Where to Find Talent: A Guide on Sourcing in HR.
In our last guide, we created our HR Plan. We know how many
people we need and what skills they should have. Now comes the exciting part:
where do we actually find them? This is called Talent Sourcing.
Think of it this way: HR Planning was deciding what kind of fish you need to catch (e.g., "we need 10 small fish and 1 big fish"). Sourcing is figuring out which pond to fish in and what bait to use.
A smart sourcing strategy in recruitment is the difference
between an empty net and a great hire.
What is Sourcing in HR? Understanding Your Strategy
A sourcing strategy is simply your plan of action for
finding candidates. It's not just "posting a job ad and praying."
This HR sourcing for beginner’s guide will show you it's about deciding where
your ideal candidate is likely to be and how to get their attention.
Your strategy will generally be a mix of two approaches:
- Passive
Sourcing: You post a job and candidates come to you.
- Active
Sourcing: You actively "hunt" for candidates who may not
even be looking for a job.
A good HR professional knows how to blend both.
The Two Main Sources of Recruitment: Internal vs. External Sourcing
Every candidate you find comes from one of two
"ponds."
1. Internal Sources (Hiring from Within)
These are candidates who already work for your company.
- How
to use them:
- Internal
Job Postings (IJPs): Announcing the job on the company intranet or
notice board.
- Promotions/Transfers:
Moving a high-performing employee into the new, more senior role.
- Employee
Referrals: Asking current employees to recommend people they know.
(This is a powerful one!)
2. External Sources (Hiring from Outside)
These are candidates from the open job market.
- How
to use them:
- Job
Portals: (e.g., Naukri, Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs). You post a job and
receive applications.
- Advertisements:
This is broader than just portals. It includes placing paid ads in newspapers
(essential for some compliance rules), trade magazines or as banners on
other websites.
- Company
Career Page: The "Work with Us" or “Career” section on company's
website.
- Social
media: Using platforms like LinkedIn to find and contact potential
candidates.
- Campus
Hiring: Visiting colleges and universities to hire fresh graduates.
- Recruitment
Agencies: Paying an external firm to find candidates for you (often
for senior or very specific roles).
- Walk-ins:
(Common for factory, retail, or high-volume roles).
How to Choose a
Sourcing Method: The Strategic Part
You don't use the same source for every job. You must be
strategic. This is how to choose a sourcing method that fits the job. Before
you post, ask these questions:
- What's
the Role? (Level of Management)
- Senior/Niche
Role (e.g., Head of Finance): You won't find them on a general job
portal. You need to use active sourcing on LinkedIn (a key part of Social
Media Sourcing) or hire a specialist recruitment agency.
- Junior/Entry-Level
Role (e.g., Graduate Trainee): Campus hiring or job portals are your
best bet.
- What's
the Budget? (Cost)
- Low
Budget: Focus on employee referrals and your company career page.
These are very low-cost.
- High
Budget: You can use premium job portals or recruitment agencies, but
they are expensive.
- How
Fast Do You Need Someone? (Time)
- Urgently:
Internal sources (transfers) and employee referrals are the
fastest.
- No
Rush: Campus hiring is planned months in advance.
- What's
the Volume? (Quantity or Numbers)
- One
Specialist: Use active search or referrals.
- 50
Call-Center Agents: Use mass job portals, social media ads, or walk-in
interviews.
The Social Media Game-Changer: Sourcing & Employer Branding
Social media, especially LinkedIn, has completely changed
recruitment. It has resulted in two major shifts:
- The
Rise of "Passive Candidates": Before, HR could only reach
people actively looking for a job. Now, you can find and message a
top-performing manager who is happy in their current job. This is the
"passive" talent pool, and mastering passive candidate
sourcing is a key skill.
- The
Power of Employer Branding: Your company's social media page is now a
recruiting tool. It's not just about posting jobs; it's about showing off
your company culture and employee achievements. This makes people want
to work for you.
Sourcing in Regulated Organizations
This is a critical point. In many organizations, you cannot
just "randomly select" a source based on preference. Your sourcing
methods in HR are "fixed" by rules.
- Who
does this? This applies to cooperative societies, public sector
organizations (PSUs), government departments, and many large, unionized
companies.
- Why?
The goal is fairness, transparency, and providing equal opportunity to all
eligible candidates.
- What
does this mean? Sourcing is strictly bound by the organization's
bylaws and policies. You must follow the approved procedure. This often
means you are required to post all job openings in public,
specified sources (like national newspapers, Employment News, or your
official career portal) and cannot simply "headhunt" someone
from LinkedIn.
In this context, social media plays a different role. It's
not used to find individual candidates, but as a broadcast tool to announce
the official job opening and direct all candidates to the formal,
transparent application channel. This ensures wide reach while still complying
with the rules.
Final Thoughts for Freshers: Your Journey in Recruitment Sourcing
Sourcing is one of the most creative parts of recruitment
sourcing. As a fresher, your value grows when you stop just "posting
jobs" and start "building a talent pipeline."
Choosing the right source saves time, money and is the first
step to bringing in quality talent. Knowing where to find candidates for
jobs and understanding the rules for your specific organization is the
first step to thriving as an HR professional. Remember, the best fish don't
always jump into the boat, a great recruiter knows which pond to fish in.
Did you find this article helpful? We'd love to hear
from you. Please share your own experiences with talent sourcing, or let us
know your thoughts on this guide in the comment box below!
By Mit : HR Professional
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