With so many sourcing techniques these days, it’s easy for teams to become fragmented over which are the best and most optimal for an organization. Sometimes, all the potential solutions create such noise that it can seem like the only solution is either extremely time consuming or expensive.
For example, there’s a school of thought all around the power of organic employee referrals. That your comprehensive benefits package and other tangible and intangible benefits will transform your current employees into a grassroots force, regenerating itself constantly and on its own.
Then there’s the “if you build it, they will come” job-posting approach. Job postings have been around forever, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They are a steadfast way of garnering active candidates (those who are engaged and proactively seeking employment). But while they are a great resource, they should not constitute the entirety of your sourcing arsenal.
Not to mention, the ever-present buzz around social media. It’s clearly here to stay, but its place in the job search is still fluid and changing rapidly.
As with many things, sometimes the best approach is the simplest one. In this case, it goes back to some programming (and Google) basics in the form of Boolean search. In layman's terms, Boolean search is quite simply the act of using keywords and operators in order to refine a search. By applying basic Boolean search you can open many doors for your sourcing techniques, and it’s a relatively simple and easy method to teach your team and get them started with sourcing in no time.
By using these basic terms within google, you can find niche candidates from across the internet quickly and cost-effectively.
Social media is also a great place to apply these specialized recruiting techniques, especially since most of your candidates have profiles on the big three social network platforms, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
With LinkedIn, you don’t even have to enter the site or have a membership to conduct a search. Since most people (as with Facebook) have at least a portion of their page public you can easily search for people directly from Google. Simply use the “site” command and go from there. Here’s an example of what that search would look like:
With Twitter and Facebook, your searches can easily be conducted from the search bar on the sites themselves. You can find candidates on Twitter, again by plugging in those key phrases or locations. On Facebook, you’re able to use queries right from the search bar. This tool allows you to locate talent from a specific company, location or industry.
Finally, there’s the trusted job board route. Most boards allow you to search through a resume database using keywords that apply to the position you are hiring for. Sourcing through these sites allows you to apply those keywords in your search to find the most relevant candidates, and also pulls from a group you know are actively in the job market.
The nice thing about Boolean and basic keyword search is it takes next-to-no time to get started with the process. It’s also able to coordinate social search, job board search and even referrals to allow diversified search without depleting resources.
All you need is a plan moving forward with your team on how these searches can provide a steady pipeline of candidates for your organization. This way, you’re sourcing not only candidates who are qualified for your position and a good fit for your company but you are also maximizing your talent acquisition resources.
