Importance of sourcing in recruitment strategies
Published on Nov 24, 2017
Often people in the industry interchange the term sourcing with recruitment. Most even consider them to be the same. But, seldom do they realise that these two concepts are far from being similar. There is a common saying in the HR domain which goes like – all recruiters are sourcing agents, but all sourcing agents are not recruiters, which means that both recruitment and sourcing are essentially two different practices.
In fact, recruiting and sourcing are progressively recognised as different activities with very diverse objectives and results, requiring very different skills and processes.
What is sourcing?
Sourcing is the act of perusing resumes and applications of prospective candidates received in response to an online or offline job requirement. It also includes evaluating the applicant in terms of their skills and experience. Sourcing is crucial to recruitment. Without sourcing, there is no recruitment. It helps in generating prospective leads.
While the concept of sourcing applicants these days has become much simpler in recent years, finding the right applicant has become even more challenging. As such, given the current circumstances, sourcing of talent effectively is now more important than ever before.
These days, the recruitment scenario in major companies is highly complex. The rise of cut-throat competition in the industry has forced recruiters to utilise advanced skills to find the best talent. Due to the enormous shortage of talent in the industry, sourcing as a practice is of vital importance to any organisation
However, sourcing itself has evolved into a specialised and separate field. It is no longer a mundane activity involving candidate screening and searching resumes. Sourcing today uses advanced tool and mechanisms to find the best talent and at the same time prevents companies from going through repetitive and fake resumes. If you are considering recruitment and sourcing as one entity, then you might eventually end up adding to your organisation’s expenses and time to hire.
As a talent expert, I decided to put forth some points that will enlighten your understanding on the importance of sourcing.
Why would any company want to source applicants?
Firstly, it helps companies build a strong candidate database from which they can further screen talent as per their job requirement.
Secondly, if you have a comparatively smaller HR team and there is more demand for talent, hiring a sourcing agent will help you find the right applicants and also fill the company’s talent pipeline.
Thirdly, sourcing as an activity is complex and if you lack in-house expertise, you might end up wasting time and adding to your company’s expenses.
Fourthly, sourcing is another method of marketing your company to the desired target group. In short, it helps create your employer brand.
How do sourcing agents work?
Sourcing is an extended arm of any recruitment strategy. The underlying principle for sourcing is interaction with the prospective applicants. Most recruiters or sourcing agents interact with candidates either through cold calls or by sending cold emails.
However, cold calling is considered ideal by recruiters these days because the response rate is much higher than the latter. Preference to emails is only given when a candidate is shortlisted for a job requirement and is eligible to proceed further.
How do sourcing agents handle applicants?
Handling applicants over the phone or email can be a taxing and unmanageable affair. Candidates can simply turn down the offer or not answer calls at all. While in cold emails, there is a chance that applicants might ignore and delete the mail. This can also result in losing some of the best talent in the industry.
According to experienced sourcing agents at Han Digital Solutions, the key to managing applicants is by developing a transactional relationship. It depends on how sourcing agents project themselves to the candidates. Some of the factors that most applicants take into consideration while interacting with sourcing agents are –
- Their knowledge in the subject
- Honesty and;
- Transparency
Before approaching applicants, sourcing agents at Han Digital Solutions try to stress on a niche opportunity. This helps them to interact with applicants genuinely looking for opportunities. In case, the applicant turns down the offer, our sourcing agents provide them with alternate job offers to suit their requirement.
However, there are other tactics and methods that our sourcing agents use to attract the best talent.
Are you having trouble finding the best talent? Does your internal recruitment team require assistance in sourcing applicants? You can always get in touch with us. Our expert sourcing agents and talent consultants at Han Digital Solution can guide you and help you get the right candidate. You can avail Han Digital Sourcing Services by writing to us at info@handigital.com