A talent sourcer identifies and engages potential candidates using various strategies to build a company’s talent pool. They collaborate with HR and recruiters, focusing on sourcing and increasing interest in job openings.
By Brad Nakase, Attorney
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In today’s increasingly complex talent acquisition landscape, recruitment teams often consist of multiple roles such as a manager, marketer, data analyst, and sourcer. Here we examine the talent sourcer in detail. Who are sourcers and recruiters, what do they do, how much do they make, and what’s the difference between the two? Let us begin!
A talent sourcer looks for qualified individuals and makes contact with them. They do this by using a variety of strategic ways to hire people. There are two kinds of candidates that sourcers look for: active and passive.
In addition to creating and managing a company’s talent pool, a sourcer is responsible for increasing interest in open positions inside the firm.
In bigger companies, a talent sourcer may work as an integral element of the recruiting team responsible for generating a pool of qualified applicants to fill open positions. In smaller businesses, the HR generalist is often responsible for sourcing. However, they have the option to hire a third party to handle this activity on their behalf.
In its simplest form, the sourcer is responsible for the initial steps in the selection process. In other words, they look for possible candidates in all the right places. Additionally, they make contact with potential candidates to pique their interest in the open position.
Following this initial stage, the recruiter enters the picture. In most cases, it is the recruiter’s job to get to know the prospects, determine whether they are a good fit for the position, and then lead them through the hiring process.
At its core, talent sourcing is all about turning casual browsers into serious candidates, as SmartRecruiters so eloquently puts it. Conversely, turning applicants into workers is what recruitment is all about.
On the other hand, there are situations where it’s hard to tell one from the other. For various reasons, such as a lack of resources or a desire to take on more responsibility, some recruiters also source candidates.
People in the talent acquisition and human resources departments, as well as recruiters, hiring managers, and specialists in the field, collaborate closely with talent sourcers. Based on what we’ve seen so far, their specific duties might change depending on the company’s size.
A sourcer’s typical responsibilities include the following:
Develop a sourcing strategy: Sourcers collaborate with others in HR and the talent acquisition team to create and execute a sourcing strategy that supports the overall talent acquisition goals of the organization.
Creating leads: Since open positions cannot be filled in the absence of qualified applicants, this is perhaps the most critical responsibility of a sourcer. Talent sourcers must be well-versed in the ins and outs of candidate research in order to locate qualified individuals. To illustrate the point, it’s likely that software developers and marketers use separate job-search portals. This means that familiarity with appropriate internet channels, such as job boards, platforms, and social media, is crucial.
Using technology and equipment: Using (recruitment) tech and tools is now synonymous with lead generating. A few examples of how tech is involved in sourcing are understanding how to work with programmatic job advertising (to ensure your job adverts reach the correct individuals), how to use candidate sourcing software, and how to navigate the company’s applicant tracking system (ATS).
Find suppliers: All things considered, sourcing candidates is the sourcer’s bread and butter. There are a number of methods for this, including utilizing databases, social media, phone calls, and even mobile (via text messaging) sourcing.
Outreach to candidates: Many times, sourcers are the ones that initiate contact with a prospect, whether they are actively seeking or not. The motivation behind their outreach can vary; it could be in response to an open position or it could be to expand the company’s talent pool. Whatever the case may be, a talent sourcer’s ability to converse and engage with strangers is essential.
Stats and report writing: Conversion rates (the percentage of applicants who made it from a certain channel to a hire, for example), the number of passive candidates who became applicants, the number of sourced candidates who advanced to the interview stage, and similar metrics are important for sourcers to monitor. The goal is to utilize this data to continuously optimize the sourcing strategy and process.
Promotion of the employer brand: Attracting qualified candidates and spreading the word about open positions is a big part of the job description. Sourcing goes beyond just advertising open positions; it also involves marketing the company as an employer, or “selling” it to prospective employees.
Recruit top talent and keep them on staff: Sourcers do more than just fill open positions; they also work to cultivate a pool of qualified applicants from whom the company can draw in the future.
A follow-up on the referral: One of the many ways that businesses find new suppliers is through word of mouth recommendations from existing personnel. The talent sourcer is responsible for pursuing opportunities that arise from the employee referral program.
We may construct a sample job description for a talent sourcer based on the duties and responsibilities mentioned above.
Concerning the role
Within the Talent Acquisition team and in the day-to-day candidate sourcing efforts, the Talent Sourcer will be an integral cog. In addition to collaborating closely with HR, recruiters, hiring managers, and other talent acquisition department members, this position will be responsible for coordinating all sourcing initiatives.
Interacting often with active and passive candidates is part of the job, as is maintaining the company’s talent pool and the many sourcing channels. Possess excellent people skills and be an outgoing, proactive, and self-motivated team player. You need to be able to express yourself well in writing and verbally.
Important tasks and obligations
Required skills
People with disabilities may be able to carry out the necessary tasks with the help of reasonable accommodations.
The salary can be very different based on the job, location, experience, and workload. According to Neuvoo, talent sourcers in the United States earn an average of $56,063 year. Salary ranges from $30,169 for entry-level roles to $95,306 for those with more expertise.
According to Salary.com, a technical recruitment sourcer in Austin, Texas (US) can expect to earn an average salary of $73,444, with a salary range of $62,561 to $85,002.
In the United Kingdom, a talent sourcer’s income can range from £17,680 to £66,560, with an average of £37,434.
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