Date: December 27, 2024

Hiring has fundamentally changed. As Millennials and Gen Z make up more of the workforce, their different work preferences and career patterns mean companies must adapt their approach to finding talent.

Most companies focus on interviewing and hiring, but the real work happens earlier—finding qualified candidates before you need them. This sums up the scope of what we call “talent sourcing”. When done well, this preparation leads to better hires and faster placements.

However, there are certain aspects that make this challenging. Talent sourcers and recruiters often find candidates who misunderstand role requirements, or face stiff competition from other employers. Moreover, they may struggle to build a candidate pool while juggling their daily responsibilities. What does a talent sourcer do against this backdrop? The answer lies in designing a smart and effective talent sourcing strategy.

 

Designing a Strong Talent Strategy

A good talent sourcing strategy also accounts for future retention, by sourcing candidates that align with organizational values. In fact, 62% of HR professionals rank talent retention in their top three priorities, and 85% of them rank it in the top ten. This proves that a good sourcing plan should have a greater impact than just finding great candidates. It must also focus on retaining them over time.

So, how do recruiters find candidates that fit the role perfectly but also grow with the organization? The following strategies will help you build reliable ways to find qualified candidates, even in a competitive market. We’ll explore practical methods that work in real hiring situations, focusing on approaches that save time while improving your candidate quality.

 

Separate Sourcing from Recruiting 

Large teams benefit from splitting these roles: sourcers find and screen candidates while recruiters guide them through hiring. For smaller teams, create clear process guidelines to manage both effectively. This division helps each specialist focus on their strengths.

 

Look Ahead and Think Long-Term

Firstly, encourage your team to stay ahead of upcoming hiring needs. Sourcing potential candidates early helps you anticipate future roles and prepare before urgent hiring needs arise. 

This makes sure that you’re ready with candidates who align with your company’s culture and long-term goals. It also saves time by avoiding last-minute and high-pressure searches.

 

Build Your Employer Brand

Attracting top talent starts with building a strong employer brand. Just as you market your company to customers, you need to position your organization as an attractive place to work. Millennials and Gen Z, for instance, tend to gravitate toward companies they feel a connection with. Getting a hold of this art is one of the secrets of how to be a good talent sourcer.

Share your company values, culture, and employee stories to create that connection. Highlight what makes your company unique through content such as recruitment videos or employee testimonials. A solid employer brand helps you stand out and draws in candidates who resonate with your company’s mission and values.

 

Build Clear Candidate Profiles 

Take time upfront to outline exactly who you’re looking for. Work with hiring managers to understand role requirements thoroughly, including whether they’ll consider candidates ready to step up from junior positions. 

Such a degree of clarity saves time and improves match quality. Experts state that as per studies, 42% of employers struggle to find suitable talent. So, thorough preparation is even more valuable.

 

Expand Your Search Criteria

Don’t limit your search to basic terms. It is best to broaden your search parameters to include different job titles and keywords. Many companies use varying titles for similar roles, and adjusting your search language helps you find candidates that a general search exercise might otherwise miss. 

A wider search increases your chances of finding the best talent, even if they’re hidden behind uncommon job titles. A broader search also helps in planning how to source diverse talent effectively.

 

Look Within Your Network and Create a Structured Database  

Building a “sourcing pipeline” begins here. Start with candidates who previously impressed but weren’t selected. These connections are valuable since they already know your organization and have been vetted. 

Moreover, you can rest assured that they are aware of your company’s values and goals, and are interested in working with you. Candidates who have previously interacted with your company are 4 times more likely to respond to outreach. This makes it even more important to keep your pipeline updated.

You can also use your applicant tracking system or candidate management software to organize past applicants’ information. This database then becomes your first stop when new positions open. Logging candidates immediately in your CRM or candidate management tool ensures you can easily tap into a ready pool of talent when needed. 

 

Explore Social Media and Niche Communities or Forums

A 2023 survey of recruitment, talent acquisition, and employer branding professionals in Europe revealed that 98% rely on social media for both recruitment and employer branding. Additionally, 65% have dedicated social media channels specifically for these purposes. 

The figures above show how widely the industry recognizes the value social media brings to the hiring process. For example, LinkedIn is excellent for engaging with professionals and passive candidates. Indeed offers a rich database of resumes. Additionally, Twitter or X is ideal for networking and participating in industry discussions, while Slack allows you to join communities focused on your industry or hiring needs.

