Active sourcing: directly approaching candidates - tips for the right approach

Active sourcing is the direct approach to candidates. In person, via company networks or by messages. The latter is now widely used. But there are many things that can go wrong. What you should pay attention to in active sourcing.

The search for the right candidate is now like looking for a needle in a haystack: A shortage of skilled workers and demographic change have left the labor market virtually empty. That's why many HR managers are now taking the initiative to search for suitable candidates: Active Sourcing.

Personnel marketing: The best channels for direct approach

So-called sourcing tools facilitate the work of long-suffering recruiters in the first step. Intelligent algorithms such as Search!, Talentwunder or TalentBin simultaneously search various (resume) databases, social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Co. or corporate networks such as Xing or LinkedIn. Even relatively unknown special communities like Github or Stackoverflow are not left out.

The collected information about each candidate is clearly organized according to their suitability. Just like a well-structured resume, this allows access to each candidate's name, resume, and contact information.

Once the right talent has been identified, the real recruiting work begins: After sourcing comes active sourcing - directly approaching candidates by e-mail or direct message. However, there are numerous pitfalls lurking in this process. Candidates are now being approached en masse through these channels. Employers must therefore succeed in standing out from the crowd.

Active Sourcing: The direct approach to candidates

From the candidates' point of view, active sourcing is definitely welcome: More than half of the talents would rather be approached by a company than apply themselves. A quarter are even willing to pay for increased visibility in career networks or resume databases so that companies can better identify them.

But beware: Two out of ten of the top 1,000 companies only slightly match their first e-mail conversation with candidates to a talent's profile. In the mid-market segment, the figure is 18.8 percent. Almost one in three candidates is annoyed by this impersonal approach.

Active Sourcing: Why the Sourcer Should Individualize the Approach

The result: talent does not respond to your approach. Now that the situation on the job market has changed, sourcers must take to heart what they used to preach to candidates themselves: score points through individuality. It may be true that recruiters simply don't have time for active sourcing.

But there are tools they can use to efficiently send professional mailings to candidates. Users can choose from a variety of templates and customize them to fit their business design. When addressing candidates, however, recruiters often overlook the fact that the text modules in the templates for addressing a candidate are intended more as tools. It's certainly not practical to simply swap out the candidate's name, garnish the text with a few job descriptions, and send the message on its way. The candidate's reaction is predictable: CTRL + D!

Active sourcing: tips for the right approach

The situation is different if it is clear from the message that the recruiter is explicitly referring to the talent being contacted. This can already be stated in the subject line. If a potential new employee is offered an "enticing professional challenge," for example, this will hardly elicit more than a tired smile. On the other hand, if you make a personal reference to the talent's resume, you greatly increase your chances. For example, "Your project experience with employer XYZ can be deepened with us."

Continue with the greeting. An impersonal "Dear Sir or Madam" will not draw a candidate out from behind the stove. The impression it creates is devastating: "The sourcer doesn't even have time to write out my name? How serious is he really about his offer?"

Cover Letter: Approach, job description

Similarly, in the rest of the cover letter, recruiters should elaborate on exactly why a candidate is perfect for the job opening. It is important to make as many concrete and accurate connections between the content of the job and the candidate's previous resume as possible.

Of course, a description of the task must not be missing. However, the emphasis here is on the words "brief and to the point". Recruiters should not get lost in the details and describe mini to-dos and sub-projects. Instead, recruiters should keep the big picture in mind and highlight exactly those responsibilities that the talent can best handle according to his or her profile.

It is also important to find out what makes the open position attractive to the employee. How does the company differ from the previous employer? The following factors can be decisive: career opportunities, training opportunities, work-life balance, travel, salary, equipment offered, etc.

Considering these points will ensure the best possible start to a good experience for the candidate. This includes all experiences that a candidate has with a company during the application process.