Sourcers usually find themselves listening to a candidate only after the candidate has been identified and signaled interest in a position – and only if said sourcer isn’t afraid of using the phone. However, with Podcasts, listening can also be a fantastic means of candidate generation, often allowing you to go from searching for to contacting a candidate in less than 30 seconds.
Podcasts are free audio broadcasts which can be subscribed to and downloaded to a device such as a laptop, mobile phone, or digital audio player. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Podcasts dedicated to every conceivable subject. There is a high likelihood that the person dedicating their time to Podcasting about a specific topic is likely to be an expert in their domain or will spend time interviewing people who are, and chances are the industries for which you hire have numerous industry-specific Podcasts.
How will Podcasts help you generate candidates? Easily: You simply Source the Podcast’s host, also known as a Podcaster. More often than not, a Podcaster will have their contact information readily available so guests, listeners, and sponsors can contact them quickly. If no email address is available, Podcasters often offer links to their social media profiles, such as a Github account, from which you can easily gain contact info.
The first thing you’ll want to do is find podcasts in your domain – the easiest way is to simply search Google (for my search I ran ‘iOS development podcast’), although there are numerous Podcast aggregators available, including iTunes. Once you’ve identified a podcast in your domain, look on the Podcast’s site for a method of contact. It’ really that simple.
Podcast sourcing is quick, easy, and – best of all – gives you a genuine conversation piece with which you can engage your candidate. After listening to your candidate’s Podcasts your messaging goes from the generic “I came across your profile…” or “Your background looks like a great match…” to “I enjoyed your insights into the new version of Xcode” or “Let’s talk about Core Data”. To top it off, by listening to Podcasts you’ll be gaining valuable insights into your candidate’s domain that you likely otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to.
Podcast image credit: bigstock