Refining Your Sourcing Approach

Have you ever found that search, where you feel like you, have tried everything but then need to recalibrate half-way through? Have you found yourself trying to get to the goal and the search you are engaged in makes you throw everything and the kitchen sink, including resources at the search? Sometimes with a little refinement, you can source a little bit more efficiently, and go in the right direction. Let me dive right in.

Starting with several steps, you can keep most searches on track. Here are those steps:

Start with an impactful and strategic intake meeting with the hiring manager: Bring market data, bring some sourced resumes you brought from up front sourcing for benchmarking, discuss and ask key questions and refine the search from the front end. Get the resumes of the top performers for benchmarking. Commit the hiring manager to a regular weekly check-in meeting as well.
For your first round of sourcing try your own Applicant Tracking System: Do hunt through your own database to see who applied before, check similar requirements, and run key Boolean searches against your requirements. Do not be surprised if you find a few folks who could be a fit. Connect with silver medalists.
Go through past archived email, your own LinkedIn network, and your own personal network: As a sourcer, and staffing professional you already have made contacts, do spread the word to your contacts, and get the word out to your immediate connections and socialize your position to your social channels on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. This direct networking approach has helped me find many candidates I needed.
Use professional associations: Do connect with presidents/board members/local chapter presidents for the niche skill set you are seeking. These resources often can be the quickest way to get your position to the right audience, and many times they may have a network on their social sites, LinkedIn groups, or they may even send your job to their members for free. They also have resume databases of their own which may lead to your ideal candidate. Further these sites help with getting key words to help refine your Boolean string for your hunt. Here is a listing of all the major professional association sites in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_professional_associations
Source on job boards & areas where active talent is more likely to respond: Many times very strong candidates are available on Dice, CareerBuilder, Monster, Craigslist, etc. Job boards can be a good source of talent for quick turnarounds and networking.
Source on Meetup, GitHub, and other social sites: LinkedIn, GitHub, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc. can be excellent sources of talent. I would post my jobs on these social sites and get the word out that way. Source profiles and find a way to get in contact, email, phone into their company, etc. Use creative and personalized messaging to get into contact.
When In Doubt Use the Phone: Each phone call allows you to personalize your message. If you have the option to call and email even better. If nothing else you can network with your chosen candidate who in turn knows a wide variety of people. This enables you to have success. Your message is key, short and sweet better, but have something that catches the attention that is more likely to get them to respond: something in common, something that relates to the candidates need, and shows them “What’s in it for me?”
Recalibrate often with your hiring manager: Regular meetings at weekly intervals allow you to check on interview progress, discuss hiring manager’s objections to candidates, and resolve concerns. It also can allow the hiring manager to see the value of opening the search or dropping criteria that might be unnecessary.
Keep Track of Your Search: Track the results and the contacting process, record the objections of candidates, and provide a view of the funnel for your hiring manager. This allows the hiring manager to get a real-world glimpse of the process and allows them to understand how there may need to be changed.

In Conclusion: Hunting for the purple squirrel can become easier when you partner well with your hiring managers, recruiter, or colleagues. The more candid you are about the search, and the more information provided about what steps you are taking in the search, and working through your network, and resources the better your pipeline and the less stressed you will feel in trying to meet your goal of filling the position. The heart of the process is analysis, and being up front about the challenges and learning to be candid is the way to fill your position quickly and efficiently.