Discover why traditional recruitment techniques are missing most of the available talent. Learn how AI-powered signals and intent data are transforming recruitment outcomes.

Let’s face it, we all give signals and intent in our daily lives. From buying a house or car, to planning your next date and everything in between. Some signals are subtle, others less so. But they’re always there, providing valuable insights into our future decisions and behaviours.

Now, let’s think about when you decide it’s time to find your next work opportunity. What’s your first move?

If you’re in an office-based role, you might update your LinkedIn profile first. After that, make some strategic posts or engage on the platform. But let’s be honest – life doesn’t start and end on LinkedIn.

For the millions of professionals in mobile, hands-on, or frontline roles, the signals look different. This includes healthcare workers and retail managers. It also includes hospitality staff and skilled tradespeople. They might start by updating their CV. They could browse job boards during breaks. They might ask colleagues about opportunities. They could even just pay more attention to “we’re hiring” signs they pass on their commute.

You will likely become more active across various channels—whether that’s online platforms, professional networks, or even casual conversations with peers. This is true regardless of your role or industry. Everything you’re doing shows a signal, and often a clear signal of intent to make a career move.

Yet here’s the striking reality: most organisations are only engaging with 30% of available talent. These are individuals who have already made their job search public. But what about the other 70% who are giving off subtle signals right now?

The shifting recruitment landscape

Speaking with Charlie George, our lead for Campaign, he share’s:

“The role of recruitment has shifted. Historically, companies hired recruiters for access — to networks, candidates, and industry knowledge that weren’t easily available. But in 2025, access is no longer the challenge. With job boards, CRMs, and LinkedIn, most teams now have the same data.”

The real challenge is attention

“Finding candidates is relatively easy. Getting them to engage — to care about your message — is what separates successful teams from the rest. Modern recruitment now mirrors go-to-market (GTM) strategy. It involves orchestrating data, channels, and messaging. The goal is to reach the right people at the right moment with a proposition that resonates.”

“This isn’t just about sourcing. It’s about creating interest and connection — turning passive awareness into active consideration.”

The traditional recruitment challenge

Recent research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals a growing ineffectiveness of traditional recruitment techniques. This is especially true in today’s competitive talent market. Their 2024 Labour Market Outlook found that 77% of employers are experiencing recruitment difficulties. The average time to fill a vacancy now exceeds 8 weeks.

The budget constraint reality

Adding to these challenges, recruitment teams across industries are facing significant budget and headcount constraints. Many organisations have downsized their talent acquisition functions. This leaves remaining team members stretched thin. They are struggling to uphold the proactive work that was once a cornerstone of effective recruitment.

This downsizing has created a perfect storm where:

• Recruitment teams lack capacity for proactive talent engagement and relationship building
• Time constraints force focus on immediate vacancies rather than strategic talent pipeline development
• Limited systems and tools prevent effective monitoring of talent signals across multiple channels
• Reduced ability means missing opportunities to engage passive candidates showing early intent signals

As a result, most organisations now rely on increasingly reactive approaches:

• Job board postings that only reach active job seekers
• Recruitment agencies charging average fees of £6,125 per hire (PayFit, 2024)
• Limited passive sourcing through basic database searches
• Referral programmes that often perpetuate existing networks

These constraints create a significant blind spot. They miss the vast majority of talent who aren’t actively searching. Nonetheless, they might be open to the right opportunity at the right time. The very professionals who were once skilled at identifying and nurturing passive talent now firefight immediate recruitment needs. They can’t invest in the strategic, proactive work that builds sustainable talent pipelines.

Understanding the talent landscape: Active vs passive

Industry research consistently shows that only 20-30% of professionals are actively job searching at any given time. This means that 70-80% of talent exists in what we call the “hidden market.” These are professionals who aren’t actively looking. Yet, they could be persuaded to move for the right opportunity.

A comprehensive study by LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends found that:

• 70% of professionals are passive candidates not actively job searching
• 90% of these passive candidates are open to hearing about new opportunities
• Passive candidates are 120% more to want to make an impact with their next role
• Companies that engage passive talent see 28% lower turnover rates

This data highlights a crucial opportunity gap. While most recruitment efforts focus on the limited pool of active candidates, the majority of high-quality talent remains untapped.

