There are some topics that you may think can be used interchangeably, but after close inspection, you realize the topics are vastly different. Sourcing and recruiting is one such topic that can be vastly confusing if you do not understand their respective roles.
So in this article, we will try to answer the real difference between “Recruiting” and “Sourcing” and try to find out their respective roles in a company.
What is sourcing?
Sourcing in recruiting refers to the process of identifying and attracting potential job candidates for open positions within a company. This process can be done through various methods, including online job boards, professional networking sites, employee referrals, college recruiting, and industry-specific job fairs.
The goal of sourcing is to identify a diverse pool of qualified candidates who align with the company’s hiring needs and culture. Building a talent pipeline for upcoming job openings is another purpose for sourcing.
Sourcing can be done by a recruiter or by a dedicated sourcing team within a company. Recruiters may use a variety of tools and techniques to find potential candidates, such as targeted messaging and engaging with potential candidates through social media.
Sourcing is an important part of the recruitment process, as it helps companies find the best candidates for open positions. By identifying a diverse pool of qualified candidates, companies can increase the chances of finding the right person for the job and improve the overall success of their hiring efforts.
The people who specialize in sourcing are called “Sourcer” and their main objective is to create and maintain a consistent pipeline of highly qualified individuals who can potentially fill the roles within the company.
Sourcers use a variety of tools and platforms to find potential candidates, this includes popular digital platforms like
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- GitHub
- Social Media
- Application Tracking System
Sourcers also use advanced AI tools that use techniques like Boolean string searches and advanced data mining to identify the best candidates.
What is the Process of Sourcing?
The sourcing process may vary drastically within a company. But a typical sourcing process usually has the following processes.
Kick-off meeting: The aim of the meeting is to go over the specifics of the available position, such as the duties, prerequisites, and required experience of the applicant. The hiring manager will also discuss any particular criteria or gaps seen in past they have for the position, and the recruitment team will give an outline of the hiring process and deadlines. This meeting gives both parties the chance to lay out their expectations clearly and make sure that everyone is on the same page with regard to the recruiting procedure.
Research: Based on the Kick-off meeting details, Sourcer is responsible to do their research and identify different platforms to find the potential candidates.
Engage with potential candidates: After identifying the platforms to find talent, next step is to develop a strategy to engage with the candidates.Will cold calling be more effective than a LinkedIn post or message? These answers need to be addressed at this stage. Once you have narrowed it down to which platform to target, it is now time to send actual invites. It is important to show a strong employer brand, therefore creating engaging content is extremely important.
Review: Pre-screening and reviewing resumes and cover letters to determine if candidates meet the job requirements, qualifications and company culture is also an integral step to ensure no time is wasted.
Scheduling an interview: Contacting and scheduling interviews with qualified candidates, either through phone or in-person interviews.
Hire: Making a job offer to the selected candidate and completing any necessary paperwork and background checks and integrating them into the company.
Keep engaging: Although only a few candidates are selected, it is vital to keep the other prospective candidates in the pipeline engaged. This can be achieved through targeted messaging, social media posts, or using various talent networking campaigns. It is important to let them feel that whenever a new position is opened, they are always next in line.
What is recruiting?
Recruiting on the other hand is the process of evaluating applicants from the pool and guiding them to the onboarding process. Typically the role of recruiters only starts after the Sourcers have engaged with potential candidates and have created a pool of potential applicants who might be suitable for the role. The recruiters evaluate these applicants to find the best match for a role and conduct the required negotiation to complete the onboarding process. This can involve conducting initial screening, phone interviews, in-person interviews, background searches, and more. The recruiters in partnership with hiring teams make the final call on which applicant to offer the job offer.
What is the difference between sourcing and recruiting?
Sourcing and recruiting are both related as they both aim to find suitable candidates for an open position. However, the hiring process they follow is completely distinct.
Sourcing refers to the process of identifying and attracting potential candidates for a job opening. It includes researching and identifying potential sources of candidates, such as job boards, professional networks, and employee referrals. Sourcing also includes the initial screening of resumes and cover letters to determine if a candidate meets the basic qualifications for the job.
Recruiting, on the other hand, refers to the process of actively seeking out and engaging with potential candidates to fill a job opening. It includes activities such as advertising job openings, conducting interviews, evaluating candidates, and making job offers. Recruiting is a more comprehensive process than sourcing, which is focused on finding potential candidates, recruiting is focused on finding the right candidate for the job from the given pool of candidates.
So, in short, we can say that sourcing is the process of finding potential candidates while recruiting is the process of selecting the best candidate from those potential candidates. Both are important steps and work in combination to find the best candidate for a given role.
| Sourcing | Recruiting |
| Actively look for potential candidates and evaluate if they will be a good fit for the company. | Recruits from a pool of active candidates who have applied for the role. |
| Typically seen only in large companies with more than 500 employees. | Can be seen in all types of companies. |
| Responsible for engaging with candidates and creating brand awareness. | Responsible for the quality of hiring |
| Do not hold the final decision of offering an applicant a job offer. | Usually held responsible for making the final decision in partnership with hiring teams. |
Conclusion
Sourcing and recruiting are both important for a successful onboarding process. The processes complement each other to form a system of finding and navigating applicants toward a successful onboarding process.
