Candidate sourcing: 11 techniques for approaching top talent
Faced with a shortage of talent in certain sectors, finding the right profile for a position can be an obstacle course. Faced with such a challenge, posting a job advert online and then waiting for the CVs to fall in is no longer enough.
Nowadays, you have to prospect for potential talent wherever you can find it, even if it means contacting people who aren't even looking for a job!
This is where candidate sourcing comes in.
While this approach may seem innovative to some companies, the good news is that there are a multitude of tools and techniques to help you in your search, all the more so if you take advantage of digital technology.
Find out which ones in this article, which reveals how to source candidates as efficiently as possible.
What does candidate sourcing mean?
Candidate sourcing: definition
To begin with, let's clarify the very notion of candidate sourcing. 🧐
In concrete terms, it's a method of searching for, identifying and attracting profiles that are both :
- active: they're looking for a job and scanning the ads on the web ;
- passive: they don't plan to change jobs, but remain open to opportunities.
Candidate sourcing therefore goes beyond the simple posting of a recruitment ad and the subsequent reception of CVs. It also includes direct approach, which is essential for reaching even passive individuals.
Moreover, this technique is sometimes carried out proactively, in order to establish contact with different profiles and thus build up a pool of potential talent to meet current and future business needs.
☝️ Sourcing differs from recruitment in that it takes place upstream, when the recruiter goes in search of the future employee, in accordance with predefined needs. Recruitment, on the other hand, encompasses the entire selection process, from the evaluation of candidates to their integration into the company.
What are the steps involved in sourcing candidates?
It's important to build a well-crafted sourcing process, because otherwise you risk wasting time and money, and above all, not hiring the right people!
👉 An effective candidate sourcing process therefore includes the following steps:
- identifying recruitment needs ;
- defining selection criteria ;
- identifying potential sources of talent;
- implementing sourcing strategies such as prospecting on social networks and professional databases;
- evaluating identified candidates;
- engaging and contacting them in order to attract them to the company.
The 5 benefits of candidate sourcing
- ✅ S aves time in your recruitment process, since you may already be in contact with potential candidates before the job posting is even published.
- ✅ An effective way of recruiting high-quality talent in a context of high tension (we're back to passive profiles) 😀
- ✅ A good way to build up a pool of candidates for future recruitment.
- ✅ An increase in profile diversity through the use of a variety of sourcing channels, such as social networks, specialized job boards or recruitment events.
- ✅ Improving the quality of hires by targeting specific talent that closely matches the company's needs and culture.
How do you source candidates? 11 key techniques
#1 Your internal database
What if you already had the perfect candidate on hand?
As a good recruiter, you've undoubtedly kept all the information relating to your previous hires in order to build up an internal database, haven't you 😎 ?
In other words, start by taking a look at your own CV library, because that way you :
- save time on making contact (you already have the contact details of these individuals as well as a number of valuable pieces of information) ;
- capitalize on existing relationships with interesting profiles.
#2 Internal mobility
Another way of recruiting without opening up your search to the outside world: look into the possibilities of internal mobility. Why bother prospecting elsewhere when the ideal candidate may already be in your ranks?
This sourcing technique proves very worthwhile, as it greatly minimizes the disappointments associated with " bad recruitment":
- on your side, you already know the value of the individual ;
- on his or her side, he or she is familiar with the company's culture, and doesn't risk taking off after a few months because it doesn't suit him or her!
☝️ However, depending on the organization, internal mobility means finding someone to fill the vacancy... and then it's back to the recruitment round!
#3 Your website
To successfully source candidates, we strongly recommend that you develop a career site, your employer brand 's main showcase for communicating the company's vision, structure and values.
Unlike other online media, this career site can be built "your way", both in terms of content and form. Basically, it reflects your identity, and this allows you to make an initial selection by announcing the color to profiles that may not be aligned.
It can also be used to post job offers and facilitate the application process. Some companies even set up a dedicated system for collecting unsolicited applications, thus feeding their talent pool.
#4 Search engines
Yes, a simple advanced search on Google can help you come across interesting profiles, provided you precisely define the various criteria to be considered in terms of :
- keywords ;
- language ;
- region ;
- site or domain, etc.
💡 You can also use Boolean operators, the symbols (" AND", " OR", " NOT", etc.) used to combine terms and thus refine the results. For example, by using "AND" between two words, the search will return only results containing these two words.
#5 Social networks
Another highly effective method of sourcing candidates: social recruiting.
What's social recruiting? Quite simply, it's a technique for recruiting candidates via social networks, starting, of course, with LinkedIn.