The science of signals and intent through AI

In the digital age, professionals leave digital footprints. These footprints reveal their career intentions. This happens long before they start an active job search. These signals can be categorised into several key areas:

Professional development signals

According to research from the Harvard Business Review, professionals usually start planning their career transition 6-12 months in advance. They do this before making an active move. Early signals include:

• Skills development activities: Completing online courses, obtaining certifications
• Industry engagement: Increased consumption of industry content and thought leadership
• Network expansion: Strategic connection building and industry event attendance
• Profile optimisation: LinkedIn profile updates, professional photography updates

Digital behaviour patterns

Modern AI technology can analyse digital behaviour patterns to predict career transition likelihood. Key indicators include:

• Content engagement patterns: Shift towards career-focused content consumption
• Search behaviour: Company research, salary benchmarking, industry analysis
• Social media activity: Career-focused posts, industry discussions, thought leadership sharing
• Professional platform activity: Increased LinkedIn activity, profile views, InMail responses

Intent classification framework

Intent data allows us to classify professionals into three distinct categories:

🔥 High intent (20-30% of market)

• Actively job searching and engaging with recruiters
• Updating CVs and responding to job advertisements
• Attending career fairs and networking events
• Ready to move within 1-3 months

🟡 Medium intent (30-40% of market)

• Researching opportunities and exploring options
• Upskilling and investing in professional development
• Building networks and industry connections
• Likely to move within 6-12 months

🟢 Low intent (30-50% of market)

• General market awareness and content consumption
• Satisfied in current role but open to exceptional opportunities
• Building long-term career plans
• Potential to move in 12+ months with right opportunity

The GMZ Campaign advantage: AI-powered human talent engagement

At GMZ, our Campaign service leverages artificial intelligence to watch and analyse these signals across the entire talent ecosystem. Traditional recruitment techniques wait for candidates to apply. Instead, we proactively find and engage professionals. We base this on their demonstrated intent levels.

Advanced signal detection

Our AI technology continuously monitors multiple data sources to recognise professionals showing signs of career transition interest:

• LinkedIn activity patterns: Profile updates, post engagement, connection activity
• Professional development indicators: Course completions, certification achievements
• Industry engagement metrics: Content consumption, event participation, thought leadership interaction
• Company research behaviour: Website visits, social media engagement, competitor analysis

Predictive intent modelling

Our AI does more than just find who is interested. It predicts when professionals will be ready to move. It also determines what will motivate them. This enables our clients to:

• Time outreach perfectly: Engage candidates when they’re most receptive
• Personalise messaging: Tailor communications based on career stage and motivations
• Build authentic relationships: Focus on genuine engagement rather than transactional interactions
• Strengthen employer brand: Show understanding and genuine interest in candidates’ career aspirations

Proven results: The Campaign service impact

The effectiveness of our signals and intent approach is demonstrated through measurable client outcomes:

The challenge: Cubitts Production Engineering Manager

• They faced a critical recruitment challenge. Their highly specialised Production Engineering Manager role had remained unfilled for an entire year. This role was critical for scaling their unique bespoke manufacturing operation from 30 handmade frames per week. They aimed to meet ambitious growth targets of 500-700% over five years.
• Despite conducting several interviews, they hadn’t found a candidate with the right blend of technical skill. The candidate also needs to have people management skills and cultural fit. These qualities are needed to lead their team and design their next-generation production facility.

Our approach

• We deployed our AI-powered sourcing platform to conduct comprehensive market mapping across the UK. Then, we applied precision filtering to find London-based talent. These candidates have a specific combination of skills. They have CNC programming and CAD knowledge. They also have production scaling experience and team leadership capabilities that Cubitts required.
• Within hours, our technology identified 55 highly qualified candidates. They possessed the precise skills and mindset needed for this unique role in the optical industry.

The strategic insight

• We conducted targeted video outreach showcasing Cubitts’ workshop and growth vision. This, merged with strategic telephone screening, helped us successfully find and engage with highly qualified candidates. These candidates brought exceptional technical acumen and leadership experience.
• What’s more, our Campaign delivered results where traditional approaches failed. After a year of vacancy, we achieved 100% primary inbox deliverability. We nearly reached a 20% reply rate. Additionally, we uncovered 2 final-stage candidates. This success was all through AI-powered, optimised outbound engagement. These are results that come from good data. The crucial factor is using that data at the right moment with the right message. In the war for attention, inbox placement and personalisation are non-negotiables and this campaign delivered on both.
• Cubitts offered one of the candidates a short-term contract to help build their CNC skill. This provided immediate value. Meanwhile, our comprehensive market intelligence process delivered invaluable insights. These insights fundamentally transformed their long-term recruitment strategy. The Campaign service delivered comprehensive competitor intelligence. It also provided salary benchmarking data and detailed market insights. This enhanced Cubitts’ understanding of the manufacturing talent landscape in London.

