Sourcing passive candidates means finding people who fit a role but aren’t applying for jobs, and reaching them at a moment when they might be open to a move. The people worth hiring are usually busy doing their current job well. They won’t see your posting, so the hire depends on finding them, timing the approach, and having a way to reach them directly.
People do move. Lusha recorded 1,470,414 company changes and 194,165 promotions between January and June 2026, about 13,600 people changing jobs every working day (Talent Mobility Report, H1 2026). The question for a sourcer is not whether a passive candidate will move. It’s when, and whether you’re the one who called.
What makes a passive candidate worth contacting
Fit. They have the skills, level and experience the role needs, whatever their current title says.
Timing. Something in their situation suggests they may be open: time in role, a new manager, or a shrinking team.
Reachability. You have a verified email or direct phone. A great match you can only message through a crowded inbox is a match you’ll probably lose.
How to source passive candidates
1. Write the role as a profile, not a job ad. List the must-have skills, the level, and the titles this person might hold today. Separate what’s required from what’s nice to have.
2. Search beyond the exact title. The same work goes by different names at different companies. Search by skills, seniority and the kinds of companies where this role grows, not just one title.
3. Narrow by timing. From the people who fit, look for signals that they may be open: two or more years in role, a new manager, or a team that’s getting smaller. Set aside anyone who moved in the last six months.
4. Get a direct line. Reveal verified emails and direct phones for the people at the top of your list. The candidate you want is the one who isn’t checking job-site messages.
5. Write about them, not the job. Open with something specific to the person: their time in role, their team, the work they’ve done. Keep the first message short, and ask for a conversation, not an application.
6. Call when the signal is strong. A new manager or a shrinking team is a reason to pick up the phone. A short call often does what three emails don’t.
7. Save the rest to a list. Good candidates who aren’t ready today often are in six months. Keep them on a list and check back when something changes.
8. Keep the list current. People change roles all the time. In Lusha’s study of 148,000 records, 12.25% of US sales leaders changed roles in 12 months. Recheck your list before each round of outreach.
Timing signals and what to do with them
| Signal | What it may mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Two years or more in the role | They may be ready for the next step | Lead with what the new role adds: scope, level or skills |
| A new manager in the last 90 days | Priorities and fit are being reset | Reach out early, with a low-pressure message |
| Team or company headcount shrinking | Uncertainty about what comes next | Lead with the stability and direction of your role |
| Changed jobs in the last six months | Unlikely to move again soon | Save them to a list and check back later |
| Recently promoted | Probably committed for now | Save them, and congratulate rather than pitch |
Signals suggest timing. They don’t tell you what a person wants, so treat each as a reason to start a conversation, not a conclusion.
Passive sourcing checklist
- The role is written as a profile, with must-haves separated from nice-to-haves.
- The search covers adjacent titles and skills, not one exact title.
- Candidates are filtered by timing, and recent movers are set aside.
- The people at the top have a verified email or direct phone.
- Every first message mentions something specific to the person.
- Candidates who aren’t ready are saved to a list, with a date to check back.
Common mistakes
Sending the job ad. A pasted job description reads as a mass message. Lead with the person.
Relying on one inbox. If the only way you can reach someone is a job-site message, you’re competing with every other recruiter who found them.
Ignoring timing. Contacting someone three months into a new job wastes the message and the relationship.
Treating a signal as a fact. A shrinking team suggests uncertainty. It doesn’t mean the person is unhappy. Ask, don’t assume.
Letting the pipeline go stale. A list from last year is full of people who’ve already moved.
How to source passive candidates with Lusha
. Describe the role in plain language, or filter by title, skills, seniority, company, industry and location. You get a shortlist with timing signals for each candidate, such as time in role, a new manager or a shrinking team. Reveal verified emails and phones for the people you pick, and save them to lists.
In Claude Code. Install the Talent Sourcing plugin from Lusha’s GitHub and run the same searches in Claude.
With the Chrome extension. Open a candidate’s profile and see verified contact details without leaving the page.
What it costs: searching is free in Lusha Workspace and the extension. In ChatGPT or Claude, a search call costs 1 credit per 1 to 25 results. Revealing an email costs 1 credit and a phone number 5. The full breakdown is in how Lusha credits work.
Example prompt: build a passive shortlist
Find [role] in [location] with [must-have skills], at companies of [size].
For each person, show:
- current title and company
- time in their current role
- any new manager in the last 90 days
- whether their team or company is shrinking
Leave out anyone who changed jobs in the last six months.
Rank who to contact first and say why. Don't reveal contact details yet.Fill in the brackets and run it. The prompt holds the reveal until you’ve seen the ranking, so you only spend credits on the people you’ll contact.
FAQ
What is a passive candidate?
Someone who fits a role but isn’t actively looking or applying. Passive candidates are usually employed and doing well, which is why they’re worth the effort.
How do you find passive candidates?
Write the role as a profile, search by skills and seniority rather than one title, filter by timing signals, and get a direct line to the people at the top of the list.
How can you tell when a passive candidate might be open to a move?
Look for timing signals: two or more years in the role, a new manager, or a shrinking team. They suggest timing, not intent, so use them as a reason to start a conversation.
What should the first message to a passive candidate say?
Something specific to them, a short reason the role fits, and a request for a conversation. Leave the job description for later.
Can I source candidates in ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. Lusha Talent Sourcing works in ChatGPT, and in Claude Code from Lusha’s GitHub. Describe the role and get a shortlist with timing signals.
Where does Lusha’s candidate data come from?
Every email, phone and company record is checked across multiple independent sources. Lusha never scrapes LinkedIn or social networks, and is GDPR and CCPA compliant.
