4 Reasons Why You Need Candidate Sourcing In Your Company

Candidate sourcing isn’t something that only companies with big budgets need. There are a couple of reasons why every company, no matter their size, complexity, or industry should use sourcing and in this article, we’ll elaborate on what those reasons are. 

But first, let’s define what sourcing is and how it differs from (traditional) recruiting.

The difference between sourcing and recruiting 

Sourcing is any way you’re hiring people without them applying to your open channels such as job applications or boards. It’s a separate discipline from recruiting— it supports a decision-making system and helps companies make informed and sound decisions. With sourcing, you’re going after passive candidates, those people who don’t know about your company and who don’t apply to any job ads you put out there, no matter the platform.

“With sourcing, you’re filling jobs that are simply not fillable with any other means.” — Shally Steckerl, talent strategy leader

You’re making a long-term investment that will have a profound impact on your company’s bottom line.  With that in mind, let’s look at the four reasons why you need sourcing in your organization.

4 reasons why you need sourcing 

1. You can’t find people

The first, and the most obvious reason, would be that you can’t find the people you’re looking for— you simply don’t get enough applications to fill the pipeline and you can’t hire anyone. Maybe you opened 20 positions and you only managed to fill 40% of the roles and now, you need sourcers to find you the remaining candidates. 

Candidate sourcing can help you in this area by finding candidates and delivering them to your recruiting/hiring team so they can go through the selection process, effectively filling the open roles in your company. 

With sourcing, you’re finding that needle in the haystack and getting those mission-critical people to the right places in your organizations. If you wanted to create a team of A-players, you would want to have a sourcer find those people. 

2. You get the wrong applicants

The second problem plagues many companies today— you get more than plenty of candidate applications, but they are simply not the right candidates. 

According to a Robert Half study,  42 percent of candidates apply for a job even though they’re not qualified for it. It’s not uncommon for job openings to have more than a couple of thousands of applications for a single role which simply clutters the entire process. 

It’s no wonder that it takes, on average, more than 40 days to hire one person when the hiring manager has to go through thousands of applications, out of which half aren’t even remotely qualified for the job. On the other hand, good candidates are frustrated because their applications are lost in the sea of shotgun-approach applications by unqualified candidates and it’s impossibly difficult to stand out even if you’re good when there are thousands of other applicants for the job. 

It’s a lose-lose situation for all sides. 

This is where sourcers come into play. They find the right candidates using a variety of channels to ensure that you get the right candidate in your pipeline. This creates a win-win situation where both the company and the candidate are satisfied. The company because they (finally) get a qualified candidate and the candidate because they know that they'll have an easier chance to stand out in the hiring process and that the recruitment team will see their resume/CV and other accomplishments. 

3. You find the people, but can’t engage with them

Just because you pinpointed the right candidate, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to effectively engage with them and convince them to apply for a job in your company. 

With sourcing, you’re building a solid pipeline for current and future jobs in your organization, especially if you’re in a rapid growth stage. Candidates don’t know who you are because you don’t have the brand recognition name of Facebook, Google, or Amazon— you’re still growing. 

Qualified candidates, you know, those that you want to get for your company, are bombarded with offers left and right. So how do you make sure that you get them? By using sourcing and having sourcers approach them with the right messaging and keeping them interested. They know that when the time’s right, they can reel the candidate to the company of their choosing and bring them in. 

Sourcers know how to establish relationships with candidates and present them with opportunities in the most convincing ways so that they apply for a job in your company. 

4. You can’t disclose the search 

Last but not least is the confidential search. Sometimes, you’re searching for a candidate, but you can’t disclose that search for a variety of reasons: 

• You’re hiring a highly sensitive position in a company
• You’re hiring a candidate for a company that needs to stay confidential (think about security agencies such as the FBI or NSA)
• You’re hiring a replacement for an employee who did a breach in the company and it can’t become public

This is where candidate sourcing is your best friend. Sourcers will use different channels and their skills to signal to the right people that they’re looking for them without making waves in the eyes of the public. 

Conclusion

Sourcing can be applied in many ways, such as internally within an organization, to help with competitive analysis, talent intelligence, and more. On top of that, sourcing serves as a strategic, long-term investment and decision-supporting system that helps you realize an organization’s vision. 

Sourcers will help you build the right talent pipeline and find talent that hides in the market like a needle in a haystack. 

Sourcing doesn't have to be complicated. At ProvenBase, we recognize that Talent professionals are more than just transactional agents; they are trusted consultants who help organizations thrive by guiding them toward the best decisions. 

Our mission is to empower these professionals with innovative, comprehensive solutions that address their unique challenges and enhance efficiency. We understand the importance of technology that aligns with their needs, providing them with the tools to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact within their organizations.