There is a quiet shift happening in the job market. You might not see it on Seek or LinkedIn. You might not hear it from hiring platforms boasting record applicant volumes. But if you are hiring in 2025, especially in creative, digital or marketing roles, you are feeling it. The best people are not applying.
These are the high performers. The strategic thinkers. The ones who raise the bar without ever announcing it. And they are not browsing job ads on their lunch break. They are not polishing their CVs. In fact, many of them are not looking at all.
We call them the reluctant candidates. And in 2025, they are the ones you should be hiring.
The Illusion of Volume in Creative Hiring
At first glance, things look fine. You post a job and 200 people apply. But you spend three hours sifting through generic cover letters and irrelevant experience. You book five interviews. Two people no-show. One is not even close. One has promise but disappears. And one is fine. Just fine.
This is the illusion of volume. More does not mean better. In fact, it often means worse. Because the people you actually want to hire do not respond to job ads. They are busy. They are loyal. They are respected where they are. They are not scrolling.
A 2023 TalentVine study revealed that more than 78 percent of professionals in Australia consider themselves passive candidates. This means they are open to offers but not actively applying. And yet more than half of Australian businesses still rely on job ads as their primary recruitment channel.
Who Are the Reluctant Candidates?
Reluctant candidates are not passive. They are selective. They quietly drive growth, culture and creative output in the businesses they already work for. They are not unhappy. But they are open. Open to something that feels sharper, braver or more aligned. Not something louder.
They do not spray their resumes across the internet. They do not need to. They have networks. They have history. They have people calling them about interesting things.
They make a shortlist stronger just by being on it. But they will not come to you. You need to go to them.
Why Creative Job Ads Are Not Enough
Even if a reluctant candidate sees your job ad, they will likely ignore it. Not because they are not interested. But because most ads are flat. The language is safe. The promise sounds like every other creative agency or marketing recruitment brief out there.
A 2024 survey by Robert Half found that nearly one third of Australian workers would consider changing jobs if approached with the right offer. But fewer than 5 percent of roles are filled through job ads alone. That is a huge disconnect.
How to Find Reluctant Candidates in Melbourne or Sydney
You do not find reluctant candidates by posting harder. You find them by shifting your entire hiring mindset.
Start With a Strong Brief
If your brief is just a list of tasks, rethink it. What is compelling about the role? Why now? Why you? If it could apply to any company, rewrite it.
Engage a Creative Recruitment Agency That Knows the Market
The best candidates are not looking. So you need someone they trust to speak with them. That is where a relationship-driven creative recruitment agency in Melbourne or Sydney makes a difference. Not the ones who post and pray. The ones who know which candidates are quietly open to something new.
Clicks IT Recruitment recently helped a government-owned tech firm fill two senior security roles over Christmas. Job ads failed. So they proactively reached out to 20 handpicked professionals. The result? Two successful placements from five qualified passive candidates. Proof that headhunting works.
How to Engage Reluctant Talent
Reluctant candidates are not swayed by salary alone. They are looking for clarity. Credibility. And a role that feels more aligned than where they are now.
Lead With the Story
What is happening in your business that makes this role critical? Who will they be working with? What impact will they have? Make the pitch about people, not just performance.
Stay Flexible With the Brief
The best people might not tick every box on your original brief. They might challenge your assumptions. That is the point. Great hiring is about future potential, not past alignment.
What the Experts Are Saying
Nicole Gorton, Director of Robert Half Australia, recently noted:
“Businesses are increasingly turning to the passive market as their first port of call to secure permanent headcount.”
LinkedIn’s ANZ Director Adam Gregory adds:
“Over two thirds of HR professionals say finding qualified talent has become harder in the past year.”
And Sydney recruitment leader Brett Hughes said it best:
“By saying no to agencies, you are shutting out 95 percent of the talent market.”
Why This Matters in 2025
The creative and marketing hiring landscape is shifting fast. Talent is overwhelmed. People are exhausted by volume. They are ignoring generic ads and tuning out one-size-fits-all pitches.
Relationship-first recruitment is no longer a nice-to-have. It is essential. Because in 2025, if you want to build a high-performing team, you need to look past your inbox and start real conversations with people who are not actively applying.
What to Do Next
If your job ad is not landing, stop tweaking the bullet points. Start rethinking the approach.
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Who are you really trying to hire?
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What would it take to get their attention?
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Do you have the network or recruiter in place to reach them?
At The People Place, we help creative agencies, marketing teams and brand leaders hire the people who are not on the market. The people who never apply. But always deliver.
📩 Contact us at hello@peopleplace.com.au
🌐 Visit peopleplace.com.au
