When a job vacancy is posted, it often does not receive a significant number of responses nowadays. Therefore, it is not surprising that an increasing number of organizations prefer to take matters into their own hands and actively search for the best candidates. But what are the major trends in the field of sourcing?
Trend 1: It is happening more and more. “Sourcing has long been one of the underappreciated components of the entire recruitment process,” Many companies believed that recruiters should simply add it to their responsibilities, and as a result, it rarely happened. However, the reverse approach continues to be very successful. By sourcing candidates directly, you can still reach individuals in the job market that you cannot access through any other means. It is not surprising that we are seeing increasing competition in our industry.”
Trend 2: It is here to stay. Sourcing has gained prominence due to the extreme scarcity of talent in recent years. It was often the last resort for employers. However, you now see the market adapting to it,”. “If you look at the new generations entering the job market, they are more open to being approached. They are less inclined to actively search for a job themselves. It’s more personalized and tailored to their needs, which appeals to them.”
“Although I am concerned about some of the practices I occasionally observe in the market,” “Mass emails, reaching out to a large number of people at once. This approach does not work and leads to very low response rates. Candidates find it irritating. Technology is also not yet ready to completely take over. For example, LinkedIn has introduced various new options, but in practice, we find that it doesn’t produce miracles. The personal touch still works better.”
Trend 3: Nevertheless, more technology. While technology has not yet reached the point where the entire sourcing process can be fully automated, there are increasingly interesting tools emerging, some of which incorporate AI. Verhoeks observes this in her daily work. “We often use tools like ChatGPT. With the information from a candidate’s profile, ChatGPT can compose a personalized message. Automated follow-ups can also be beneficial. Technology is increasingly supporting our work, but it’s important to not only teach a tool to read but also to interpret, and that remains challenging.”
Trend 4: Relevance is key. Sourcing is becoming increasingly important in terms of employer branding, according to Sindorff. “If you send out subpar messages in your sourcing efforts, it undermines the investments you’ve made in employer branding. People notice that. Therefore, we advocate against sending bulk messages; candidates quickly recognize them, and it negatively impacts your results. Since sourcing changes the dynamics of the job market, it’s crucial to ensure that you send the right message to the right audience. Being relevant is important, especially for maintaining your employer branding.”
Trend 5: Creativity matters. Sourcing is a creative profession, “Did you know that we spend an average of 8 to 10 minutes crafting an outreach message? It always requires time and thought to consider how best to approach people. It often demands creativity. For example, we sometimes initiate a conversation with a statement like ‘Did you know there are only 500 people with your name?’ That often piques interest. While it might be possible to automate such approaches, it quickly becomes a mere gimmick, losing the genuine touch of a personalized message.”
Trend 6: Finding and enticing. Sourcing is often associated with organizations struggling to fill specific job vacancies, leading them to seek assistance from agencies like Recruit4Work. However, organizations that have worked with sourcing for some time discover that it works even better when you build a talent pool and continue from there. “If you source driven by vacancies, you are a hunter; if you can build a talent pool, you become a collector,”
“When you source for a specific target group over an extended period and maintain contact with them, you’ll find that after 2 years, 80% of your time is spent nurturing relationships. Talent pooling has been a term in recruitment for a long time, but there are few successful examples. However, when done right, you can derive significant value from it, especially if you work with the same individuals on your team or agency, enabling you to build a relationship with the talent pool.”
Trend 7: It’s no longer just a recruitment and selection agency. Previously, organizations viewed sourcing as an “additional recruitment and selection agency.” However, this perspective is diminishing. “We are still primarily called upon when there’s a crisis, but sourcing is not a magic wand; it’s becoming more of a long-term activity. Fortunately, more and more clients recognize its value. With sourcing, we are certain that we reach individuals who are not keen on applying but are open to considering a different job. Convincing them requires more than a superficial relationship.”
Trend 8: Playing outside, sharing inside. Another clear trend is that sourcing is not only a means to find candidates but also a mirror, a form of continuous market research. “We are always playing outside,” This allows us to gather valuable insights from the market. We engage with many candidates and understand what resonates with them and what doesn’t. This is particularly evident in salary negotiations; we quickly determine whether what an organization offers aligns with market expectations. I believe that it’s essential for a sourcing partner to feed this knowledge back to their clients.”
Transparency in sourcing. That’s why all our clients receive progress reports every two weeks. These reports include candidate feedback. Sometimes, this leads to uncomfortable conversations, but it’s beneficial. Being in constant contact with the job market allows us to help our colleagues in the organization adjust their perception of how candidates view them. Subsequently, we can adapt our offerings and sourcing strategies accordingly.”
Trend 9: Sourcing as a red carpet. “We are not enticing candidates to apply, but to engage in a conversation,” Sourcing is increasingly like a red carpet, where candidates should feel welcomed. Lower barriers are becoming more important as the job market evolves. More organizations are exploring ways to redesign the process so that people don’t have to go through the traditional application process. The traditional vacancy-driven sourcing is losing ground, and the focus is shifting toward encouraging candidates to initiate contact. People are becoming more open to this approach.”