Furthermore, it is advisable to think beyond traditional job boards. Explore specialized platforms where your target candidates are most active. 

For instance, if you’re looking for writers, Medium or Contena are excellent platforms to explore. They can help you discover experienced writers and bloggers who are actively publishing content. For developers, GitHub is an excellent platform to engage with talent who are actively sharing their work. 

So, make sure to identify the right online communities and participate in them. After all, what is sourcing in talent acquisition, if not reaching highly skilled candidates otherwise invisible on mainstream job boards? 

 

Use Boolean Searches to Refine Your Candidate Search

Boolean search techniques can help you zero in on the right candidates quickly. Using operators like AND, OR, and NOT allows you to target specific skills, job titles, or experiences while excluding irrelevant results. 

For instance, a search like “Marketing AND (SEO OR SEM) NOT Manager” will help you find professionals with SEO or SEM expertise, without including those in management roles. Boolean techniques can help you develop a more refined search. It can help you find high-quality candidates faster.

 

Establish Strong Connections with Colleges and Universities

Developing solid ties with colleges and universities enables a constant influx of new talent. You can get in touch with exceptional students before they graduate by making connections with teachers, student clubs, and career centers. 

It is ideal to increase your company’s presence on campus. Moreover, you can give students a better idea of your work culture by providing internships, holding career fairs, or working with students on projects. 

 

Define and Track Talent Sourcing Metrics Consistently 

Talent sourcers benefit greatly from defining certain metrics to track progress. Tracking sourcing metrics is important for refining your recruitment strategies. It helps improve the success and efficiency of your hiring process. Some examples of talent sourcing metrics are:

• Time to Fill: Measures the time taken from when a job requisition is opened to when a candidate is hired. This helps assess the efficiency of the sourcing process.
• Source of Hire: Tracks where the candidate came from (job boards, referrals, social media, etc.). This helps identify which sourcing channels are most effective.
• Candidate Engagement Rate: Tracks the percentage of candidates who respond to outreach efforts. High engagement can indicate the effectiveness of messaging and sourcing strategies.
• Cost per Hire: Tracks the cost associated with sourcing and hiring candidates. This helps evaluate the return on investment for sourcing efforts.
• Sourcing Funnel Metrics: Tracks the conversion rates of candidates at each stage of the funnel (e.g., initial contact, interview, offer). This helps identify bottlenecks in the sourcing process.
• Candidate Feedback: Collecting feedback from candidates about their experience during the sourcing and recruitment process can provide insights into areas for improvement.

 

Encourage Employee Referrals

Employee referrals are one of the most effective ways to find high-quality candidates. Employees are often able to recommend individuals who fit the company culture and have the necessary skills. 

Create an employee referral program that rewards those who refer successful candidates. Referred candidates tend to stay longer and integrate faster. This helps reduce hiring time and improves retention as well. 

 

Consider the Power of AI and Other Tools

A close look at the hiring trends reflect how AI software is changing talent sourcing. Generative AI can significantly boost productivity by automating time-consuming tasks like writing job descriptions. While only 27% of talent professionals are currently using AI, 62% are optimistic about its potential. 

As its adoption grows, AI can be a resource for finding candidates, personalizing outreach, and matching internal talent to open roles, thus freeing up talent sourcers to focus on more meaningful work.

In addition to AI, what are the best sourcing tools for recruiters and talent sourcers? These include LinkedIn Recruiter, which offers access to a vast professional network, and SeekOut, known for its AI-powered candidate search capabilities.

Other effective tools like Hiretual and AmazingHiring help recruiters find specialized talent across multiple platforms and databases. It’s a good idea to continue exploring options to find tools and software that offer the features you desire in your talent sourcing process. 

 

To Sum Up

A strong talent sourcing strategy is at the core of successful hiring and retention of talent. The first step, as you are aware, is to understand what is sourcing in recruiting processes and hiring. From here on, it’s important to make the most of each stage of the talent sourcing workflow. Also, don’t forget to focus on optimizing operations with experience!

Whether you’re connecting with universities, or refining your search process with fresh techniques, the goal is to make sure you have the best candidates ready when you need them. 

Keep things simple, stay organized, and adapt your strategy as you go—and you’ll find hiring gets a lot easier.