For recruiters, sourcing effectively might be the most important aspect of hiring to optimize.

To use a runner's analogy, sourcing is the equivalent of how fast you are out of the starting line. If you want to win the race of hiring the best and brightest, you’ve got to be quick on the gun.

Consider this article a chance for you to audit your process. 

Let’s check if your proverbial shoes are tied tight, and you’ve eaten your Wheaties. 

Here’s our overview of the top candidate sourcing best practices you should be doing in 2022. 

1. Invest in the right tools 

Tools allow you to screen and sort through large volumes of candidate data and find more accurate matches. 

We believe that sourcing tools are now the essential part of business for sourcing specialists. That's why we created our own.

Our Recruiter Tool leverages patent-pending technology and allows you to source through 430MM candidates rapidly. 

You can search by location, title, keywords, company, and industry. We also created a diversity filter to allow you to accelerate your diverse hirings. Schedule a quick demo to see it in action.

2. Leverage semantic search 

Basic keyword search terms can return lacking results and make sourcing an arduous process. 

But semantic search terms go beyond the literal words and use the meaning at the contextual level. 

For example, let's say you're looking for a programmer who uses Java. You don’t actually mean coffee. 

When you use a semantic search, terms like Java will yield matches on words that are conceptually related (e.g., J2EE, EJB, servlets, etc).

Recruiting and sourcing professionals have to sift through large amounts of candidate resumes, and semantic searches are a powerful tool to find the signal through the noise.

3. Track your pipeline

In today's competitive candidate landscape, metrics are crucial. 

Tracking the right metrics is the key to finding what channels work, doubling down on them, and scaling your sourcing practice. 

Our top six metrics for recruiting and sourcing are:

1. How many average communication attempts does it take to get an initial response from a candidate

1. The number of emails sent vs. emails opened

1. How long does it take to nurture and convince a potential candidate to apply

1. How long from the initial interview with a candidate to closing a hire

1. What channels provide the best candidates 

1. The total number of candidates are in your pipeline
   
   

4. Be proactive

Get ahead on the roles you know your company or client will need to hire for in the upcoming months. 

Work with department leaders to identify the skill sets required so you can be proactive with ongoing sourcing. 

Always be on the lookout for potential future perfect fits. 

Take note of the candidates you feel match personas and company culture, even if they don't fit a current open position. 

This will give you a leg up when the company starts looking for NextGen Talent.

5. Request candidate feedback

It might seem counterintuitive, but requesting candidates' feedback is vital for finding gaps in your hiring process.

Asking for candidate feedback can boost engagement, limit dropouts, increase referral rates, and bolster your overall employer brand. 

It is also a great way to decrease potential negative Glassdoor reviews from candidates you don't select.

To request feedback, we suggest electing for a quick phone call. That way, your candidate can share honest, real-time feedback. 

If you decide not to go the phone call route, a personalized email can also return great results. 

6. Personalize your outreach

Canned outreach doesn't work—at least, not nearly as well as a personalized message. 

Sixty percent of potential candidates are passive, and personalizing your outreach can help entice the top prospects. 

The key is to keep your initial emails brief. Here are three things to keep in mind while writing your personalized emails:

• Write a subject line that stands out

• Explain why you reached out to this person specifically

• Give the prospect just enough information about the role to pique their interest and respond.

• Have a link to your calendar via a tool like Calendly so they can go right from your message to scheduling a discovery call
  
  

7. Gender-neutral job descriptions 

Crafting a compelling job description that highlights the desired role and entices top talent is a difficult task. 

But if you get it right, your pipeline will flood with diverse talent.

We suggest avoiding words like "rockstar," "hacker," or "ninja." Job descriptions that use that type of bro language will only attract a certain kind of candidate. 

Instead, use specific descriptions related to the role like Sales Manager, Senior Developer, and Project Manager. 

Better sourcing at scale

If you’re looking to upgrade your sourcing process, join our community for our next HR Insights virtual event.

We host multiple webinars a month and invite the top HR leaders worldwide to share their best practices that will help you level up your game. 

Check out our events page and save your seat for an upcoming webinar. We can't wait to see you there!