How to Accelerate Your Candidate Sourcing Strategy? 

Do you know what the most common item on a recruiter’s wishlist is? – More time for candidate sourcing. 

 

(No kidding!) Attracting the right talent is rated the #1 recruiting challenge in 2023. 

 

And that’s why, in this article, we have compiled four key candidate sourcing strategies you must focus on. Read on! 

What is Candidate Sourcing?

 

Candidate sourcing refers to actively searching for a potential candidate, whether online or offline, to fill the open positions within the company. 

 

This process involves researching, networking, and convincing talents to apply for the role, with the aim of:

 

• Quickly filling the vacancies
• Lowering employee turnover
• Boosting overall productivity

 

The basic steps of candidate sourcing involve the following:

 

Planning: Recruiters must first contact hiring managers to clarify every requirement, qualification, etc., they desire in their ideal employee. It is worth knowing what the company wants to achieve and planning for the same.

 

Identifying the Needs: After defining the goals, you must set everything required to meet those goals. One way to do so is a competency and skill mapping strategy for talent acquisition.

 

Defining the Talent Persona: Knowing skill sets, location, academic backgrounds, target audience, etc., is essential to reach the right candidate.

 

Determining Platform and Strategies: Recruiters must plan whether to host offline events to attract talent or target a LinkedIn (or other social media platforms) audience.

 

Reviewing Plan: After defining a clear strategy for talent sourcing, set checkpoints and measure metrics to determine the effectiveness of your sourcing efforts.

 

With that being said, let’s dive into the strategies to accelerate all these steps! 

4 Best Strategies to Accelerate Candidate Sourcing

1. Utilize Your ATS to Rediscover Talents

 

While sourcing talents, recruiters often come across candidates who might not fit the current role but may be qualified for the future. 

 

With proper management and follow-ups, these candidates can be your potential goldmine. 

 

And the best way to re-engage with them is via recruitment software that can help you gather and store applicant information in its database. 

 

Below are a few tips to consider:

• Track Why Those Candidates Weren’t Hired Before 

 

Identify why candidates weren’t hired in the past recruitment cycle. Were they a good fit for the role? Are they qualified now? Or do they show potential for any future role? Use ATS software to record all such information.

• Give Feedback 

 

Offering constructive feedback opens the door for communication between the recruiter and the candidate. 

 

Unfortunately, 80% of job seekers are discouraged from considering any job opening at a company if they don’t get feedback or their application status. 

 

Hence, you must take care of such kinds of stuff to leverage these candidates in the future.

• Provide Excellent Re-Engagement Experience

 

Talents are four times more likely to reapply to the same company if their experience during the hiring process is good. Recruiters need to provide an excellent experience to candidates for a positive reply from their side.

 

2. Reach Out on Multiple Channels

 

Fifty-two percent of recruiters have clarified that they first turn to their professional network to source their next hire. Another twenty-eight percent start with LinkedIn. 

 

Most recruiters have the priority channels they turn to when sourcing fresh talents. But remember, only relying on a personal network or LinkedIn is not enough to find the best talents.

 

There are many more-reliable “niche-specific” job boards and social networking sites you can reap benefits from. 

 

For example, GitHub can be the best platform for sourcing software developers, while DeviantArt is the best for creatives. 

 

Of course, platforms like LinkedIn are popular because it is the first choice of job seekers and employers. However, considering less frequently used channels can yield unique information about candidates that can be a source for personalized outreach.

 

Mind that the most crucial step to finding potential Talent is knowing your target audience. What are you looking for in them?

 

Recruiters must answer the following questions before sourcing candidates:

 

• Where should you start your search for someone professional in the domain? Should you reach freelancer sites or poach candidates from your competitors? 

 

• Where might a community related to a particular niche congregate?

 

• What companies are focused on similar services?

 

• What are the multiple job titles used by people in a particular domain?

 

Social Media has recently become the “key tool” for talent identification. It allows recruiters to verify the identity of candidates quickly and perform background checks on them. (It’s a must-use!)

 

Recruiters can also find a potential candidate by attending industry-specific events or career fairs. Hosting meetups, contests, etc., also attracts candidates interested in the role.

 

It is always best to combine offline and online sources for better results.

 

3. Leverage the Employee Referral Program

 

A referral program is proven to find higher-quality candidates than other sourcing methods. Studies have shown that referred employees perform up to 15% better than non-referred hires.

 

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that candidates are more likely to accept the offer if it is brought to them by their connection. So, why not just leverage your employees? 

 

Provide them referral bonuses with a set condition, like a candidate must stay for three months to be eligible for a reward. It excites employees to refer new candidates for extra cash or a free movie ticket. (Win-win situation!)

 

4. Improve Your Employer Brand

 

A strong employer brand could impact a candidate’s response to your outreach messages. After all, candidates are more likely to respond if they perceive the employer brand positively. 

 

Below are some tips on improving employer brand:

 

• Respond to reviews: Candidates often check company reviews before deciding whether to work with them. Reviews help employees feel engaged and heard.
• Tell Your Story: Storytelling is the best method to make candidates relate and engage with the company. Your profile pages and website should clearly define who you are, your vision, and your mission.
• Partner: Partnering with big brands and gaining their trust attracts more candidates for the job position.

Remember: 

“Quality Assurance + Accelerated Strategies = Perfect Candidate Sourcing”

 

A highly-skilled candidate is no less than a celebrity nowadays, with every recruiter buzzing around them for their attention. And the problem is candidates know they are in demand and, thus, have high expectations. 

 

So, just rushing through your sourcing process without regularly keeping the quality of your talent pool and your candidate experience strategies in check won’t make a cut.

 

Ensure that before you move on to the acceleration part, you have your basic recruitment structure, tools, and resources in place. Only then will you reap maximum ROI from the above-mentioned tactics. 

 

Hope this article helped you! Keep recruiting~