Engaging with passive candidates isn’t strictly time-bound because these individuals aren’t actively looking for a job. However, there are a few strategies to optimise your engagement:

1. Regular Business Hours: Connect with them during regular business hours (9:00 am – 5:00 pm), when they’re likely to be checking their professional email or LinkedIn profile. Although there are definite exceptions to this, as some passive candidates will often be active during the evenings or weekends!
2. Midweek Timing: Tuesday through Thursday are generally the best days to reach out to professionals. Many people spend Mondays catching up from the weekend, and by Friday, they are gearing down for the next one.
3. Use Data: If you have access to data analytics on the platform you’re using to connect (like LinkedIn InMail), you can track when your messages tend to get the highest response rates and adjust your timing accordingly.
4. Continuous Engagement: Keeping a consistent level of engagement with passive candidates can help build relationships and keep your company or opportunity top-of-mind. Share industry news, congratulate them on work anniversaries, or simply comment on their posts to keep the communication channel open.

Remember, engaging with passive candidates requires a different approach than active job seekers. The focus should be on building relationships and conveying the value of potential opportunities rather than immediately pushing for a job change.