Where Should Beginners Start in Talent Sourcing?

I get a ton of positive feedback from my recruiting blog. One common question that I do receive is from new Recruiters and Sourcers wanting to learn more about Talent Sourcing and where to start. Being new to the field can be challenging especially in the Talent Acquisition space. Sometimes it can get overwhelming because one: you are NEW but at the same time expected to excel and fill roles quickly. A common question that I receive is:  

“Where should beginners start in Talent Sourcing?!”

Talent Sourcing is a complex and complicated area within the recruitment process. It can get overwhelming to learn about sourcing techniques and it does take many years to fully master. One thing that does make things more challenging is that every seasoned Recruiter will do things differently. It takes a lot of creativity and know-how to stand out from others. But, at the same time there’s no one way to do things. 

We’re expected to ramp up quickly and learn after work-hours to excel within the sourcing space. A lot of learning happens through trial and error. Technology continues to change and how we communicate with each other changes with that. Recruiters will be expected to be up to date on current trends and be able to attract the top available candidate. 

I received this message recently:

Hi Jonathan,

Just finished listening to the Dueling Sourcers podcast you and Brian Fink were on. I have to say, I will probably never think of sourcing again without hearing Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball”😄

My name is Cathy and I am new to the tech & engineering recruiting space. The company I work for has not had a full time committed recruiter before and I am immediately under the gun here with expectations. I fully intend on delivering and exceeding those expectations, I just find myself struggling with a little bit of a learning curve here. I am trying to educate myself on as much as possible as quickly as possible so I can beat the agencies at finding my candidates. That being said, as someone with extensive experience in this space, can you offer a beginner any tips or advice? 

Thanks for the connection and the laughs from the podcast!  – Cathy 

Here’s my advice on where to start:

1. Focus on the Basic Fundamentals

A beginner should first understand the basic fundamentals of a search. Understanding Boolean search operators and modifiers with search engines is the foundation for building out a string. Once you understand that you can start to experiment with doing more advanced searches. 

I wrote a post about advanced search operators on Google (here)← 

First, understand the uses of modifiers/operators here:

Note: Not all of these will work depending on the search engine you are using. 

Once you understand these operator and modifiers you can then craft Boolean strings. I have a ton of string examples on this page (here). Take the time and practice all of these out. I recommend doing this manually before you start to use Boolean generator tools.

2. Study your Industry

To fully understand what you are searching for and screening for you will need to understand each required/preferred skills. Whether it means taking a course through Udemy or Coursera to understand a role. You need to fully invest in understanding what you are sourcing for. I’ve taken several courses and have watched YouTube videos to understand certain topics. It has made me better at screening and sourcing candidates. 

Another tip would be to ask for feedback from the phone interviewer and participate in final round interviews. Usually the interview meets after a candidates final round interview. Taking notes during a debrief will help you understand what the team is assessing for and it will help you understand the needed requirements.

3. Practice taking Phone Screens

On average, I do roughly 10-12 phone screens per day depending on my week. I recommend getting comfortable by using a standing desk, using a note-taking app (evernote), drinking plenty of water, and taking 10-15 minute breaks every 2-3 hours. Let the applicants answer the questions but don’t feel bad if you have to redirect the call if they ramble on. Also, if you hear any red flags use those hints as a way to coach the applicant during the call or afterward.

I’ve been doing tech phone screen calls for roughly a decade now and the best advice that I heard was don’t feel bad if you forget a call and make sure you write everything down either in a note app or in a CRM. Finally, I learned how to improve my phone screens by sitting close to other senior-level recruiters on the phone. I love listening to their phone calls throughout the day. If I hear something that I like I use that in a future call. If you are remote as to sit-in and listen on other screen calls with other recruiters. 

By implementing these screening techniques in conjunction with tools that help you optimize the process, you’ll have a list of qualified candidates ready to schedule tech phone screens with your team. I wrote a post about phone screening tips (here). 

4. Take Good Screening Notes

Make sure to have a vetted phone-screen template that you can edit during your phone screen. If your company does not have a CRM. You can use app like evernote to track and save on your screening notes in one place. It will years of practices to be able to write everything efficiently over a phone conversation. You will have to reference this information during a number of times in the future. That’s why building on this skill will be important for long term success.

5. Having intakes calls with the Hiring Manager

Recruiters have touch base calls with the hiring managers during the initial phases of a recruitment process. During those meetings the recruiters do a deep dive into the responsibilities of that job opening. With the hiring manager they cover job duties, discuss qualifications, required skills, comp-range, and overall target of what they are looking for in an applicant.

How to prepare for an intake meeting?

The recruiting process starts long before a Recruiter starts screening applicant resumes. You need to come prepared with a plan of execution:

1. Create a Talent Map by your location. Target your company’s competitors, research job titles, skill-sets, college/universities. The more data you have the better you can represent how challenging it will be to find and source applicants.

2. Working with your comp team on salary bench-mark data.

3. Working on creating a job description. Sometimes you might have an older requisition with the same skill-sets. You can come prepared with the template examples.

I wrote a post about Mastering your intake calls with the Hiring Manager (here)← 

6. Track Recruiting and Sourcing Metrics

Getting a hire is important but there are so many ways to track a Recruiters role! To recreate as many hires as you can, it’s important to analyze your methods. This allows you to see what is working and that you should continue or ramp up. On this flip side, it may shed light on what isn’t helping in your efforts. It’s important that you track all your efforts through the recruitment process.

Here’s 15 recruiting metrics that you should be tracking (here)← 

7. Find a Recruiting Mentor

If you are new I recommend having an experienced Recruiter to mentor you. You will face many obstacles during your first years. I’ve failed in many ways in my career. So, it will be important to have someone in your corner while you get adjusted to the chaos. I’ve had several mentors in my career that have impacted me in a positive way. They’ve helped me build on grit and perseverance within the field.

8. Don’t Spam Candidates!

Whenever reaching out to a candidate, be personalized and avoid using generic templates. Take the job out of the conversation, do not start the message or email by saying you have an opportunity. Always start the message mentioning something specific about the candidate and what made you want to reach out? Whatever you do please do not spam or send multiple follow-ups over email/inmail. No matter what you do always focus on quality!

I wrote a post about crafting recruiter template emails (here)← 

9. Read My Blog (WizardSourcer)

You found a community that is here to help you grow as a Talent Sourcer or Recruiter. Whether you just started or have experience in the field, you too can become a “Wizard” at Talent Sourcing. I recommended reading my Tools and Technology reviews on my blog. You will need to stay up to date on the latest trending within the sourcing space. This is a shameless plug to read my blog more.

10. Hire a Recruitment Trainer

Recruiters with extraordinary ambition and performance have one thing in common, they all have a coach. I recommend investing in hiring a recruitment trainer. In order to get to the next level in sourcing you will need to invest in yourself. I offer personalized trainings over Zoom calls. You can learn more and book a call (here).

Bonus: Here’s the Dueling Sourcers Podcast 🙂

Recommended Reading:

Creative Ways to Source in Google Docs

How to Recruit Candidates Using Amazon Reviews

How to Build a Personal Brand as a Recruiter

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Jonathan Kidder

With more than 12 years of recruitment experience, Jonathan has helped startups and small businesses find the talent they need. He runs the blog WizardSourcer, which explores the latest trends in talent sourcing, provides reviews of recruitment tools, and features interviews with prominent figures in the industry.

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Latest posts by Jonathan Kidder (see all)

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