This strategic intelligence enabled them to make informed decisions about their internal talent development approach. It helped refine their organizational design in this area for future technical hires. They are preparing to build their next-generation production facility.

Industry benchmarks and ROI

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that organisations using predictive analytics and intent data in recruitment see:

• 30% reduction in time-to-hire: Faster identification and engagement of qualified candidates
• 25% improvement in quality of hire: Better candidate-role fit through targeted engagement
• 40% increase in candidate response rates: More effective outreach based on timing and personalisation
• 50% reduction in recruitment costs: Decreased reliance on expensive external sources

The future of talent acquisition

The recruitment landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancement and changing candidate expectations. Key trends shaping the future include:

Skills-based hiring evolution

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 indicates that 44% of workers’ skills will need updating by 2027. This shift requires recruitment approaches that can find potential and adaptability rather than just current qualifications.

AI and machine learning integration

Gartner’s research predicts that by 2025, 75% of organisations will use AI-powered tools for talent acquisition. Early adopters are already seeing significant competitive advantages in talent markets.

Candidate experience expectations

Modern candidates expect personalised, timely, and relevant communications. Generic job advertisements and mass outreach are increasingly ineffective with top talent.

Why Campaign service outperforms traditional methods

Our signals and intent approach addresses the fundamental limitations of traditional recruitment:

Proactive vs reactive approach

• Traditional: Wait for candidates to apply to posted positions
• Campaign: Recognise and engage talent before they start active searching

Market coverage

• Traditional: Reach 20-30% of available talent (active job seekers)
• Campaign: Engage 100% of talent market across all intent levels

Timing and personalisation

• Traditional: Generic messaging at arbitrary timing
• Campaign: Personalised outreach at optimal moments based on demonstrated intent

Cost effectiveness

• Traditional: High agency fees averaging £6,125 per hire
• Campaign: Starting from £2.5k per month. Over 12 months, this amounts to £30,000 for about 25 hires: £1,200 per hire. Campaign will also help realise extra savings in advertising and LinkedIn licenses and job postings.

Employer brand impact

• Traditional: Limited brand building through job advertisements
• Campaign: Continuous brand elevation through authentic candidate relationships

Getting started with signals and intent

Implementing a signals and intent approach requires the right technology, skill, and strategy. Our Campaign service provides:

Technology integration

• AI-powered signal detection across multiple platforms
• Predictive intent modelling and candidate scoring
• Integrated communication and relationship management tools

Expert guidance

• Experienced talent acquisition professionals
• Industry-specific knowledge and best practices
• Continuous optimisation and improvement

Flexible partnership models

• Embedded team: Integrate with your existing HR, recruitment or talent team
• Extended team: Work externally to your existing HR, recruitment or talent team, providing extra capacity and skill
• Consulting: Set up, train, embed and support a Campaign implementation solution internally (usually over a six to 12 month period, depending on complexity)

Conclusion: Embracing the hidden 70%

The evidence is clear: traditional recruitment techniques are missing the majority of available talent. Your competitors continue posting jobs and hoping for applications. Meanwhile, organisations using signals and intent data are engaging with professionals who are primed for new opportunities. This engagement often happens before those professionals even realise they’re ready to move.

The transformation from reactive to proactive talent acquisition isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about gaining a competitive advantage in increasingly challenging talent markets. By understanding and leveraging signals and intent, organisations can:

• Access earlier untapped talent pools
• Reduce recruitment costs and time-to-hire
• Improve quality of hire and retention rates
• Strengthen employer brand and market position
• Build sustainable talent pipelines for future growth

Ready to tap into the 70% of talent your competitors are missing?

Discover how our Campaign service can transform your talent acquisition strategy. Our AI-powered approach to signals and intent has already helped clients achieve remarkable results. Clients have slashed agency costs by 75%. They have also boosted direct hires by 50%.

Don’t let another qualified candidate slip through the cracks because they weren’t actively job searching when you needed them.

Book a demo today. Use the scheduling tool below. See how signals and intent can revolutionise your approach to talent acquisition. Let’s explore how we can help you engage the right talent, at the right time, with the right message.

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