A Sourcer supports Recruiters in their efforts to find candidates. They typically initiate contact with potential candidates and schedule meetings with the designated Recruiter. The Sourcer’s duties include searching for candidates, interacting with them, and ultimately referring them to the Recruiter (who is the primary point of contact for the client).
Recruiters and sourcers play complementary but distinct roles in the talent acquisition process. Recruiters are responsible for building relationships with potential candidates, evaluating their qualifications, and presenting them to hiring managers. Sourcers, on the other hand, are responsible for proactively searching for and identifying potential candidates through various sourcing channels such as professional networks, job boards, and social media. Both recruiters and sourcers are important as they work together to find the best talent for an organization, increase the pool of qualified candidates, and ultimately help fill open positions more quickly and effectively.
What is the difference between a full cycle recruiter and talent sourcer roles?
A full-cycle recruiter is responsible for the entire recruiting process, from sourcing and identifying potential candidates to screening, interviewing, and hiring. This includes job posting, sourcing resumes, scheduling interviews, negotiating offers, and closing the deal.
A talent sourcer, on the other hand, is focused primarily on the sourcing and initial screening of candidates. They are responsible for identifying and attracting potential candidates, often through various sourcing methods such as social media, professional networks, and job boards. They may also be involved in initial communication with candidates, such as sending job descriptions, scheduling phone screens and initial interviews, but their primary role is to generate a pool of qualified candidates for the Recruiters or Hiring Managers to review and move forward with the hiring process.
The Roles might be different
The role of a Sourcer may vary depending on the number of open requisitions and the company’s recruitment strategy. In some cases, Sourcers may create lists of potential candidates for Recruiters to reach out to and contact. However, it is important to note that each company’s approach may differ and it is important to establish clear guidelines for the Sourcer and Recruiter partnership at the beginning. The author has had experience with both roles (sourcing and creating candidate lists) and believes that both methods can be effective. They suggest that creating a Sourcer role at an organization that does not have pre-existing processes in place for the role, will help in fully understanding the roles and responsibilities of each other. The author also mentioned that they have created five ways to build a Sourcer and Recruiter partnership.
1. Setting clear goals
A Sourcer’s role involves sourcing for passive and active applicants. They spend the bulk amount of time researching and sourcing for talent on the internet. Once they find a list of candidates they either create a project or upload them to an ATS database. The time it takes to search and source takes an immense amount of time. For this reason, setting clear goals is very important. You need to track initial outreach, screens, submittals, and hires. Think of it as tracking the full sourcing funnel. I think it’s important to focus the Sourcers on the outreach and screens. Everyone’s goal is getting hires – but the time and energy it takes to source sometimes gets overlooked. So, the value of a Sourcer is not tracked by hires but by all overall efforts. Understanding the full process will help you set clear goals for a Sourcer. I wrote a piece about creating SMART goals here.
2. Tracking metrics & ROI
Upload every single candidate into your ATS and CRM database. Tracking every effort is extremely important. A Sourcer that is not tracking correctly will cause many issues later on. First of all, you won’t be able to see the sourcing efforts. Secondly, if another Recruiter crosses paths with one of your candidates this can cause confusion and can damage the candidate’s overall experience. Once you’re tracking and uploading candidates, this will help show future ROI metrics. I wrote a piece about tracking recruiting metrics here.
3. Understand candidate ownership
Once a Sourcer uploads the candidate into the ATS or CRM, that gives the candidate ownership directly to the Sourcer since they found the resume or contact information. Even if a Recruiter reaches out to the candidate months later, the candidate ownership still lies with the Sourcer. The Sourcer invested an immense amount of time sourcing and finding qualified candidates. This still applies direct ownership to the Sourcer. You need to explain candidate ownership directly to the Recruiter and Sourcer. I’ve personally worked with Recruiters who have gotten into the ATS and erased my efforts – after I helped find contact information for a candidate and the Recruiter used that to directly contact, screen, and submit the candidate. Recruiters can get very competitive and aggressive under stressful environments. So it’s very important to explain a Sourcer and Recruiter relationship. Every candidate that is uploaded into the ATS/CRM by the Sourcer should be credited to them!
4. Creating a sourcer priority calendar
Depending on your company’s size for every 8-10 Recruiters you may have 1 to 2 Sourcers on staff. Managing a Sourcers time is very important. I’ve had situations where Recruiters take advantage of my time. They’ve even tried to buy my time by taking me out to lunch. Creating boundaries with Recruiters is important for success and sanity. I averaged 3-4 job reqs per day. Depending on the week I would be working with 1 to 2 Recruiters per day on the most challenging positions. I used a whiteboard to track my sourcing jobs list. This will help minimize any confusion and help set clear daily goals.
5. Using The Word “No” Correctly
The trend of hiring Sourcers is continuing to grow. I’ve noticed that Sourcer opportunities in the past year have steadily increased. But even with that exciting news – most staffing or in-house teams don’t know how to set a clear plan for Sourcers. Sourcers may feel like guinea pigs causing managers to create unrealistic goals. It’s always important to set clear goals with the recruiting team. You should also get more comfortable using the word “No.” Believe it or not – you can’t solve every recruiting problem in the world! You need to set clear expectations and create an effective Sourcer Calendar. Once you’ve mastered your daily goals, you can say “No” to unrealistic demands. I’ve had Recruiters ask me to manage their calendars. Sorry, no, I’m not a recruiting coordinator! I’ve had Recruiters ask for computer assistance. This is a waste of your time! Try and say “No” in a positive direct manner. Your time is valuable and you deserve respect.
Why can companies benefit from having a talent sourcer?
Companies can benefit from having a talent sourcer in a variety of ways. Some of the main benefits include:
Saving time: A talent sourcer can help a company save time by sourcing and identifying potential candidates quickly and efficiently. This can free up time for recruiters to focus on other aspects of the hiring process.
Finding passive candidates: A talent sourcer can help a company find passive candidates who may not be actively looking for a job but may be open to new opportunities.
Building a talent pipeline: A talent sourcer can help a company build a talent pipeline by identifying and engaging potential candidates for future open positions.
Improving the candidate experience: A talent sourcer can help a company improve the candidate experience by providing a personal touch during the initial stages of the hiring process and ensuring that candidates are well-informed about the company and the position.
Cost-effective: A talent sourcer can help a company save on recruitment cost by identifying potential candidates through non- traditional recruitment methods like social media, professional networks, and job boards.
Overall, having a talent sourcer can help a company to find the best candidates quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively, which can ultimately lead to a more successful and efficient hiring process.
Recommended Reading:
How to Source and Recruit Diverse Talent on Twitter
How to Become a Wizard at Sourcing
The Sourcing Function Matters Within Recruiting
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