My mom once said to me as a young adult to make sure to make and take a list when you go grocery shopping, and 20 years later, this process still resonates with me. It’s efficient, quick and keeps me in check and I’ve been doing it for years. Now I implement this technique in my sourcing techniques and have my team do the same.
We’ve all been there. It is day number 9, and you are sourcing on a very challenging requisition and have another 15 reqs on your plate. Your mind races and you are trying to remember where you have sourced, what techniques you have used, and what rocks you still have yet to turn over to find your “purple squirrel” and fill your open position. It’s madness!
Well, one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself, and our sanity, is being well organized and create a sourcing plan. Once you’ve had your recruiting strategy call with the hiring manager, take the time to write out a “Sourcing Checklist” to make sure you know where to start your sourcing process and where to end it. This can include social media sites, job boards, niche sites, associations or specific societies, schools, etc. Having a checklist can give you a clear picture of your sourcing strategy. Be sure to make it as extensive as possible, so you are covering every base needed.
With so many options such as LinkedIn, referrals, Facebook, Twitter, Zoom, Indeed, Meetup groups, Monster, Boolean, X-raying, Duck Duck Go, Yandex, ZipRecruiter, metasearch sites, etc. You can quickly lose track of where you have sourced and where you still need to look for your talent. Once you have exhausted one of these sources, cross it off your list and move on to the next. I print out my roles, put them in a folder, and then write out where I sourced that role on the folder, crossing it off once I complete it.
In the end, sometimes we get so caught up in trying to fill our open roles as quickly as possible and forget to be well organized in our process. By having a sourcing plan and checklist, you will be able to better track all of your sourcing efforts and cut down on time (which needless to say is the most important commodity to any recruiter). Finally, you can use this list when/if the hiring team asks the “what have you done for me lately” card. You can show them your list and say you’ve sourced here, there and everywhere in between. Once you’ve completed your checklist and still haven’t found qualified candidates, you know it’s time to recalibrate, review, and repost the role. It will stop the madness!
On a side note, I’d want to say thank you, Shannon, for all you’ve done for SourceCon. Your leadership will be missed, and I want to wish you the very best in your future role and continued success.
Happy sourcing everyone, and remember to make those lists!