Why source when candidates apply themselves?
Imagine you are conducting IT recruitment. You place an ad on the largest portal, wait a few days and…. nothing. Why is this happening when there are thousands of IT specialists on the market? Well, the best IT recruitment agencies in Poland know that those most sought-after candidates – senior developers, software architects, DevOps specialists – rarely look for a job themselves. Their skills are in demand and their email inboxes on LinkedIn are bursting at the seams with job offers. So waiting for applications is not a strategy that works for IT experts.
On the other side of the scale looms the spectre of a box bursting at the seams with mismatched CVs. Looking for a good Senior Java Developer? Unfortunately not this time, but instead you could spend 2 hours looking through CVs of people with half the years of experience you need and different technologies than you need. The process of filtering out the ‘good’ from the ‘bad’ CVs is tedious and time-consuming, so consider whether this time is better spent on activities with a higher chance of success – such as sourcing ;)
Are global brands such as Google or Meta also sourced?
You might think that world-renowned companies such as Google, Meta or Amazon don’t need to be actively looking for candidates. After all, their name attracts the best in the market. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even giant tech brands are investing in sourcing teams to reach the best IT professionals in the world directly. They employ dedicated sourcers whose job is to establish relationships with the top experts in the market and convince them to switch jobs.
In our webinar, Agnieszka Rachwalak from Box, when asked whether they rely on sourcing or posting adverts, replied:
‘At our company, about 10% of hires come from job boards.(…) Sourcing is reigning supreme.’
How is the role of the tech sourcer changing in the face of new labour market trends?
The modern sourcer is no longer just a specialist in finding contacts on LinkedIn. In the age of automation and artificial intelligence, his role has become much more complex and strategic. Today, sourcers work with analytical tools, develop marketing campaigns to target candidates and personalise communications to stand out in a crowded email inbox.
Sourcers are becoming increasingly multidisciplinary – they need to know current technology trends, understand how new frameworks and technologies used by IT professionals work, and be able to assess candidates’ skills based on their projects.
If you’re wondering how to enrich your skillset, take a look at our other blogposts: Overcoming the bane of rejection, i.e. how to recruit effectively in IT, and Applications, plug-ins and tips, i.e. what will make your job easier in IT recruitment
Is sourcing dead then?
Definitely not, on the contrary, it is more alive and dynamic than ever. At recruitment companies like Team Up, sourcing is a key part of the recruitment process, because it’s what allows us to reach the most talented IT professionals who can’t be ‘waited out’ on job boards.
If you want to learn more about modern sourcing techniques and how sourcing is done in Poland, drop by to watch the full webinar! 🎥