“I am just re-entering the recruiting industry and am looking for a way to get up to speed quickly. Any ideas would be helpful on sourcing seasoned application architects, business analysts and IT managers with financial services or energy backgrounds. I’m afraid my networking skills are not up to speed….Help!” (From ere.net)

The above is a common call among new recruiters, those that have been out of the game for awhile and veterans who just feel like they’re not making things happen like they used to. Of course, the number of ideas on successful sourcing techniques is probably close to the number or recruiters out there. However, there are a few things that we all have to acknowledge about sourcing in this day and age. The first might seem a bit obvious, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be stated: The Internet has changed every aspect of recruiting, including sourcing. At a recent gathering, a group of experts in the industry reiterated the point:

“Panelists shared insights from varying perspectives on adding value to the online recruitment process, and all agreed the increase in overall online usage estimated at 15-20% annual growth has led to increased online job searching, sourcing, recruiting and screening. With more happening online than ever before, the future of online recruitment is booming and will continue to advance as companies deliver new solutions to stay ahead of consumer usage and demand.” (From HR Marketer)

So, online recruiting will continue to shape the face of the industry. What that means for sourcing is that communication is even more important than ever. Candidates, recruiters, and hiring authorities should have the ability to share data, inform each other, and make the process more effective and easier for everybody involved. Unfortunately, this communication is not taking place today. A large part of the blame rests on the design of current job boards that use static data and close off one group from another, but recruiters do have to take some of the responsibility. Whether it’s good old fashioned hubris or a question of time management, too many good recruiters with too many jobs to fill lose touch with their customers once they take on a job, and that can just kill effective sourcing:

“Once the job is started, communicating the issues and challenges you’re meeting with to your customer has a benefit attached: many times the customer has suggestions how to overcome some of the challenges. Chances are they’ve attempted the search before you and have met up with some of the same problems you’re having. There are two schools of thought on this; the second being this: One says ‘I’m supposed to be the professional and I don’t want my customer to know I’m having trouble/I don’t know what I’m doing.’ I say phooey–if it was easy they’d be doing it and most will only respect you for your frankness in asking…” (From More Sourcing Mistakes)

If online recruiting and sourcing is the future we have in store (and it is), it’s time that there was an online system in place that encouraged the type of communication necessary for success. You know, one where all three parties have access to real-time, dynamic data, and where recruiters have the ability to truly assess candidates’ qualifications and to look for the exact type of candidate that the customer wants. That doesn’t exist right now, which is why everyone involved in the process seems to approach the others as adversaries. Put everyone on the same page, and new recruiters as well as weathered old warhorses will be able to find the right talent.

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