What are the advantages? For starters, you can use the free advanced search to unearth a wealth of profiles with whom you can subsequently make contact. What's more, you can (for a fee) post a job offer directly on the social network.
LinkedIn, ok... but not only! Depending on the positions on offer, and with the aim of reaching the younger generation or certain professions, companies operate via TikTok, Snapchat or even Instagram.
👉 For example, the Michel et Augustin brand uses Snapchat to communicate its employer brand, but also to recruit certain employees directly.
#6 Job boards
Job boards are often the first reflex of recruiters. It has to be said that these platforms, with the high traffic they attract, guarantee high visibility.
What's more, some, like Pôle Emploi, are free sourcing sites, with CV libraries from which to draw your future recruit. And, of course, you can post your job ad in just a few clicks, then collect applications. Interesting, no? 😉
💡 If you want to refine your search, we recommend you consult more specialized sites:
- by business sector (Linkfinance for finance jobs, for example) ;
- by region (RegionsJob) ;
- or for executive profiles (Apec, Cadremploi, etc.).
☝️ However, since all companies use them, job boards can sometimes prove limited when you're looking for a penurious profile.
#7 Co-opting
Co-option is one of the most effective recruitment sourcing tools, saving you both time and money.
In fact, by taking advantage of your existing network of employees, you speed up your process and reduce the costs associated with external talent sourcing.
What's more, candidates who join your company in this way are often more loyal, since their relationship with the company means they know exactly where they stand. And you have little chance of making a mistake, since an employee has put his or her reputation on the line to recommend this person.
In other words, no nasty surprises for either party! 🥳
💡 However, to really establish this technique in your organization and engage employees, it's best to set up a real co-optation program, with a bonus at the end.
#8 Communities
When sourcing candidates, the use of communities (via social networks or specialized forums) is essential, as they bring together profiles likely to share specific professional or sectoral interests.
Sites such as GitHub or Reddit are particularly well known for bringing together tech and IT profiles. Handy for interacting directly with professionals in a target field and trying to establish relationships!
💡 There are also communities of recruiters on Discord or Slack, for example. Why not head over there to exchange little sourcing tips?
#9 Events of all kinds
There are plenty of events to put recruiters in touch with potential candidates. Such is the case with business games, set up in partnership with grandes écoles, or job datings organized by certain companies.
💡But in reality, any professional event, even if it's not directly associated with the job search, turns out to be an excellent opportunity to network.an excellent opportunity to network, make interesting contacts... and potentially meet future employees 🤝?
#10 Sourcing service providers
Some companies, due to a lack of time, resources and skills, decide to call on the services of a recruitment firm or headhunting agency.
By mobilizing their expertise and resources 100% dedicated to sourcing, these professionals prove a great help in identifying, evaluating and attracting qualified candidates, particularly for hard-to-fill positions or those requiring specific skills.
💵 Of course, all this comes at a cost, sometimes approaching thousands of euros. It's up to you to weigh up the profitability of the operation.
#11 Specialized software
Finally, we advise you to consider the possibility of equipping yourself with specialized software, more specifically an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). This application tracking system is used to streamline and centralize the recruitment process, from job advertisement to application management. Guaranteed to save you time in your search for the right profiles!
But then, which are the best tools? 🤔
🛠️ With Beetween , multiply the visibility of your ads by distributing them on over 150 partner job boards, and make it easier to find candidates matching your criteria. You can create a personalized career site that reflects your corporate image, enhancing your employer brand and facilitating talent management. The Beetween Sourcing Chrome extension helps you find suitable profiles directly from LinkedIn, optimizing your recruitment process.
🛠️ Tool4staffing, which is positioned as a talent acquisition solution, taking care of the recruitment of jobs in shortage. So it's only natural that it includes sourcing functionalities. More concretely, it helps you to make greater use of your candidate/collaborator database, and to automate your hunt on CV libraries and other social networks. For example, you can contact profiles on LinkedIn using sequences of messages that are both personalized and automated.
Candidate sourcing: what to remember?
Candidate sourcing is THE way to make sure you recruit the right person, even if it's a penurious profile. And it doesn't matter what type of candidate, since there's no shortage of methods and channels, from social networks to job boards, co-optation or professional events.
But your job doesn't stop there. Once you've reached the right people, you need to make sure they want to continue the recruitment process! That's why it's important to work on your employer brand, and to be as transparent as possible about the position you're looking to fill.
Finally, don't forget that starting off on the right foot means working to retain your talent over the long term once they've been hired 😉.
Article translated from French