Candidate sourcing refers to how the organization finds and recruits candidates. It is cleaner than “headhunting” or “poaching”, which both sound aggressive and treat employees as a commodity to be traded between business elites.

Candidate sourcing refers to the process of identifying potential candidates for job opening. It possesses an emphasis on searching qualified individuals instead of waiting for them to apply for the position.

It implies finding a good match between the needs of the organization and the people working within it. It recognises the contributions both parties make to the other and to the success of the organization.

How to carry out candidate sourcing

Candidate sourcing involves various things. Below are some effective ways of candidate sourcing:

• Posting jobs online: Advertising jobs on various job boards  online is believed to be one of the most efficient techniques of candidate sourcing. The job boards do not only post the jobs on their portal, but they also include them in their newsletters and email alerts; therefore, therefore they will have a wider reach and to the right set of talent and qualified candidates.

The only disadvantage could be the fact that this technique is that it sometimes fails to target passive candidates; There might be a large number of  candidates out there who could be well suited for the various roles posted. But since they are not actively looking for jobs, they might not have time to pursue these opportunities. Nevertheless, this still remains the best technique for attracting candidates.

• Employee Referrals: This is another great technique, asking employees to refer potential candidates can be a great way of candidate sourcing. Many organizations have implemented a successful employee referral program, which has led to sourcing the right set of talent. 

• Using social media platforms: Recruiting on social media is also seen as an effective candidate sourcing technique, due to recent developments. Platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, have become popular; this is because it is seen as a platform on which promising candidates are identified for recruitment.