I hire for more creative areas, I spend time on the platform to find, connect with, and follow potential talent. I look for profiles with high engagement (likes, comments, shares)," he said. "These are the people who can inspire others to action (purchase and influence brand perception)."

Join prospective employers' talent communities

Hoffman explained that companies are starting to create "talent communities" that are worth joining if you get the chance - think of these as private social networks open to prospective employees to network with companies and their employees online. Their goals are to host events, share company news, and provide opportunities for candidates to connect with current employees to get a sense of the company culture.

Kim Hoffman

Kim Hoffman.

By joining, you'll become part of a pool of engaged candidates that recruiters tap into over time as roles become available, said Hoffman.

For those looking to join a talent community, enterprise companies - such as PWC, Shell, and Mayo Clinic - often feature these within the career section of their website and they're free and open to join. (A Google search, such as "[Name of company] talent community," should help you find it if the company offers one.)

Network offline as much as you do online

"Most recruiters attend conferences and events to connect with top talent," said Cash. He noted that recruiters are particularly looking to vet keynote speakers, panelists, presenters, and other subject-matter experts - so becoming a sought-after and highly visible participant can also be a strategy for getting poached.

While industry-specific events can be expensive to attend, Cash said his company has hired people on the spot at some events and has kept in touch with others for future opportunities - so the payoff may be worth the upfront cost.

"As important it is to have a good online presence, it is equally as important to make in-person connections," said Hoffman. "Go to events [and] meetups and take advantage of free networking services." Doing so will help you not only see what's out there and gain knowledge of industry best practices from other professionals, but foster relationships with hiring managers and recruiters who otherwise may not be accessible.

The most important part? As with reaching out to recruiters, it's important not to wait to network only when you're looking for a job. If you wait too long, "candidates miss a prime opportunity to understand the different company cultures available, as well as available roles that their skills may translate [to], but may not be an obvious career choice," said Hoffman.

Think long term and be responsive

Remember, the goal of getting poached isn't necessarily to be hired for the first role a recruiter reaches out about - it's about finding the best fit. "Recruiters are sourcing candidates for hundreds of roles, and they may think you are a better fit for another one," said Hoffman.

Being patient and open and transparent about your experiences "makes the process much more collaborative and ultimately helps you find a better long-term position," noted Telling.

What will help you most in the long run is being responsive, as recruiters don't like being ghosted, said Telling - just like candidates don't like to be ghosted by their dream companies. Communicative candidates will be more likely to be considered for future opportunities.

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