The relationship between a recruiter and a sourcer can be a tricky one, especially when just starting to work together for the first time. I’ve been fortunate to have worked on both sides of the table, and I clearly remember the frustrations I had when I was in a sourcing only role.
If you think about it, the relationship between a recruiter and a sourcer is somewhat similar to that of a recruiter and hiring manager. If you are in a recruiting role, think about the hindrances you sometimes feel with your hiring managers…lack of communication, poor candidate feedback, etc. These are all similar things that a sourcer probably feels if there is a poor relationship between the recruiter and sourcer. There are a few things a recruiter can do to improve the relationship and ensure both parties are giving it their all to find that perfect candidate:
- Invite your sourcer to your intake call – I cannot stress how important this is. By including the sourcer in your initial meeting with the hiring manager, it gives them the opportunity to hear first-hand what is needed in the ideal candidate, and it saves you the time of having to setup another meeting to relay all of the information you learned in the intake. I have never met a sourcer who did not appreciate being included in this call, and let’s face it; we all can appreciate one less meeting to add to our calendar!
- Setup weekly check–in calls – As soon as the intake call is finished, schedule a weekly check-in call between you and the sourcer so you can keep each other updated on progress, even when things get crazy. The sourcer should be prepared to speak to his/her candidate activity, and any road blocks that they may be running into when reaching out to new candidates. This is also a great time for the recruiter to update the sourcer on what candidates are moving forward in the process, and to inform them of any qualification or hiring changes. Make sure to set the agenda during the first call so both sides are prepared with what information they need to bring. I recommend scheduling these for Monday so you can map out your week and priority positions together.
- Send feedback on candidate submittals and/or interviews – a sourcer will never know if he/she is targeting the right candidates if they don’t get feedback on the candidates submitted. I highly recommend providing your manager’s a standard feedback form or interview guide to submit to you within 48 hours of the interview, and immediately forwarding this to your sourcer after received. The sooner they can read the feedback from the candidate’s interview, the sooner they can switch up their Boolean strings and searches to find the right candidate if needed.
Building a strong foundation between the recruiter and sourcer is so important to help keep the process consistent, improve your time to fill, and keeping each other sane and satisfied at work. Do you have any other tips to add? Comment below with your thoughts! If you aren’t doing any or all of these now, I challenge you to give at least one a try – I promise it will be worth it!