In a tight job market, sourcing candidates can be a challenge. But with the right approach, you can find the talent you need to fill your open positions. Sourcing is part art and part science. Brush up on your Boolean string skills and learn how to effectively pitch potential talent. Then use the options below to build a well oiled sourcing machine that churns out candidates.
Here are some tips and tricks for sourcing candidates in today’s competitive job market.
Get yourself a good sourcing tool
Every recruiter needs a good sourcing tool beyond the obvious tools like LinkedIn and Indeed. A sourcing tool such as HireEZ is a good example. It contains a searchable database of talent including sources such as LinkedIn and a host of other places where talent hangs out. Sourcing tools help you speed up the search process and reduce time-to-hire ratios. HireEZ claims to have 800M+ profiles in its index! That’s a massive amount of talent which is hard to ignore.
Use social media platforms to your advantage – LinkedIn, Twitter, Github
In this day and age, social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are exceptional resources for sourcing high quality candidates. By actively engaging in relevant social conversations and leveraging these platforms to their full potential you can really see an impact on your search results. For instance, using social media channels to post job openings and connect with potential leads allows employers to conveniently reach a vast network of job seekers without the hassle of dealing with multiple other outlets.
Additionally, social media offers insight into potential candidates’ qualifications beyond what is listed on their resume, allowing recruiters to make more informed decisions while also reducing time spent sifting through applicants. With social media being such a valuable tool in recruitment, it’s essential that employers take advantage of all it has to offer when looking to source new candidates.
Attend industry events and job fairs – this is a great way to network and meet potential candidates in person
Attending events and job fairs related to your industry is a great way to expand your professional network and meet potential candidates in person. Events are a great opportunity to interact face-to-face not only with possible candidates, but also with other recruiters, HR professionals and key decision makers in the field who could be valuable sources of referrals. By attending events like these, you can build relationships that open up more opportunities to easily source candidates and take advantage of the latest trends and tactics for finding the best talent.
Get involved with college career centers – they can help connect you with talented students and recent graduates
University career centers are increasingly becoming savvy resources for employers looking to tap into the talent pipeline and fill their open positions. Not only can university recruiting help hone teams, but they can reduce recruitment costs by allowing companies to get involved with universities and build relationships that may provide a steady stream of candidates. Building meaningful connections with university career centers provide more than just access to an overflow of potential candidates; universities can also offer support, like mock interviews and resume workshops, helping employers connect with educated candidates as soon as they enter the job market.
Investing in university recruiting is a great way for businesses to establish themselves for long-term success.
Utilize online job boards – Indeed, Ziprecruiter, and Talent.com are all popular choices
Job boards provide a wide range of job postings to job seekers, making them an essential tool in recruitment campaigns. Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor are a few great examples of job boards that should be leveraged for effective sourcing. When used strategically, job boards can play an integral role in recruitment marketing by efficiently connecting job seekers to job opportunities. Utilizing job boards can help attract a larger talent pool for employers and allow jobseekers to remain abreast of the latest job trends.
For employers looking to quickly find the best candidate match for their roles, using job board features such as filtering by qualifications and desired years of experience is key. Utilizing these job board options can help organizations optimize their talent pool and recruit the most qualified candidates with ease.
Use employee referral programs – ask your current employees if they know anyone who would be a good fit for the open position
Employee referrals can be an effective way to source candidates. When your current employees refer people they know to join your team, they can help you find potential team members that you might never have found other ways. Employee referrals are valuable because they come from people who already know and trust the company’s values and culture. Plus, referrals not only expedite the recruitment process but also bring improved quality of applicants – increasing the chances that the talent sourced fits the company’s goals and approach better than other sources of candidates.
It is therefore worthwhile for companies to make use of referral programs to ensure that the best possible candidates are hired for their open positions. Companies should be sure to actively encourage referrals from current employees as a way to increase their success in finding good hires quickly and easily.
Just remember that when it comes to sourcing candidates, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s important to experiment with different tactics and see what works best for your organization. And don’t forget to tap into your current employees – they may just know someone who would be perfect for the job!
