Next-Level Recruiting: Proven Sourcing Methods to Accelerate Your Hiring Process

August 27, 2024

Cat Weber

Let’s face it. Sourcing has never been easy. Hiring agencies are good at finding candidates, but the service can be very costly. Sourcing in-house can take as much as 30% of your recruiters’ time. Today’s savvy recruiters need to think outside the box and add new techniques to their arsenal.

Ready to implement some new ideas? The “7 Sourcing Hacks: The How-to Guide to Optimize Your Talent Search” offers 7 unique sourcing hacks, all geared to optimize your talent search and get you noticed by the most coveted candidates. Here’s a look at a few of those hacks to get you started.

Hack #1: Hyper-Personalize Your Emails

No one likes spam — so why would you send generic recruiting emails to potential candidates? If your goal is to create more meaningful connections, attract more candidates, and improve your conversion rates, then you need to customize your communication to a candidate’s specific interests or needs. We call that hyper-personalization, and while it may take more time at the outset, any increase in overall response rates will cut hours off your search down the road.

Pro Tips:

Join the candidate’s conversation. See what candidates are talking about on social media and find something that resonates with you personally, with the opportunity, or with the company culture. Use that as an introduction to engage with them.

Throw in an element of surprise. Break out of the typical recruiter template that most candidates expect and craft your emails creatively. Ask yourself: What would grab your attention?

Speak about the opportunity rather than the job. Remember, your search isn’t limited to people actively seeking new employment. Employ research shows that at least 50% of people are open to new opportunities even though they’re satisfied with their current positions. If you’re courting a passive candidate with specialized skills, then be sure your emails are tuned to possibilities for development or career growth.

Hack #2: Utilize Social Networks

People want to network, either in-person or online. Think about where your ideal candidate is online. What are they reading? Look at where they are talking to other professionals and join the conversation.

Pro Tips:

Be helpful first. It’s tempting to immediately yell to everyone in a group that you have an amazing opportunity for them, but that often turns people off. By offering guidance or helpful suggestions on candidates’ issues, you are beginning to build a relationship first. And once even a modest relationship is built, they will be more open to a job pitch.

Try a new network like TikTok. It helps to be where your candidates are, and if you are looking for Gen Z, they are on TikTok. Create a company account and see if you can add it to their career section. Again, if you are helpful, candidates will remember you.

Hack #3: Referrals Are the Best Source of Hire

Referral programs are on the rise, according to Employ research. 79% of organizations offer employee referral programs — an eight-percentage point increase over the past year, and 48% are seeing higher participation in employee referral programs. Why? Because they work. Referrals reduce both time-to-hire and cost-of-hire.

Pro Tips:

Control where you want to generate referrals within your organization by creating an internal focus on high-growth and hard-to-fill positions.

Gamify your process. A little friendly competition through leaderboards and recognition will supercharge your results.

Continue to Hack the System

Get the remaining hacks for candidate sourcing in the latest eBook from Employ: 7 Sourcing Hacks: The How-to Guide to Optimize Your Talent Search. Download your free copy today.