How to Prospect for Candidates and Clients using Google Alerts

Jonathan Kidder

7 years ago

Need a way to monitor and multi-task your daily searches? Google Alerts may be the right solution for you! Basically, you can subscribe to your keyword search directly on Google. As soon as something new gets posted online you will receive an update directly in your email inbox. This simple yet useful trick has helped me find active candidates and as well finding client leads.

Google alerts will help you automate the search process and help you reach out to the right prospects faster. It will cut back on your time searching aimlessly online and help you focus on the right targets. Simply log into Google Alerts and include a Boolean string. After this, go to advanced features I recommend selecting the following: at most once a week, web sources, within the United States, and only see the best results.

Here are ways to use Google Alerts:

Searching for Active Candidates

Searching for published resumes: (intitle:resume OR inurl:resume) (skill set) (“saint paul” OR 55110”)

Searching for companies with layoff news (Select News as the Source)

For example:

layoffs * “Target.com”

(“layoffs” OR “downsizing” OR “outsourcing”) (company)

Searching for Client Prospects

Recently posted job positions based off locations. Search a niche skill set and add a location.

For example: “sitecore developer” (“minneapolis” OR “55111”) -templates job jobs

Here’s some other search phrases you can use:

(“job opening” OR “job listing”)

(“hiring” OR “now hiring”)

(“career opportunity” OR “career opportunities”)

Finding clients based off niche skill sets:

Maybe you’ve networked with every top java developer in Minneapolis? You can create different alerts to see when a company is actively looking to fill a role. Try using these search phrases and include that niche skill set.

“send an updated resume to”

“send a resume to”

“email your resume”

“forward a resume”

“email your cv”

“send your cv”

“your resume to me at”

Monitoring Competitors

Subscribe to Google jobs – any time a new job is posted you will receive an alert. You can use this to keep an eye on your competitors job openings. You can learn more about revealing hidden client information by using a job posting (here).

Also, consider using: Indeed Resume – you can directly subscribe on indeed and receive weekly updates on new resumes. This helps as well with monitoring local companies. If you see an uptick in posted resumes, obviously there may be something going on at that company.

I hope Google Alerts helps you save time and energy when it comes to finding candidates and client leads. I currently have around dozen alerts going on and it’s been a tremendous time saver.

Searching for Job Openings:

Create alerts to search for job openings. I’ve included Recruiter job examples below:

(“Recruiter” OR “Sourcer” OR “Talent Acquisition”) AND (“Minneapolis” OR “Greater Minneapolis” OR “Saint Paul”) (“Job” OR “Jobs” OR “Hiring”)

(“Recruiter” OR “Sourcer” OR “Talent Acquisition”) AND (“virtual based” OR “virtual” OR “remote” OR “WFH”) (“Job” OR “Jobs” OR “Hiring”)

(“remote recruiter” OR “remote sourcer” OR “remote recruiters” OR “remote sourcers”)

(“recruiter” OR “sourcer”) (“please reach” OR “please contact” OR “please message” OR “please email”)

“talent acquisition” (“please reach” OR “please contact” OR “please message” OR “please email”)

(“contract talent acquisition” OR “contract recruiter” OR “contract sourcer” OR “contract recruiting”)

(“talent sourcer” OR “tech sourcer” OR “tech recruiter” OR “talent acquisition recruiter”)

(“tech recruiting” OR “technical recruiting” OR “tech sourcing” OR “technical sourcing” OR “technical sourcer”)

(“corp recruiter” OR “corporate recruiter” OR “tech recruiter” OR “technology recruiter” OR “tech sourcer”)

(“hiring” OR “seeking” OR “looking” OR “growing”) (“recruiter” OR “sourcer” OR “talent acquisition”)

(“recruiter” OR “sourcer”) (“looking” OR “seeking” OR “hiring” OR “contract” OR “growing”)

(“recruiter” OR “sourcer”) (“looking” OR “seeking” OR “hiring” OR “join” OR “DM me”)

(“my talent acquisition team” OR “my team”) (“recruiter” OR “sourcer” OR “recruiters” OR “sourcers”)

Creative Ways to Source in Google Docs

How to Recruit Candidates Using Amazon Reviews

How to Build a Personal Brand as a Recruiter

Author
Recent Posts

Follow me