Candidate sourcing tools can – and should – be a recruiter’s best friend.
In a perfect world, we’d be able to find the absolute best candidate for an open role, whether that candidate is active or passive. Unfortunately, we know that approximately 50% of new hires fail.
So where’s the disconnect between the tools being used and the effectiveness of hiring? How do you know what features you need?
Here are 6 rules to follow when selecting a candidate sourcing tool.
Rule 1: Keep your hiring model in mind
What are you trying to accomplish specifically?
If you are a company that does a lot of high volume hiring, that will require different technology and functions than a company that might hire three times total per year.
What systems are your recruiting team already using? If they manage things in Basecamp, for example, you need a system that easily integrates with Basecamp.
Rule 2: Automate the admin work
This should be a goal regardless of the volume needs of your hiring.
Automating the admin work of sourcing will allow your recruiting team to focus on more value-add tasks around interviewing, networking, and building connections.
Rule 3: Prioritize speed and ease of use
Empty headcount is often seen as costly. As a result, decision-makers typically want “open chairs” filled quickly. How are you going to find the person you need in a relatively quick amount of time?
Make sure your candidate sourcing tool is easy to use and offers a variety of ways to look for candidates.
This will cut down on sourcing time, and if the sourcing is completely automated by using AI, your recruiting team can spend time on niche sites looking for potential passive candidates.
Rule 4: Communicate with candidates
According to Software Advice, the #1 frustration candidates have about recruiters is a lack of communication. CareerBuilder found 84% of applicants expect some type of email response early in the hiring process.
Technology can help.
Whether it’s attaching some type of recruiting automation to your pre-existing ATS, using a chatbot, or automating emails so humans can easily communicate back and forth with candidates.
Rule 5: Embrace passive candidates
Candidate rediscovery software uses AI to search through your ATS to find, grade, and rank prior applicants that match the qualifications of your open role.
Using rediscovery can be very cost effective because it allows you to fill roles using your pre-existing candidate database.
Rule 6: Collect data from multiple sources
Candidate sourcing tools that can scrape candidate information (e.g., social media profiles, past projects) from a variety of sources gives you a better picture of the candidate and role fit.
These tools can often come in the form of an extension or a software integration with your ATS.
Summary: 6 rules for using candidate sourcing tools
With today’s tighter labour market and increased hiring volume, having the right candidate sourcing tool can make a big difference. Keep these 6 rules in mind:
- Rule 1: Keep your hiring model top of mind
- Rule 2: Automate the administrative tasks
- Rule 3: Prioritize speed, ease of use, and integration
- Rule 4: Communicate with candidates via tech
- Rule 5: Embrace passive candidates using rediscovery
- Rule 6: Collect candidate data from multiple sources