Even if your company is well-known and boasts amazing company culture, you may still face difficulties sourcing candidates. In order to find the best talent, you’ll need to get creative with your sourcing techniques.

Sourcing and recruiting amazing talent has always been a challenge, but it’s getting harder and harder. The war for top talent is more fierce than ever before, and the traditional ways of sourcing candidates just aren’t cutting it anymore.

So, how do you source more candidates?

There are a few methods for sourcing candidates that can help you cast a wider net and find hidden gems.

What’s talent sourcing, and who does it?

Talent sourcing is the process of identifying and attracting candidates with the desired skills and experience for a specific role or organization. In short, the talent sourcer’s job is to find the best possible candidates and persuade them to apply for the job.

It’s a combination of research, marketing, sales, and psychology. A good sourcing specialist needs to be able to find the right talent, understand what motivates them, and sell them on the idea of working for a specific company.

Talent sourcers are required to:

• Identify present and future hiring needs
• Develop effective sourcing strategies
• Get in touch with potential talent
• Develop multiple talent pipelines for different roles
• Keep researching, trying, and modifying new sourcing strategies, tools, and platforms
• Evaluate the efficacy of various sourcing approaches
• Know how to source more candidates

How to source more candidates

1. Use Advanced Google Search Operators

Google is the sourcer’s best friend. You can find just about anything on the internet with a few simple keywords. But, if you want to go above and beyond, you need to learn how to use Google’s advanced search operators.

Advanced search operators are special characters and commands you can add to your Google searches to get more specific results. For example, the “site” command allows you to search for something on a specific website.

You can use these operators to narrow down your searches and discover candidates that you wouldn’t be able to find with a normal Google search.

To use advanced search operators, simply add them to your search query. For example, if you want to find software engineers in California who are actively looking for new job opportunities, you would search for:

• site: linkedin.com “software engineer” “California” “looking for new opportunities”

2. Social sourcing

Social sourcing is the process of finding, attracting, and contacting potential candidates through social networks (such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter).

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for sourcing candidates. It’s a great way to connect with potential candidates, build relationships, and ultimately persuade them to apply for the job.

Sourcing specialists use social media to:

• Gather data, such as candidate contact information, work samples and resumes
• Engage with prospective employees to create talent pipelines for upcoming job openings
• Get in touch with qualified candidates and let them know about available job positions
• Promote their company’s vacant positions and cultivate their employer brand

The best social media sourcing tools and platforms that can streamline the sourcing process are:

LinkedIn: Yes, everyone used it, but there is a reason for it – it works. This platform is developed for professionals to share their career history, showcase their accomplishments, and connect with industry experts. With a LinkedIn Recruiter license, you can search profiles of potential candidates and send them personal messages (InMails).

Facebook: Every Facebook profile is one potential candidate. Facebook is a popular platform for people when they want to research employers, look for job opportunities, and apply for open positions. Consider using paid job ads and joining Facebook groups to find desired talent.

Indeed: This is one of the world’s biggest job boards that hosts a database with over 90 million resumes. Its advanced search option can help you scan resumes based on your specific criteria (job title, location, etc.)

Twitter: This platform offers various tools like Search, Chat, and Lists that can aid you in sourcing and recruiting candidates. Engage in discussions, follow industry-related hashtags, and promote conferences you sponsor to attract potential candidates.

Workable People Search: This Chrome extension integrates with social media sites. The plugin can be activated by visiting any candidate’s profile on social media sites, including GitHub, Dribble, Facebook, Behance, and Twitter. People Search generates comprehensive profiles, typically including the email address, CV, and other social networks where your candidate is active.

Although not strictly candidate-sourcing tools, these career sites can help you find specific types of candidates:

• Behance – Designers
• We Work Remotely – Remote workers
• Mogul – Women
• GitHub – Developers
• Internships – You guessed it

If you want to expand your talent search to non-traditional platforms, consider the following:

• Slack: Joining industry-specific Slack communities and initiating talks with passive applicants in a less formal atmosphere can help you find the right hires.

• Reddit: Although an unconventional sourcing solution, Reddit’s communities can be excellent places to talk to potential candidates and post job ads.

• Meetup: Meetup is a platform where people can join groups and pursue shared interests. It’s a great sourcing tool for passive and active talent.

• Snapchat: is a popular social media platform largely used by younger people. If you’re looking to source entry-level employees or interns, you can use Snapchat’s specific features to create job ads that grab candidates’ attention.

3. Boolean search strings

One of the most efficient sourcing techniques is Boolean search. 

Boolean search is an advanced web search that combines desired keywords with operators such as AND, NOT, and OR to filter results. This technique can be used on various job boards and social media sites.

It is based on the mathematical theory of George Boole, in which every variable can only be either true or false. Many search engines, including Google, support Boolean searches.

When sourcing candidates with Boolean searches, keep the following tips in mind:

• Use quotation marks around exact phrases to find candidates with the specific skills and experience you’re looking for
• Add operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to broaden or narrow your search
• Combine Boolean searches with other sourcing techniques for the best results

Here are some examples of Boolean search strings you can use:

“customer success” AND “San Francisco”

“customer success” NOT “San Francisco”

(“customer success” OR “customer support”) AND (“Paris” OR “Berlin”)

4. Referrals

Referrals are one of the most efficient ways to find qualified candidates. According to a recent article by Jobtip, 83% of recruiters believe referrals are the best candidates.

When asking for referrals, reach out to your employees, clients, and vendors. 

Let them know you’re actively looking for candidates with specific skills and experience. To encourage people to refer candidates, offer rewards such as bonuses, gift cards, or extra vacation days.

5. Join and host recruitment events

Recruitment events are great sourcing opportunities. You can meet potential candidates in person and get a better sense of their qualifications and fit for your company. 

Attend job fairs, host meetups, or sponsor industry-related conferences to find top talent.

Conclusion

Sourcing talent is a challenging but essential part of recruiting. 

By using the techniques described above, you can source candidates more efficiently and improve your chances of finding the right hires for your open positions.

If you’re still unsure how to source prospects for your company, consider employing recruiters on an as-needed basis. 

A professional recruitment agency most likely has access to more talent pools, expanding the list of candidates to which you have access.

Hundreds of prospects are looking for job openings every day, and CIBR Warriors is here to help you find the right one for you.

For more help in advancing your career or finding a qualified candidate in IT and Cybersecurity, contact us. We’d be happy to answer your questions and provide you with the best advice for getting started.