How To Effectively Outsource Your Talent Sourcing (Talent Acquisition)

Sourcing and talent acquisition are important resources that can improve and nurture your talent pipeline.

A whopping 44% of the workforce anticipate changing jobs over the next year. This means if you work in HR, as a recruiter, or oversee hiring at your organization– recruiting is likely to be a vital part of your job. 

Talent sourcing is expensive and time-consuming for businesses. TA (talent acquisition) departments are often very busy with interview scheduling, generating offers for candidates, and onboarding new hires. Sourcing candidates becomes an afterthought when TA employees are overburdened, despite how essential it is to the success of their organization.

Fortunately, aligning your company with a dedicated talent sourcing agency can ensure you get candidates who are an excellent fit for a role’s requirements while avoiding the headache of the initial search. 

What Is Sourcing In Recruitment? 

Talent sourcing is similar to lead generation marketing in that a talent sourcing firm will conduct initial interviews with prospective candidates, get up-to-date contact information, resumes, cover letters, etc., and refer them to your company. Talent sourcing agencies sift through both active and passive job seekers on job boards, social media sites, at in-person job fairs, on LinkedIn, and through all types of networking. 

How Do Companies Benefit From Talent Sourcing?

An influx of prospective candidates improves the likelihood of a desirable hire while also increasing a recruiter’s negotiation power. In addition, sourcing can save organizations substantial time because talent sourcers and agencies can proactively search for candidates before a position opens. 

What Is the Talent Acquisition Process?

The path to receiving qualified, well-vetted candidates can be surprisingly quick. The three main stages of sourcing include: 

  1. Crafting a detailed job description. This description should include the skills, experience, and education needed, along with a potential salary range. The more precise your job description is, the more likely you will get a variety of promising candidates. Let your talent acquisition agency know what an ideal candidate looks like. Check out the below section, “How Can You Craft A Detailed Job Description,” for more details. 
  2. Researching candidates and establishing communication. Talent sourcing agencies are experts in the recruiting market. When well equipped with detailed job descriptions, they can review resumes, conduct initial interviews to gauge interest, and keep track of candidates. 
  3. Evaluating interested candidates. During this stage, a talent sourcing agency turns over the sourced candidate pool to an organization’s recruiter or hiring manager to begin the interview process. 

What Are Different Talent Sourcing Strategies In Recruitment? 

A reputable talent sourcing agency will have many strategies to vet and identify promising candidates. A talent sourcing agency can:

  1. Encourage you to get employee referrals. Employee referrals take a lot of the guesswork out of hiring because a well-performing employee can vouch for a recruit’s character and work ethic. 
  2. Help you identify a candidate persona. Sometimes, even the most detailed job description doesn’t adequately identify your ideal candidate. Brainstorming and creating a candidate persona can streamline your hiring process by ensuring your talent sourcing agency knows exactly who you’re looking for. 
  3. Use the latest in recruiting technology. Another benefit to partnering with a sourcing agency is you will not have to purchase and know how to use the latest recruiting tools. Professional talent sourcers are proficient in specialized tools that let them sort through thousands of profiles to target specific hiring pools. 
  4. Collect information and create a relationship. Applying to jobs can be monotonous and soulless. It’s hard for a candidate to know if they are truly qualified or a cultural match without having someone to talk to. Talent sourcers can nurture this relationship by answering initial questions and following up with candidates.

How Can You Leverage Your Talent Sourcing Agency? 

Like most aspects of life, clear communication is key to getting the most out of your talent sourcing agency. This begins within your organization. It’s important that you get executive buy-in and support from the beginning. Without executive buy-in, you will likely waste both your own and your sourced candidates’ time. 

Explain to everyone involved in the hiring process what their roles and responsibilities are. Consider assigning a project manager to oversee assignments and deadlines. 

Make sure to keep open communication with your talent sourcing agency. Establish any budget and financial constraints early. Job descriptions can change if employees decide to leave during the hiring process or if others are promoted. Make sure your agency is aware of any changes and new requirements. 

How Can You Craft A Detailed Job Description?

A detailed job description and candidate persona can help you find the ideal job seeker. As a brainstorming exercise, answer these questions: 

  1. What specific work will this candidate be performing?
  2. Who will they be working with? What is the team culture like?
  3. What is the future of this role? What is the next position they could be promoted to?
  4. Why would a candidate who is currently employed leave their organization for yours?
    1. What benefits do you offer? Compensation? Flexibility/Remote Work? 
    2. How easy will their upward trajectory be at your organization?
  5. What makes this role and your company unique? What should a recruit understand about your brand? 

What Strategies Can You Use To Nurture Your Talent Pipeline?

Your time is valuable. You won’t want to restart the sourcing process every time a similar role opens up. Remember, a good part of the workforce anticipates leaving their current employer in the near future. Therefore, it’s important that when you receive a list of sourced candidates (your talent pipeline), you don’t let them slip away. 

Some strategies for nurturing your talent pipeline include ensuring you respect your interviewee’s time and effort by informing them quickly if they are no longer being considered for a position. Be sure to express your appreciation for their time and let them know about any future open positions. Keep detailed records of interviews and who did well. Someone who came in second for a position may come in first for another.

You may also need to repeat the sourcing process for positions that have different requirements. Let the sourcing process be a learning experience for everyone. Remember to share what things your talent acquisition sourcers did well and what you would like to see them improve in the future.