6 Tips for succesful Active Sourcing
How can companies effectively recruit new employees?
In times of skill shortages and the like, active sourcing is a promising recruiting method. Thanks to its diverse and flexible approach, every company can find the right way to attract new potential employees. However, to make your strategy truly effective, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Find out what they are here.
What is Active Sourcing?
Active sourcing is more than just a set approach and can rather be understood as a concept that companies use to get in touch with top talent. The focus here is on active search and direct approach. Instead of just looking for suitable candidates from the applications received for open job positions, these candidates are simply contacted proactively - regardless of whether or not they are still employed by other companies. The candidates are thus specifically contacted and made aware of the company and the position. The advantage is that companies establish contact at an early stage. This is important in the war for talent, because once talented people are looking for a job, the competition with other companies will be fierce.
Active sourcing: How to find top talent early on
So how exactly should active sourcing be carried out and what can companies look out for when developing a successful strategy? You can find valuable tips and tricks here:
1. Best practice: Define the right target group
Before people are specifically contacted, the company must define who is being sought in the first place. Which hard and soft skills are essential for this position? Which skills are considered “nice-to-have” but are not a must? By distinguishing between essential and optional qualities, companies make the requirements clear, but are able to respond flexibly to what is on offer. Finally, skills can still be learned through further education and training.
2. Best practice: Developing an active sourcing strategy
Once the target group has been defined, a strategy needs to be developed to address the talents. The focus is on the following question: How should I phrase my request in order to reach the target group and receive a response? In addition to the choice of words (whether in a casual, friendly tone or somewhat more formal), recruiters should also think about which channels to use. While professional platforms such as LinkedIn and XING are ideal for cold calling and generating new contacts, the younger target group today is not only private, but also increasingly on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok as well as WhatsApp. A personal approach is of course mandatory - a good and elaborated draft text serves as a basis and can be quickly customized. The subject of the message is virtually the ticket for potential further conversations, because it determines whether the recipients open the message at all. The text should be detailed, but be careful: there is a fine line between quality and quantity. Crisp and to the point content that manages to generate interest in the company and the job description is what is needed here. Some HR tools from the recruiting sector offer smart functions for this, which personalize the approach automatically so that many candidates may be contacted with little effort.
Should the company be mentioned in the request or not?
If companies commission a recruiting agency with the search for new personnel, it is important to determine whether the company should be mentioned directly by the recruiter or only at a later time. This question is often discussed. By mentioning the client, one plays with open cards - in some cases, however, the reputation may be a discouraging factor. Recruiting agencies should consult with their clients and, if necessary, secure themselves with an agreement, for example, so as not to be ignored in their activities. It conveys a high degree of transparency to talents and is a way for recruiters to set themselves apart from their competitors. Our tip: Open communication creates clarity on both sides.
3. Best practice: The right approach to active sourcing
In order to generate the right expectations, a good active sourcing approach is important. This is the only way to communicate conditions and requirements right from the start and to prevent false expectations. If the company has opted for an initial contact via text message, they should prepare for a follow-up call to clarify further details. A digital calendar is helpful for scheduling appointments, as it provides timely reminders of upcoming phone calls. A small reminder also helps the candidates, because sometimes messages get lost in the mailbox. In order to work effectively and reduce the time to hire, the focus should be on the genuinely interested talents.
4. Best practice: reflect and continuously improve active sourcing methods
Active sourcing is an ongoing process that is optimized step by step, because experience shows where things are going particularly well or where they are not. Are there internal experts in your own company with whom an exchange makes sense? If so, workflows can be examined closely in order to learn from mistakes and to adapt them. If no suitable contact persons are available, external active sourcing specialists can also be consulted. In this case, it may be sufficient to book short active sourcing trainings for fine-tuning instead of arranging lengthy trainings, especially if companies already have experience in using the method.
5. Best practice: using efficient active sourcing tools to achieve your goals
Digital tools and smart software support recruiters in their workflows and active sourcing. Reliable HR software with selected functions makes work much easier, enabling processes to be controlled and handled more quickly and efficiently. If such a tool is linked to the CRM system via an interface, conversations with talent that take place on social networks can be conducted directly via the software. This way, HR consultants quickly have an overview of applicant management and the status quo. Extending networks and platforms to the web browser is also a good way to manage conversations and make workflows efficient.
6. Best practice: setting achievable goals with the SMART method
In many cases, the SMART method has proven to be a good way to set goals that are motivating and sustainable. Smart stands for
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attractive
- Realistic
- Timely.
Essentially, it is a matter of taking these points into account when setting goals, for example, achieving a specific measurable key figure by the end of the week: To write to 50 potential candidates* within five days. The complexity and adherence to a target date can be varied, but should always be realistically achievable. What sounds like a lot at first can be implemented relatively well in practice if you use recruiting software to support the process.
Conclusion
Mit vielversprechenden Kandidat*innen ins Gespräch kommen und für offene Stellen gewinnen – der Getting into contact with promising candidates and acquiring them for open positions - the active sourcing approach relies on an early approach and establishment of contact. It depends on the right choice of words and exciting content to find the right specialists and executives on behalf of the company before competitors do. Good preparation, a balance between size and quality of the target group and regular reflection on the strategy are important for success. So is the right software. Together, active sourcing is an effective tool for reducing time to hire and an increasingly popular approach to recruiting.
Did you like our tips for successful Active Sourcing? Do you have any suggestions or questions? Then feel free to share them with us here we look forward to receiving your feedback and exchanging ideas.
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