Successful fishing in the big pond

Post a job advert, wait and hope for the best: As a recruiter, it's better to say goodbye to the "post and pray" principle, because qualified specialists no longer just flutter into the house. People are no longer waiting for good employees - they are actively looking for them: offline and online.

"Don't post and pray - hunt!"

A job advert only reaches those applicants who are actively looking for a job and regularly view relevant job advertisements. In addition to these candidates who are willing to change jobs, there are also a whole host of potential applicants who would not be averse to a new job, but are not (always) actively looking for one.

Where to look?

Of course, active sourcing already existed before the digital age. Contacts with promising applicants have always been made at trade fairs and career events and headhunters have always picked up the phone. Career fairs and similar forms of contact still exist, but the web has the edge when it comes to active sourcing: the search is faster, more efficient and more diverse online. There are many hunting grounds for recruiters on the web. Promising candidates can be found in social networks, on career platforms and in their own applicant databases. Depending on the platform, finding the ideal candidate is more or less simple or time-consuming.

• Social networks
  Facebook, Twitter, Google+ - surely there's a great new employee hiding in the plethora of profiles? Possibly, but a targeted search is only possible to a limited extent on social networks. What's more, not every user is looking for a new job, so the joy of being contacted by a recruiter may be limited. From a legal point of view, research in social networks, which are classified as leisure activities, is in a grey area.
• Career platforms
  The probability of meeting job-seeking users is higher on job networks such as XING or LinkedIn than on social media channels such as Facebook. You only register on these portals if you want to use them professionally: to maintain contacts or for job options. But important active sourcing tips also apply here: Not everyone who creates a profile is looking for a job.
• Applicant databases
  Job seekers who enter their CV in a database and complete their applicant profile are clearly looking for a job - with varying degrees of intensity, of course. They decide for themselves what information they disclose to potential employers. In contrast to searches on private networks, there is no need to worry about violating data protection guidelines. If the database automatically matches jobs stored by an employer with the qualifications or activities of applicants, you don't have to search for suitable candidates for advertised positions yourself.

With the right Speech Arouse interest

The first contact leaves the first impression on the applicant. And hopefully it's a good one! The more personalised and professional the approach to the applicant, the higher the probability of receiving a positive response. From standard phrases (Dear Mrs Muster, you may be interested in this job: http://...) Therefore, it is better to refrain from writing a cover letter and take the trouble to write an individual enquiry for each interesting candidate. This doesn't have to be a novel; the essential points can also be covered in a short cover letter: What makes the applicant profile interesting, why would the candidate suit the advertised position and the employer? The link to the job advertisement and the contact details of the responsible recruiter should of course be included in the cover letter.

Building a talent pool - active sourcing tips

The candidate you contacted is currently not interested? An applicant could fit a position that will only become vacant in a few months' time? You should never lose sight of suitable applicants. A talent pool helps you to keep track of relevant contacts. Data on former interns, graduates, evidence from previous job adverts and potential applicants with a lot of potential should be stored in a database. Of course, continuous maintenance requires a lot of time and resources. If you are searching in an applicant database, you can use memo functions to help you and not lose sight of interesting applicants.