PASSIVE CANDIDATE SOURCING CHECKLIST Role: [Role] (to fill in) · [Location] (to fill in) Hiring manager: [Hiring manager] (to fill in) · Sourcer: [Recruiter / sourcer] (to fill in)
1. BEFORE YOU SEARCH ☐ Agree the must-haves with [Hiring manager] (to fill in) — no more than three: [Must-haves] (to fill in) ☐ Confirm the budget in writing: [Monthly salary range] (to fill in). Gulf candidates compare basic, housing, transport and flights line by line — know the split. ☐ Confirm visa terms: will you sponsor a new visa, or do you need someone already in the country with a transferable visa? ☐ Confirm the notice you can wait for. One to three months is normal in the GCC; senior people often have longer. ☐ List alternative job titles (English and Arabic) for [Role] (to fill in) — the same job has different titles from company to company.
2. BUILD THE SEARCH ☐ Write one Boolean string with the title synonyms in an OR group and at most three must-have terms joined with AND. ☐ Run it on LinkedIn, then as a Google X-ray (site:linkedin.com/in), and on any CV database you pay for. ☐ Add Arabic titles and city names in Arabic for roles where Arabic-speaking profiles are likely. ☐ Save the search and note the result count, so you can tell later whether a change narrowed it too far.
3. PROFILE SIGNALS WORTH A MESSAGE ☐ Current title matches the role or the level just below it. ☐ Two or more years in the current job (people are more open to a move after a full cycle). ☐ Recent GCC experience in [Location] (to fill in) or a neighbouring market. ☐ Evidence of the must-haves in the profile text, not just in the skills list. ☐ No "Open to work" badge needed — passive people rarely show it.
4. FIRST MESSAGE RULES ☐ Under 120 words. Name the role, the city and one concrete reason you picked them. ☐ Lead with what's in it for them: [Sell points] (to fill in) ☐ Share the salary range early if your policy allows — it saves both sides time. ☐ One clear ask: a 15-minute call this week. No CV request in the first message. ☐ Send on working days and in working hours: Monday–Friday in the UAE, Sunday–Thursday in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Avoid prayer times and late evenings.
5. FOLLOW-UP ☐ Follow up two or three times at most, a few days apart, each time adding something new (salary range, team, a project). ☐ Stop as soon as they say no, and thank them. Ask if they know someone who'd fit. ☐ Log every touch in your ATS or tracker with the date, channel and outcome.
6. PRIVACY AND CONSENT ☐ Only contact people through the channel they published for professional contact. ☐ Tell them where you found their details if they ask, and delete them if they ask. ☐ Store CVs and contact details under your company's data policy and the local data law (UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on personal data protection; Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law). ☐ Never ask for passport copies, photos, age, religion or marital status at the sourcing stage.
7. HAND-OFF TO [Hiring manager] (to fill in) ☐ Share a short note per candidate: current role, notice period, visa status, salary expectation and why they're interested. ☐ Book interviews within a week of the first call — passive candidates cool off fast.
A working checklist, not legal advice. Check data-protection duties with your legal team.