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You found the candidate.

They have the experience. They have the skills. They’re successful in their current role. On paper, they’re exactly what your company needs.

There’s just one problem.

They don’t want to talk.

Welcome to one of the biggest recruiting challenges companies face as the year winds down: bonus season.

For many successful professionals, the next few months represent the finish line after a year of hard work. Annual bonuses, incentive compensation, profit sharing, commissions, and other payouts may be just around the corner.

Asking someone to leave now could mean asking them to walk away from thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars they feel they’ve already earned.

So, what do you do?

You change the conversation.

Stop Asking, “Are You Looking?”

When you’re recruiting top performers, especially at this time of year, “Are you looking for a new job?” may be the wrong question.

Chances are, they aren’t.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Some of the best candidates are successful, valued, and relatively happy where they are. They aren’t spending their evenings scrolling through job postings.

But not looking and not willing to listen are two very different things.

Instead of asking someone to make a career decision, ask them to have a conversation.

“I realize the timing may not be ideal for you to consider a move, and you may be perfectly happy where you are. But would you be open to a brief conversation about an opportunity that could be an interesting next step in your career?”

That’s a much easier “yes.”

Give Them a Reason to Come to the Table

If you want a passive candidate to give you 15 or 20 minutes of their time, there needs to be a compelling reason.

And “we have a great opportunity” probably isn’t enough.

What makes the opportunity different?

Is it a chance to lead a team? Build something from the ground up? Have greater influence on the organization? Join a growing company? Improve work-life balance? Increase long-term earning potential? Move into an executive role?

Sell the opportunity—not the job description.

Before reaching out to candidates, companies should be able to answer one important question:

Why would a successful person leave a good job to come work for us?

If you don’t have a strong answer, your candidate probably won’t either.

Don’t Ignore the Elephant in the Room: Their Bonus

Once a candidate is interested, ask the question.

“What would you be leaving on the table if you made a move before your bonus is paid?”

You can’t solve a problem you don’t understand.

Maybe it’s $5,000.

Maybe it’s $50,000.

Maybe their bonus pays in December. Maybe it doesn’t pay until February or March.

Knowing that information allows the company to decide whether there’s a solution.

Depending on the circumstances, that might include a sign-on bonus, guaranteed first-year incentive, equity, additional PTO, a later start date, or another creative component of the offer.

That doesn’t mean employers should automatically replace every dollar someone is leaving behind.

It means the conversation shouldn’t end simply because a bonus is standing in the way.

Consider the Start Date

Sometimes the solution isn’t more money.

It’s time.

If you’ve found an exceptional candidate who is expecting a significant payout in the next few months, would waiting a few extra weeks for them to start really matter?

For some positions, it might.

For others, waiting for the right person may make much more sense than hiring the wrong person simply because they’re available immediately.

A February start date doesn’t necessarily mean you should begin recruiting in February.

In fact, it may mean you should be recruiting right now.

Start Building the Relationship Before They’re Ready to Move

One of the biggest mistakes companies can make during bonus season is assuming there’s no reason to recruit until after bonuses are paid.

That’s exactly when everyone else may start calling.

Instead, start the conversation now.

Introduce the opportunity. Let the candidate meet the leadership team. Give them an opportunity to learn about the company, its direction, its culture, and what the position could mean for their career.

There doesn’t have to be pressure to make an immediate move.

You’re building a relationship.

When that bonus hits their bank account, you don’t want to be the recruiter making the first call.

You want to be the opportunity they’ve already been thinking about.

Remember: Compensation Gets Their Attention. Opportunity Gets Them Interested.

Money matters, especially when you’re asking someone to leave compensation behind.

But money alone usually isn’t the entire reason a strong candidate decides to make a career move.

The bigger questions are often:

Where can this take my career?

Who will I be working for?

What will I have the opportunity to accomplish?

Will I be challenged?

Will I have more responsibility?

Is this company going somewhere I want to go?

Those are the conversations that turn passive candidates into interested candidates.

This Is Where Recruiting Becomes Recruiting

Posting a job and waiting for applications is one way to find candidates.

But some of the best people for your organization may never apply.

They’re working.

They’re succeeding.

They’re earning bonuses.

And they may have absolutely no intention of changing jobs.

Until the right person calls with the right opportunity.

At Kyler Professional Search, we understand that recruiting isn’t simply about finding people who are looking for jobs. It’s about identifying the right people, understanding what motivates them, and creating a conversation around an opportunity worth considering.

Because sometimes the best candidate isn’t ready to make a move today.

But they may be willing to have a conversation about tomorrow.