As a Recruiting Consultant for Resourceful HR, sourcing continues to be the #1 priority in driving recruiting efforts for clients. Without sourcing, there would be no candidates, and consequently, there would be no hires. When I took a leap of “career faith” 10 years ago and left the world of non-profit management, sourcing was a rarely copped term in the industry.
As my recruiting career quickly progressed, I discovered my talents lay in the “front end” of recruiting. I was a natural hunter and my ability to find and assess talent developed as I grew my internet research skills and overall awareness and expertise in the industries I served.
Since then, sourcing has become an industry standard as part of current recruitment driven initiatives, inclusive of small, mid-size, and large organizations. Before I was fully cognizant of my specific recruiting strengths, I was well on my way to defining my career as a sourcing specialist in a volume driven corporate culture. At this stage of my career, I relish the opportunity to attend forums that allow me to synergize that experience, while connecting with sourcing strategists who are the driving force behind sourcing momentum, expectations, and metrics.
Attending the SourceCon 2013 conference in Atlanta this February enhanced my perception and provided valuable insight into the direction of sourcing as an industry and as it clearly aligns under the umbrella of recruiting and human resources. Some of the critical elements to a solid recruitment/sourcing initiative remain constant; the ongoing objectives from sourcing should include:
- Increasing the total number of hires
- Decreasing candidate hiring costs
- Decreasing the time to fill a job opening
- Increasing candidate satisfaction in the hiring process
As sourcing strategy evolves with the growth of the internet, social media and mobile devices, we are seeing a transformation in recruitment sourcing priorities as it relates to hiring cost management and long-term forecasting.
As the proverbial sourcing ship sails into 2013, the opinions of top hiring leaders suggests that technology will continue to drive the momentum and metrics behind this growing and clearly defined industry. I’d like to share some of the elements I personally found most relevant to my sourcing development from this year’s SourceCon conference:
- Ask the right questions. Understanding the requirements of the client and the organizational culture, as well as candidate motivation is essential to the hiring process. I see sourcing as Matchmaking 101; listen, learn, and connect!
- Develop your persona through social media. As I build my personal sourcing brand through social media, I have to find a way to relate to multiple candidates in a diverse array of professions and industries our clients reside while remaining authentic and approachable across the board. By creating consistent messaging that genuinely reflects your persona, you can build your credibility.
- Craft a strong story. Sourcing is about story telling. Job descriptions should tell a good story, but it’s your initial pitch to a candidate about the company, the opportunity, and the culture fit that drives hiring momentum. By prioritizing key client needs, you can significantly reduce the assessment time and potential fit; know your client and take the time to understand the story you should be telling.
- Brand baby brand. With the rise in recruiting through mobile devices and social media platforms, aligning the company profile with a positive focus on employee culture and job openings becomes mission critical. As we move away from traditional sourcing methods, which rely on job boards and postings, candidates prefer social media engagement to get a feel for a company and further garner their interest in you as a potential employer. Enlighten your sourcing strategy by promoting social media branding awareness with your clients!
If you have questions or comments about sourcing as it relates to your recruitment strategies, we would love to hear them!
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