The days when HR managers could select the right candidate for a position from a plethora of applicants are long gone. Due to digitization, the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change, the fight for talent is becoming increasingly difficult. In order not to miss the boat here as a company, Active Sourcing can be a promising, significant method of recruiting employees.

What is Active Sourcing?

Under Active Sourcing one understands all measures in which you actively seek personal contact with potential employees and develop a relationship with them. That means: You specifically determine where potential candidates are. This can be, for example, with competitors, at trade fairs, in forums and on online platforms such as social media channels.

Once you have found the right people, contact them individually, usually also via social media or business networks. With their consent, you can add the candidates to a talent pool. It is important to structure and maintain this pool. Add the status and information about the candidates.

Aims of Active Sourcing

The aim of Active Sourcing is to make potential employees so to bind to you through personal contact for a long time until you can be recruited. This can be done by exchanging information or by invitation to special events, trade fairs, online conferences or expert forums. Increasing loyalty is intended to prevent candidates from migrating to competitors.

How can Active Sourcing apply ?

But when and how can active sourcing be used for your company? It is particularly worthwhile in the following areas:

• IT
• Engineering
• Sales
• Marketing
• HR
• Finance and Controlling

In other words, areas in which potential candidates are already widely represented in online networks. It is also particularly relevant for positions that require initial professional experience and specialist knowledge. However, entry-level or management positions can also be of their own, which should be checked individually depending on the position.

Platforms targeted

In order to successfully implement active sourcing, first look specifically for platforms on which the right target group for the respective position is represented. Then you decide on the basis of a requirement profile that you have previously created for a few, suitable people. As a first step, these will draw your attention to a vacancy or your company.

The important thing is: Always address potential candidates in a targeted and personalized manner. Make specific reference to their skills, professional skills and experience. Enter into an appreciative, individualized dialogue with each individual. In this way you arouse the candidate’s interest until he is finally open to a career change.

The operational implementation

The following platforms and methods can help you with the operational implementation:

• Social media, for the search but also the targeted approach of possible candidates
• Business networks, such as Xing and LinkedIn
• Career pages, on the homepage but also in online networks
• Various blogs, for example on specialist topics, for researching and addressing possible candidates
• CV database, such as Monster or Stepstone, to search through profiles
• Actively managed and maintained talent pool

The role of apps

In addition, certain apps and platforms, For example, for video advertising, they can be promising components of active sourcing. This allows you to introduce and present them yourself and invite candidates to a video application. They then have the opportunity to show their personality via video. This gives you an immediate personal impression.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of active sourcing?

Active sourcing has some decisive advantages for your company . You can also reach passive candidates in this way. You can also specifically discover and address talents. You can also fall back on the existing talent pool if there is a need for staff, which saves costs. In this way, the search does not have to be started from scratch and there is no need to advertise jobs. The individualized, targeted and appreciative communication also usually increases the response rate compared to other concepts.

A disadvantage of active sourcing, especially at the beginning of the effort, is the sometimes high research effort. Especially if the talent pool is not sufficiently full or if the positions are very special. In addition, there is always a residual risk that the potential applicant will feel harassed and that making contact could damage the company’s image.

Conclusion

A shortage of skilled workers, demographic change, digitization and the increasingly increasing “War for Talents” – all of this makes companies more difficult more the acquisition of suitable employees. But if you adjust to it in a targeted manner and use new recruiting methods such as active sourcing, you can develop a decisive competitive advantage.

Although an increased need for research is necessary at the beginning of Active Socuring, it can pay off in the long term. Social media, apps and new forms of application such as video applications are also making active sourcing increasingly easier. What is important is an appreciative, individualized and target group-oriented approach and the active management of a talent pool. This method can soon be the decisive advantage for you.