Strong candidates, no suitable role yet: spotting opportunities with alerts

A candidate has valuable experience, the conversation went well, but there is no suitable vacancy right now. Or they are happy in their current job and say: “I could imagine making a move at some point, if the right opportunity came along.”

Both situations matter to recruitment agencies. Not every good contact leads to an immediate introduction. Yet a role may come up later that calls for precisely that experience. The challenge is to spot those opportunities without manually repeating the same search for every candidate.

Candidate-specific alerts address this problem. Once you have started a matching search in talentkiwi, you can set up an alert. The recruiter receives emails about suitable roles, including a fit score and an explanation. You set the frequency and duration in the interface and can adjust the search criteria at any time.

Two starting points, different levels of urgency

An active jobseeker needs a different rhythm from someone who would only move for an especially attractive opportunity. Your notifications should reflect that difference.

The candidate is looking for a new role now

When a candidate is actively searching, newly advertised roles can quickly become relevant. A short notification interval helps the consultant incorporate those opportunities into their daily work and discuss them with the candidate.

In talentkiwi, you can choose an hourly interval, for example. This describes how often notifications are sent, not a promise that a new suitable role will become available every hour.

During an active search, it is particularly useful to keep track of changes. Is the candidate still available? Have their preferences become clearer after initial interviews? The criteria should reflect their current situation.

The candidate is happy, but open to the right opportunity

Here, the aim is not to present as many roles as possible as quickly as possible. What matters is the individual opportunity that would make a move worth considering.

A weekly interval may suit this situation. The recruiter can keep an eye on new matches without turning it into an urgent job search. When there is a compelling reason to reconnect, they can first check whether the opportunity still fits the person's expectations.

The distinction matters: a candidate can be open to a conversation without actively looking for a job. An alert supports monitoring; general openness does not automatically become a definite intention to move.

How to set up a candidate alert

The starting point is a matching search for a specific candidate. Once you have started matching, you can set the alert.

There are three decisions to make:

1. How often would you like to be notified? The available intervals range from hourly to weekly. Choose a rhythm that fits the candidate's situation and your ability to review the results.
2. How long should monitoring continue? You can configure a period of two weeks to six months in the interface. An immediate search and a longer-term possibility of moving do not need the same treatment.
3. What should the search look for? Check that the criteria reflect the desired responsibilities and practical requirements. You can change them at any time.

A long monitoring period is not a substitute for occasional contact with the candidate. The more time passes, the more their availability, interests or professional circumstances may change.

What the email provides for your daily work

The notification includes suitable roles with a fit score and an explanation. The recruiter receives more than a notice that something new has appeared: they have a basis for an initial assessment.

The score helps with prioritisation. The explanation helps you understand how the candidate's experience relates to the requirements. Both support professional judgement, but neither replaces it.

For an interesting match, check in particular:

• Which specific responsibilities fit the candidate's known experience?
• What makes this role attractive to the candidate, beyond a similar job title?
• Which requirements or practical conditions still need clarification?

For an active jobseeker, this may become the next role to discuss. A passive candidate may need a stronger reason to consider it, such as a level of responsibility or specialist focus they specifically wanted from a future move.

An example: happy today, open to more responsibility later

Consider a fictional example. You know an experienced specialist from an earlier assignment. They are now settled in a good job and do not want to move. During a conversation, however, they mention that they could see themselves taking on more specialist responsibility in the longer term.

You agree on the kinds of opportunities that might be interesting. You then start an appropriate matching search and set up a weekly alert for six months.

If a suitable role appears, you review not only the fit score but also the actual scope of responsibility. Does the advert describe a genuine opportunity for professional development, or does only the title suggest it?

Only when there is a sound reason do you discuss the opportunity with the candidate. They may still have no interest in moving. Their situation may have changed. Either way, the conversation is grounded in a specific opportunity and preferences you already know.

Refine the criteria rather than simply waiting

An alert is particularly useful when the search develops alongside your understanding of the candidate. If matches repeatedly fall short for the same reason, review the criteria. Are the desired responsibilities precise enough? Is a practical requirement defined too broadly or too narrowly?

If no interesting matches appear, the search itself is not necessarily the problem. There may simply be no suitable vacancies during the period being monitored. Review the criteria with the candidate rather than changing their requirements just to produce a longer list.

Being able to adjust the criteria at any time helps keep the search relevant without restarting the research from scratch.

Candidate alerts are not general market monitoring

A candidate alert centres on a specific person and their experience. A saved market search, by contrast, monitors a segment, such as particular roles in a region, without requiring an individual candidate.

For candidate marketing in permanent recruitment, the candidate-specific approach is particularly useful: the work already invested in sourcing and conversations remains a foundation for future opportunities.

The value is not in constantly sending candidates new vacancies. The email goes to the recruiter first. They assess the opportunity, check the candidate's current interest and agree on any next steps. A strong candidate stays in view even when today is not the right moment.