We're in the business of the active recruitment of passive candidates. That status is often self-ascribed by an executive - if I'm proactively interviewing, I'm active, if not, I'm passive. But what does it mean when someone fields the outreach, takes the call and clears thirty minutes in the middle of a weekday "just to listen?" What some might not be ready to say out loud is that that passive open mindedness isn't actually passive at all.

Most sit close to the middle on this spectrum we're analyzing: curious, a little restless, unwilling throw their hat in until the right thing lands in front of them. The job is to parse the signals. People usually know what will motivate them to make a change, and how they calculate the switching costs. It could be title, money, improved leadership, company stability, etc. We’ve placed plenty of candidates recently who initially said that they weren’t looking, but lo and behold, they’re now ramping up in a new role.

There are some landmines here, particularly with a candidate who holds their cards very close. They won’t push back, won’t haggle, won’t make you work for the next step. They just say yes, and yes, and yes, at each step of the process, because saying yes is easier than ending the conversation. It feels like momentum, but it isn't. The real test isn't whether they'll take the next call, it's whether they've really done the math on the switching costs. Have they actually pictured leaving? Have they had the hard conversation at the kitchen table with their family? Have they math’d out the bonus they're forfeiting or the equity they're leaving behind? Or are they just flattered or using this as a negotiating tactic in their current role? If they haven't reconciled those things and more, you don't have a candidate. You have an impending slow "no."

The key is reading between the lines. The leader who says "I'm happy where I am," yet is still leaning in and asking really thoughtful, probing questions is telling you something. The one who's eager but vague on why they'd leave is telling you something, too. Listen to the gap between what people say about their search and what they do inside the conversation. That's where you separate signal from noise.

• Trey Cook joins SpendMend, a cost cycle management solutions company, as Chief Executive Officer (Source)
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• Mark Gardner joins GeneDx, a genetic testing company, as President (Source)
• Lifepoint Health, a healthcare delivery network, appoints Aaron Lewis as President and Chief Operating Officer (Source)
• Dan Kennedy joins Galileo, a multi-specialty digital medical practice company, as Chief Financial Officer (Source)
• Strive Health, a kidney care company, appoints Chris Rigg as Chief Financial Officer and Jamie Sharp, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer (Source)
• Andy McGarvey joins Reveleer, a value-based care enablement platform, as Chief Growth Officer (Source)
• BetterAge, a healthy aging platform, appoints Michael Webb as Chief Technology Officer and Jennifer Goldberg as Chief Partnerships Officer (Source)
• Francisco Beca joins QuantHealth, an AI-powered clinical trial simulation, as Chief Medical Officer (Source)

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Opportunity of the Week

Stellar Health is hiring a Director, Enterprise Sales. This role will drive new business growth by partnering with national and regional health plans, leading complex enterprise sales cycles, and expanding strategic payer relationships. The Director will own the full sales process—from prospecting to close—while serving as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders.

Stellar Health helps primary care providers succeed in value-based care through a technology platform that delivers real-time clinical insights, quality improvement workflows, and financial incentives at the point of care. By aligning providers and payers around better outcomes, Stellar is improving care quality while reducing healthcare costs.

Ideal candidates bring a proven track record of selling enterprise SaaS solutions to health plans or managed care organizations, deep knowledge of the payer ecosystem and value-based care, and experience navigating complex, consultative sales cycles with C-suite executives.

Learn More & Apply Here —>

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