A competitive salary, a great boss, fun co-workers, and plenty of advancement opportunities… you probably think a hospitality employee with all of these things wouldn’t think twice about leaving his or her current position. You’re wrong. According to Jobvite’s 2015 Job Seeker Nation Study, 45 percent of workers are willing to change jobs even though they are happy where they are.

These individuals are often their employer’s high performers. And because many of them are not actively engaged in the job search, connecting with them can be challenging—but it can be done. Consider these suggestions if you’d like to increase the recruitment pool for your hotel or restaurant positions by accessing the nation’s supply of passive candidates.

1. Tap into your professional network

Hospitality associations, culinary school alumni associations, and hospitality graduate program alumni associations are all connections you should have in your network. So are hospitality-related groups on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, your current and past employees, and the vendors your establishment utilizes. You can use all of these sources to hunt for the best people to fill your hotel or restaurant jobs.  

2. Prepare to invest some time

Once you’ve identified a few passive professionals you’d like to recruit, begin building a relationship with them. This will take time. You can start by using a shared connection to open the lines of communication. This can be as simple as the fact that you are in the same industry. However, a mutual associate or membership in the same association is more personal. If you have no common ground, find something of interest in their career history and ask about it. Most people love to talk about their accomplishments. 

3. Get to know them before you mention the opportunity 

Over the course of a few months—or even a few years—engage your prospect in meaningful conversations. Ask questions that will encourage the sharing of cultural likes and dislikes, career aspirations, and dreams for the future. This should help you determine the candidate’s hot buttons—something you can later use to introduce the job you have in mind.

4. Be helpful whenever possible

Touch base to share relevant industry news, invite the prospect to events at your hotel or restaurant, and make sure he or she knows that you’re available anytime they need insights from someone who has been in their shoes. If the informal association evolves into a mentorship situation, that’s even better.  

5. Prepare for the right moment

Eventually, everyone outgrows their job or needs to make a change due to life events. When this happens to your candidate, you must be prepared to make your move. Using the information you’ve gathered, craft a proposal that targets the prospect’s hot buttons. This may mean greater opportunities for career growth, a position where they can make more of a difference, more money, a more flexible schedule, or anything else that they’ve indicated motivates them to excel. Let them know that they will find this working for your hotel or restaurant.