Hunters and farmers — you can’t have one without the other. In the world of recruiting, hunters are your sourcers and farmers are your recruiters. Your sourcers (hunters) are highly skilled at going out into the market to find new prospects and build rapport with people who are not necessarily actively looking for a new opportunity. Your recruiters (farmers), on the other hand, are much better at nurturing existing relationships with internal stakeholders and managing the process.
Organizations need dedicated hunters (sourcers)
Historically, the sourcing function was simply part and parcel of the recruiter’s responsibilities. Fortunately, we have moved to a place where there is general consensus around the need for organizations to have sourcing as a separate function from recruiting.
That said, many organizations are still operating without sourcers. Below are 3 insights to help you better understand — and make the business case for — sourcing inside of your organization.
- Posting jobs will not build you a pipeline of top talent. It is extremely important to understand that when you post a job, you are not sourcing. Posting a job will only attract active job seekers. This means that you are only seeing the best talent within the active pool as opposed to the best talent — period. A sourcer’s job is to find you the BEST talent, which often requires specialized skill in data mining and analysis as well as a high EQ.
- Sourcing technology is a great tool but not a human replacement. With the overwhelming number of AI tools available for sourcing and recruiting, it’s not surprising that people question if technology will ultimately make sourcing obsolete. The response to that concern is no, technology will not make sourcing obsolete. It will, however, shift how we define sourcing and what skills we need sourcers to have. Sourcers will need to understand how to use advanced technology, organize large amounts of information, and analyze data. This will help them make strategic decisions about navigating the market and should ultimately result in both shorter time to hire and a higher quality pipeline. It will give your organization a marked advantage.
- Human interaction is vital to successful sourcing. People may use technology to learn about job opportunities, but when it comes to taking action — especially when it’s career related — they require human interaction. Now, more than ever, people want human connection. They want to be heard and understood. They want their questions answered. They want to know that the organization they are considering joining fits with their life, because gone are the days where we left our whole selves at the door when entering work. Great sourcers are masterful at human connection, which is a non-negotiable if you are to compete for best-fit talent.
Get best-fit talent with dedicated sourcing
If sourcing is not at the core of your recruiting model, now is the time to rethink how you can deliver a higher level of service to your hiring managers with dedicated sourcers. Beacon Lane’s Sourcing & Recruiting on Demand services can help. With seasoned sourcers (and recruiters) ready to step in and out on demand, you will have “hunters” consistently building your pipeline with best-fit talent.
