Free eBook
The ultimate guide to sourcing talent…
Get expert tips on how the best recruiters are sourcing talent in today’s dynamic and hyper-competitive global marketplace.
Sourcing is part of the recruitment process and is therefore typically carried out by the recruitment team. However, there is a distinct difference between sourcing and recruiting.
Sourcing, also known as candidate or talent sourcing, is when the hiring department seeks out and invites potential candidates to apply for a new or future role.
Recruiting is what follows sourcing. Once a pool of the best talent is collected, recruiters review candidates and find the top talent to fill a role. Still wondering, what is sourcing in recruiting? Keep reading for a comprehensive explanation.
DOWNLOAD NOW: The ultimate guide to sourcing talent
While sourcing and recruiting are different, they complement one another. Sourcing paves the way for successful recruitment.
As previously mentioned, sourcing is searching for candidates, and recruiting is the phase where you review them. Keep reading for a detailed explanation of sourcing vs. recruiting.
If you’re still asking yourself what is sourcing in recruiting then no worries, we’ll delve much deeper into the concept. Sourcing candidates is the first step to a successful hire.
First, a hiring department determines the qualifications and skill sets they need, then they begin actively searching for the best candidates. This sourcing goes beyond simply posting on a job board, it’s about looking for the talent you need and proactively reaching out to them.
In these communications, your recruiters would start conversations about the open role or future open positions with qualified candidates and urge them to apply or determine their level of interest. The sole purpose of sourcing is to build a reliable talent pool of applicants that recruiters can draw from when they need talent fast.
Recruiting is a broad term that defines the entire hiring process. It includes sourcing quality candidates to build a talent pool, reviewing applicants’ resumes, conducting interviews and eventually onboarding new employees.
To complete each of the above steps with peace of mind, companies need a vast talent pool to choose from. Therefore, sourcing should be a crucial part of every recruiting strategy.
The recruitment team and hiring managers typically organise and execute the sourcing process. They begin by determining what their ideal candidates look like, then set out to find and network with them via social media, visit a college job fair or trade schools or browse alumni groups.
The process varies from business to business as each company has diverse needs and resources available.
Sourcing aims to develop a talent pool of potential candidates to fill open and future roles. Most companies already have a talent pool they refer to every time a new position opens. This group consists of previous applicants, employee referrals and organically sourced candidates.
However, successful sourcers continually add to this group by browsing LinkedIn and alumni groups or attending meetups like job fairs. However, sometimes the only information collected from these individuals is their contact information. Any candidate that’s reviewed further is part of the talent pipeline, which is a list of vetted individuals deemed qualified to fill a position the company is actively hiring for.
This smaller list may even consist of current employees fit for promotion. Together, the talent pool and talent pipeline assist the hiring department in building a network of qualified candidates for the role at hand. They also help them build a relationship with qualified candidates for a future hiring process.
While the specifics of talent sourcing can vary from company to company, most hiring departments include four basic steps in their process, including:
The sourcing process ends here, and an in-depth review of each candidate begins until a decision to hire is reached. The rest of the process includes interviewing, hiring and eventually onboarding.
Crafting and executing an effective sourcing strategy can drastically improve the hiring process and company culture. Making the extra effort to actively find the right candidate will not only diminish employee turnover but improve productivity. Keep the following tips in mind to ensure your sourcing process is effective.
Do you still need more information around what is sourcing in recruiting? Here are the most frequently asked questions.
An active candidate is someone applying to open positions, while a passive candidate is someone content in their current role. However, a passive candidate may express interest if your employer brand appeals to them or you offer them a better deal.
Sourcing is searching for and talking to potential candidates about an open or future role. Recruiting is the reviewing of candidates and eventually hiring the best talent to fill a specific position.
First, determine what your ideal candidate looks like. Start searching online and offline for people that meet that description. Once you find potential candidates, invite them to apply for a current position or build a relationship with them so you can add them to your talent pool for future openings.
We hope this article helped to give you more clarity on sourcing and recruitment strategies. To recap the question on what is sourcing in recruiting—sourcing is the act of searching for potential candidates to build a high-quality talent pool and it’s usually the first step in the recruiting process. It makes finding a perfect match possible but requires knowing, valuing and selling your employer brand.
JobAdder has exclusive integrations with sourcing channels, including LinkedIn and SEEK, and simplifies your entire sourcing and recruiting process. Our users can build and nurture their talent pool within our ATS, keeping all information and communications in one place. Find out more about how we simplify sourcing here.
Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting top talent to your organisation. Recruitment is more than just hiring, and …