Navigating the dynamic landscape of candidate sourcing involves both a strategic approach and the right tools to automate part of the effort. The multifaceted journey of candidate sourcing involves diversifying online channels, incorporating offline recruitment tactics, and leveraging employees’ networks. This puts a lot of strain on the recruiters, but the tools and strategies listed below should help streamline this challenging process. 

Communication & Joint Candidate Evaluation

Recruiters who want to foster mutually beneficial partnerships with employers need to ensure continuous collaboration and communication with the decision-makers in the organization. Start with initiating a comprehensive kickoff meeting before starting the search for suitable candidates. This will help you understand which skills and personal qualities are a must for the new opening. The insights you have gained during the kickoff meeting will be your cornerstone for the next sourcing practices. 

Next, conduct candidate searches together to foster a culture of shared decision-making. This approach is interactive and enables real-time discussions on specific candidates’ suitability for the role. Analyzing each candidate’s profile helps you better understand them and make informed decisions about the best-fitted candidates for a given role. 

Continuous Collaboration

The kickoff meeting shouldn’t be your only collaborative effort. Always keep the communication line with the employer open. If you perform regular check-ins, you assess candidate quantity and quality in real-time, so you’re enabled to fine-tune your search strategy according to immediate feedback. 

If you adopt these collaborative and proactive approaches, you don’t only streamline the candidate sourcing process, but you also foster a culture of shared responsibility. In other words, both you and the employer actively contribute to the recruitment success.  

No matter which Applicant Tracking System (ATS) you use, it is the obvious foundational step of the recruitment journey. Here, it’s important not to overlook previously declined candidates. Ironically, 99% of companies believe attracting previously declined candidates may be useful, and yet, less than half actually give them a second chance. But a person who’s proven an imperfect fit for a past opening may become an ideal candidate for a new one. 

If you want to efficiently leverage your team’s past efforts, you should start each search with candidates your team has previously deemed as qualified for your organization. This is another strategic approach that maximizes returns on past investments and puts you in the position to re-engage candidates who proved they have potential for future roles. 

Keep in mind, though, that re-engaging past candidates implies regular check-ins with people in your ATS. The strategy helps build a positive reputation while making your recruitment brand more appealing to human talents. Keep on communicating with past candidates because their potential for the future can significantly enrich your talent pipeline. 

Diversify Your Candidate Sourcing Channels

If you want efficiency to increase, you should broaden your online candidate sourcing channels. After your own ATS pool, LinkedIn is the obvious platform to start searching, but the search does not have to stop there. For example, engineers should explore platforms like Triplebyte, tech talent should look on Hired, whereas startups should focus on Underdog. Additionally, you should consider AngelList, Facebook, Sourcing.io, Xing, Entelo, or Aevy.

All of these platforms can help recruiters get in touch with the best human talent, but the main challenge of using professional sites is that not all of them have an equally high response rate. On LinkedIn, the response rate is still higher than average, even though not quite what HRs might desire. So, a practical tip would be to search for the candidate’s email address to contact potential hires directly over email. 

A great tool to increase your chances of reaching the best candidates is SignalHire – a database of verified professional contacts that can be searched by multiple customizable parameters, including skill sets, job titles, and industries. Bulk searching the database will already give recruiters access to a diversified pool of candidates, which will increase the chances of a great hire. Plus, the service has a Chrome/Firefox extension that can pull data directly from LinkedIn, GitHub, Facebook, and a few other professional platforms, which means recruiters can access candidates’ emails even when they come across suitable candidates on social media.

Use Offline Recruitment Methods 

Offline recruitment methods are a formidable source for complementing online engagement strategies. You should attend job-specific conferences, host meetups, and participate in industry events. Offline methods are better for the personal touch and establishing a deeper connection with candidates, so it should increase the likelihood of positive responses to subsequent follow-up messages. Encourage your team to widely participate in real-time professional networking, by leveraging their collective efforts at events and transforming recruitment into a team effort. 

Use Current Employees’ Networks 

Unlocking current employees’ networks is a great way to expand the sourcing pool. Besides, tapping into the existing social connections of a company’s employees builds trust, especially when interview invitations come from a company with a positive corporate culture. 

So, conduct candidate sourcing sessions with your team, as this will help you identify potential network fits. Sourcing.io and Facebook offer great insights on your employees’ social circles. For automation, use tools like Simppler and Teamable to recommend candidates based on the social networks of your employees. Ask existing employees to conduct warm introductions with source candidates, as this will enhance response rates and foster a collaborative recruitment culture. 

Source for Roles That Aren’t Open Yet 

Adopt a proactive approach to candidate sourcing by anticipating future roles and building candidate personas. Instead of focusing solely on current job openings, strategize for upcoming needs by developing workforce hiring plans aligned with the company’s business growth. Collaborate with leaders in Finance and HR to identify required skill sets and levels, then source candidates proactively based on these personas. This anticipatory approach positions recruiters ahead of hiring demands, streamlining the process, and potentially shortening time-to-hire.

Craft Compelling Outreach Messages 

Craft compelling outreach messages to enhance candidate engagement in the talent sourcing process. Shift the focus of your messaging to cater to candidates’ needs and aspirations, making them the priority. Employ attention-grabbing subject lines, personalized content, and a vivid depiction of the role and organizational values. Tailor messages according to the preferences of specific candidate types, ensuring optimal information delivery without overwhelming them. Seek feedback from recent hires to refine outreach strategies, continually improving response rates and fostering meaningful connections.

Build a Stronger Employer Brand 

A positive employer brand is a potent recruiting tool, with 92% of candidates considering leaving their current roles for a company with an excellent corporate reputation. Actively respond to reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. Encourage employee storytelling, personalize LinkedIn profiles, maintain an active company blog, and engage in conferences to spread brand awareness. Collaborate with marketing teams for content creation and distribution, aligning recruitment strategies with corporate branding initiatives.

Follow-Up with Unresponsive Candidates 

Implement a comprehensive follow-up strategy for candidates who don’t respond immediately. Beyond the initial outreach and follow-ups, maintain contact with candidates who weren’t ready initially and those sourced for other roles. Establish a cadence for periodic check-ins, sharing company news, congratulating milestones, and fostering a continual connection. Even if immediate results are not evident, sustained engagement keeps your recruiting organization in candidates’ minds, potentially leading to future collaboration or referrals.

All of these strategies and tools can prove very helpful in streamlining your recruiting process. In a nutshell, you should emphasize proactive sourcing, build a strong employer brand, and persist with follow-ups that show your commitment to candidates’ well-being. This is the kind of long-term strategy that always wins in the end.

Guest writer.