Question 1

What is the difference between passive and active candidates?

Accepted Answer

Active candidates are actively searching for new roles — they apply to job boards, update their LinkedIn status, and respond quickly. Passive candidates are currently employed and not actively looking, but may be open to the right opportunity. For SDR roles, passive candidates often have stronger track records because top performers aren't usually unemployed.

Question 2

How do you source passive SDR candidates?

Accepted Answer

Passive SDR candidates are sourced through proactive outreach — searching professional networks, targeting candidates with specific experience profiles, and reaching out with personalized messages. Shortlist automates this process, proactively sourcing passive SDR candidates matched to your role criteria and delivering a pre-screened shortlist in 48 hours without manual outreach.

Question 3

Are passive candidates better than active candidates for SDR roles?

Accepted Answer

Passive candidates often demonstrate stronger baseline performance in SDR roles — they're currently employed (often in similar roles) and are selective about moves, which correlates with motivation and stability. However, active candidates include people who are excellent performers making intentional career moves. Shortlist's AI evaluates both pools against role-specific criteria, regardless of sourcing method.

Question 4

Why is passive candidate sourcing hard without AI?

Accepted Answer

Manual passive sourcing requires building searches across multiple platforms, crafting personalized outreach messages, managing follow-up sequences, and handling the 80–90% of candidates who don't respond. This typically takes 40–80 hours per filled role. Shortlist automates the entire process — from initial sourcing to candidate engagement — and delivers a scored shortlist in 48 hours.

Dimension	Active Sourcing (Job Boards)	Passive Sourcing (Shortlist)
Who you reach	Candidates actively job-seeking	Currently employed, not applying elsewhere
Candidate quality	Variable — includes underperformers	Higher baseline — passive candidates are selective
Volume	50–300 applicants per post	5 pre-screened, role-specific candidates
Screening burden	High — you screen all applicants	None — AI pre-screens before delivery
Speed to shortlist	1–3 weeks of screening	48 hours
Typical cost	$200–$600/post	$199/mo
Best use case	Supplemental volume	Primary SDR pipeline

Passive vs. Active Candidate Sourcing for SDR Hiring

See the difference yourself

Passive vs. Active Candidate Sourcing for SDR Hiring

See the difference yourself

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