Recruiters + Sourcers = A Winning Combination
Becoming One Team Has Its Advantages
Strategic recruiting professionals along with anyone involved in hiring have come to realize the importance of sourcing and the many benefits it adds when it is part of the recruiting strategy. With the lack of qualified talent and overall talent shortage, having sourcing as part of the recruiting strategy and process has become critical to a company’s overall recruiting successes. Employing a team of recruiting and sourcing experts has proven to be the winning recruiting solution. Whether a company outsources a piece of the recruiting process or the entire process, it is imperative to employ a team approach to recruiting. The team approach is cost effective, efficient and delivers quick results.
Many will agree that recruiters and sourcers often share many of the same responsibilities but still have their own recruiting objectives and goals. But, I believe both need to know how to hunt for data, can create a strong, comprehensive talent pool, recruit, vet, network and present a slate of qualified candidates. In my humble opinion, I believe both should know how to do everything that is involved with the recruiting process end to end. This includes scheduling interviews, working with the hiring manager, the interview team and of course be able extend an offer and when necessary negotiate one. Knowing how to do all the steps of the recruiting process and more, not only makes everyone more valuable but without a doubt makes the recruiting process more effective and seamless to the candidates not to mention even to the hiring manager. Recruiting should be a team sport with players having particular and complimentary strengths.
The Differences Between a Sourcer and a Recruiter
Sourcers are known as having the ability and strength to identify hidden potential candidates that are not actively looking for a new role but could be good for a job they are trying to fill. Sourcers strengths include the ability create strong talent pools of potential candidates leading to strong candidate pipelines. Using social media to build a talent pool is typically the first round of sourcing, but beyond this know how to dig, hunt and identify talent by using traditional sourcing methodologies, such as the telephone to penetrate the companies where the talent may be. Basically, the goal of a sourcer is to identify passive candidates. Sourcers know how to find professionals not always found on the internet and can obtain full contact information on each professional gathered. Having access to passive candidates provides the edge recruiters and hiring managers need to ensure a comprehensive search was conducted.
Recruiters, are doing some hunting but most often not to the extent of the sourcer. That’s okay when a team approach to recruiting is being used to recruit. Recruiters, in most cases work directly with the hiring managers, unlike the sourcers, and are involved more with connecting, recruiting, vetting, presenting and reacting to active candidates. Additionally, many recruiters assist with defining, editing, understanding the true needs of the hiring managers’ requirements, which is required to recruit, vet and present qualified candidates. Yes, recruiters do some sourcing but often limit their efforts to social media. Not because they can't do or don't want to use other methods, but primarily due to the scope of his/her responsibilities and quite frankly due to work load. All the more reason to employ a team approach to hiring.
Does your company employ a team approach to recruiting? Over the years I have seen the many benefits of using a team approach to recruiting. Hiring a team of experts to include both recruiters and sourcers results in identifying a high-quality talent pool that equates to a strong candidate pipeline and terrific hire.
Recruiting As A Team Sport - This allows Sourcers and Recruiters to be narrowly focused yet allowing each to pitch in when necessary, creating a seamless, cohesive recruiting process.
Keeping The Roles Separate: Some believe this works and it does, but there is a lot to be said for making recruiting a team sport.