The Talent Behind Talent: What Does a Talent Acquisition Sourcer Do?

Talent acquisition sourcers play an integral role in helping companies find and recruit top talent. They actively search for qualified individuals to fill positions as part of their job. But what does it take to be a talent acquisition sourcer?

As a talent finder, their job is to find candidates on different platforms and keep a network of potential hires. This is an exciting and rewarding career for those with the right skills.

Read on to learn about the main tasks, duties, and qualifications required for this job.

Who Is a Talent Acquisition Sourcer?

A talent acquisition sourcer is a recruiter who finds and connects with potential job candidates. Talent sourcers are recruiters, but not all recruiters are talent sourcers. Talent acquisition sourcers search for qualified people who fit the company well. Recruiters screen and assess applicants to find the proper job role for them.

Sourcing candidates involves researching, reaching out, evaluating, and building relationships. The ideal talent sourcer is curious, persuasive, and a great communicator. They typically have an associate degree or certificate in human resources or related fields. With the right skills, it can be a rewarding career, helping to find highly skilled candidates for the company's success.

Key Duties and Responsibilities of a Talent Acquisition Sourcer

As a talent acquisition sourcer, their job is to find high-quality candidates to fill key roles. To find potential candidates, they use different sourcing techniques.
Key Responsibilities

Candidate Sourcing:

Sourcers actively search for candidates on job boards, social networks, and LinkedIn. They aim to identify individuals who match the job requirements.

Initial Outreach:

They reach out to prospective candidates to gauge their interest and suitability for open positions. This often involves sending initial messages or emails and initiating communication.

Talent Pipeline Development:

Sourcers find and contact potential candidates to build a talent pipeline. This helps ensure a steady number of qualified candidates for future hiring needs.

Market Research:

To be a good sourcer, staying updated on industry trends, salary benchmarks, and available skill sets is essential. This knowledge helps them identify the right talent and adjust their sourcing strategies accordingly.

Collaboration with Recruiters:

Sourcers work with recruiters and hiring managers to learn job requirements for successful hiring.

Data Management:

Keeping track of candidate information, interactions, and progress is crucial. Many uses applicant tracking systems to do this.

To be a successful talent acquisition sourcer, curiosity and persistence is important.  Good networking skills and finding talented individuals add up as well.

Critical Skills and Qualifications for Sourcing Talent

Specific skills and qualifications are needed to succeed as a talent acquisition sourcer. These include:

Research abilities

Sourcing top talent requires excellent research skills. Proficiency in searching, organizing, and analyzing data is essential. Websites such as social networks, job sites, and professional databases help find the right people.

Communication skills

Good communication skills are a must. The job involves regularly contacting candidates, hiring managers, and recruitment agencies via phone, email, and in person. Sourcers  need to explain job roles, company culture, and career prospects to potential candidates well. Good writing skills are very important for job postings, emails, and other written messages.
Technical knowledge
Stay on the cutting edge of new technologies and tools for sourcing talent. Recruitment software such as applicant tracking systems and candidate relationship management platforms simplifies hiring processes. Sourcers must comfortable be comfortable using these types of technologies.
Adaptability
The field of talent acquisition is constantly evolving. Laws, technology, and candidate expectations frequently change. Stay up to date with trends in the recruitment industry and be willing to adapt strategies and techniques. What works one year may need improvement the next. Flexibility and a growth mindset will serve well.

To succeed as a talent acquisition sourcer, it helps to have a bachelor's degree in HR (Human Resources), business, or a related field. It is helpful to have 2-5 years of relevant experience as well. Recruiting, staffing, and human resources certifications boosts career.

Strategies and Tools Used by Top Sourcers

A talent sourcers’s job is to find high-quality candidates for open positions. To do this, using various tools and strategies to uncover talent is needed.
Strategies

• Networking: Building and maintaining a strong professional network is essential. Top sourcers often tap into their connections to find suitable candidates. Using various tools and strategies to uncover talent is needed to do this
• Targeted Job Descriptions: Crafting detailed and appealing job descriptions is crucial. It helps attract candidates with the right skills and mindset.
• Social Media Presence: Leveraging platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and even industry-specific forums help sourcers identify and reach out to potential candidates.
• Boolean Search Techniques: Advanced search operators in search engines or job boards help narrow down candidate pools effectively. Boolean search allows sourcers to construct precise search queries for qualified candidates on platforms like LinkedIn.
• Data-Driven Approach: Analyzing past hiring data to understand what works and what does not provide better sourcing strategies.
• Referrals: Ask for referrals from colleagues, connections, and former candidates for better hiring results. Offer a referral bonus to incentivize qualified referrals.

Tools and Platforms:

• LinkedIn Recruiter: This is a go-to tool for many sourcers, offering advanced search and messaging features.
• Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): These helps manage candidate pipelines and track their progress.
• Social Media Analytics Tools: Hootsuite or Buffer help schedule posts and analyze their impact.
• Job Boards: Websites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and specialized boards in the industry are goldmines for sourcing. Utilize job description software to create suitable role descriptions for open positions.
• AI-Powered Sourcing Tools: These use AI algorithms to find and match candidates with job openings.

With the right tools and techniques, one can be well on the way to becoming a top sourcer. Experiment with strategies to build an efficient process and source the best talent.

How to Improve Skills as a Talent Acquisition Sourcer

A Talent Acquisition Sourcer’s career path and growth opportunities are promising. Here are some tips to help in talent acquisition career progress:
Continuous Learning
Focus on continuous learning and improving sourcing skills to advance career. Keep up with HR technology trends, Boolean search techniques, and best practices for diverse talent pools. Consider getting more certifications in diversity recruiting, interviewing, or applicant tracking systems.
Mentorship and Networking
Look for mentors within the organization who can coach and help in professional development. Build a network by joining professional associations and LinkedIn groups. Connect with fellow sourcers, recruiters, and relevant people such as recruiting managers or directors.
Networking
Build and maintain a strong professional network for candidate referrals. Keep up with industry trends and changes in the job market. Leverage tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter and AI-driven platforms

Talent acquisition sourcers have many promising career and growth opportunities, from moving into management roles to advancing as individual contributors. With continuous learning and networking, the possibilities for career progression are vast. The key is gaining experience, developing skills, and pursuing new challenges.

Conclusion

Being a talent acquisition sourcer is a tough job but can be very rewarding. Talent acquisition sourcers are essential in helping companies find the best people to work for them. This is an excellent career for people skilled at networking and finding the right person for a job. Sourcers deserve credit for helping people find jobs they love and ensuring companies have great employees.