How to Find Passive Talents in Software Engineering in 2025

Most of the best software engineers don’t apply to posted jobs. Many already have roles and aren’t actively searching. They only consider moving when an offer feels clearly better.

LinkedIn’s research suggests about 70% of the global workforce is passive. Stack Overflow’s 2024 survey also shows most developers are already employed. That means the pool of active applicants you’ll ever reach is much smaller.

This guide explains why top engineers rarely apply and how to find and reach them.

Why “Great” Engineers Don’t Apply?

Hiring doesn’t fail because jobs aren’t posted. It fails because the best people aren’t looking. The engineers you want are busy with their work, which is why they don’t apply.

1. High Current Satisfaction and Selectivity

Most strong engineers already have steady jobs that challenge them, so they rarely check job boards. They’ll only consider moving if something feels clearly better than what they have now. Regular postings mostly draw active seekers, not the people who are already excelling.

2. Generic Job Postings

Generic job ads rarely connect with seasoned developers. If the posting skips clear details about the role, the impact, and the company’s direction, it comes across as shallow. Research shows 52% of job seekers base their decision on the quality of the description.

3. Market Overload of Outreach

Engineers are hit with endless InMails, emails, and mass messages. Since most sound copied, there’s little reason to reply. LinkedIn data shows 85% of candidates ignore text outreach because it feels flat, and top developers block it out fast.

Why Should You Actively Seek Them?

1. They Stay Longer and Ramp Faster

Passive candidates aren’t escaping a bad job. When they move, it’s usually a careful choice to pursue something better. That intent often leads to stronger commitment and lower employee turnover.

Because they’re already performing well, they don’t need much hand-holding. They adapt quickly, learn the ropes fast, and start adding value sooner.

2. They’re the Talent You Can’t Reach Otherwise

The best engineers aren’t scrolling job boards. They’re focused on their current work and only show interest when approached directly. By reaching out, you access a group of proven performers that regular postings never touch.

This hidden pool often includes the exact kind of high-impact people who can raise your team’s level.

3. They Notice When You Stand Out

When demand is higher than supply, waiting for applicants isn’t enough. Engineers are flooded with offers, but most sound the same. A message that clearly shares your mission, team, and challenges cuts through the noise.

That extra effort is what makes someone in a steady role stop and actually consider your opening.

Proven Channels to Discover Passive Engineers

Now that you know why strong engineers don’t apply, the next step is figuring out where to find them. Here are some of the most reliable channels for reaching passive software talent:

1. Niche Tech Communities and Forums

Passive engineers spend more time in technical spaces than on job boards. GitHub (a code hosting site), Stack Overflow (a Q&A site for developers), and Reddit groups called “subs” (such as r/programming) are common hangouts.

Joining discussions, answering questions, or running casual Q&A sessions, or often called AMAs (Ask Me Anything), helps you build credibility and visibility over time.

2. Referrals and Employee Networks

Your own team can be a rich source of candidates. Employee referrals often bring in people who wouldn’t normally apply but trust the recommendation of someone they know. Setting up a simple referral program, and encouraging senior engineers to share updates or openings, can extend your reach.

3. Social Media and Content Marketing

Even when passive candidates did not search for jobs, they pay attention to stories that feel real. Posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, or company blogs that highlight your mission, your team’s challenges, or day-to-day engineering wins stand out more than generic job ads.

The key is speaking to developers in the spaces they already use, not just on career pages.

4. Micro-Events and Community Activities

Small and low-pressure events often work best for engaging passive talent. These can be webinars (short online talks), coding workshops, roundtable discussions, or even quick lightning talks at lunchtime.

Events like these showcase your technical depth and culture without feeling like a sales pitch, while giving engineers a natural way to get to know your team.

5. Talent Pools in ATS or CRM Systems

Most companies already have databases of past applicants. These live inside tools like an ATS or a CRM. Instead of letting those profiles sit untouched, you can organize them into “talent pools” and reach out occasionally with personal updates, new projects, or invites to events.

See also: 2025 Guide to Executive Recruiting: Strategies & Best Channels

Smarter Ways to Reach and Hire Top Engineers

Great engineers rarely apply through job boards. They already have steady roles, and most ignore job postings that feel generic. Winning their attention means showing up in the right places and reaching out with messages that feel personal.

The key is moving from reactive to proactive hiring. Instead of waiting, you build ongoing relationships with passive talent and earn trust over time. This way you reach people who can truly raise the level of your team. Building relationships and earning trust may take time, but the payoff is worth it.

Still, you don’t always need to start from scratch. You can also reach seasoned and pre-vetted software engineers who are ready to contribute. Talentport connects companies with pre-screened software engineers and digital professionals across Southeast Asia.

Each candidate completes assessments and interviews, so you spend less time filtering and more time focusing on fit and onboarding. With Talentport, you get access to people who are tested and trusted, making it easier to hire quickly while reducing the risk of a bad hire.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is a passive candidate, and how is that different from active candidates?

A passive candidate is someone who already has a job and is not sending out applications, but they may be open if the right opportunity comes along. Active candidates are more visible because they are actively applying.

The main difference is in who takes the first step. With passive candidates, you need to reach out and build interest. With active candidates, they have already shown intent and you guide them through the process.

2. What makes a job posting or outreach appealing to passive candidates? (Offering vs demanding)

A job ad written for passive candidates should highlight what they gain, not just what you require. People who are not looking for a job will only pay attention if the role offers growth, interesting challenges, or flexibility.

In case of outreach, personalization makes it stronger. Mentioning their work or projects shows you took time to understand them. That feels more like an opportunity than a demand, and it makes a response more likely.

3. How to maintain genuine relationships with passive software engineers over time?

Staying in touch should not feel transactional. Sharing updates, sending notes on achievements, or inviting someone to a company event builds a connection even without an open role. These small efforts show that you value the relationship itself.

Over time this consistency creates trust. When the engineer starts thinking about a change, they will already know who to contact. That trust is the difference between a cold outreach and a warm conversation.

4. When should I recruit passive candidates (e.g. for leadership or hard-to-fill roles)?

Passive recruiting is most valuable when the position requires skills that are rare or when the role is senior enough that few people are actively searching. Leadership positions often fall in this group, as do highly specialized technical jobs.

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