Good practice to find and engage lawyers who are not actively seeking a job, aka passive job seekers

Not that much hiring is underway during these troubled times, and not that many general counsel want to devote time to potential hires, but an article in talent mgt., Dec. 2008 at 50, discusses attention to “passive job seekers.” “[R]esearch found 62 percent of best-in-class organizations are focused on creating or improving a data repository of desirable active and passive job candidates.” Aberdeen Group conducted the research and issued a report on it in July 2008.

As I understand the article, make an effort to spot talented lawyers in firms or other departments who might someday fill one of your spots, and woo them just a little. The lawyers you target may not be looking – hence, they are passive job seekers – but someday their needs and yours may coincide.

The second step, implicit in the first one, is to keep a database of resumes received. You might go further and code some of the resumes as having a higher potential for meeting your needs than others.