What Sourcing Is/Isn't

[Maureen Sharib]

As recently as only a couple years (3-4) back, there wasn’t much talk on the boards about “sourcing”. Sure, once in a while it was mentioned, but there wasn’t much “buzz” around it and for the most part it seemed to be treated like a red-headed stepchild. Furious trumpet debate would sound when the subject would come up; fingers would point and wagging tongues would trash talk the subject. I remember being appalled by how the subject was received (and perceived) in the community. At about the same time, it seems, several of us made a decision and a commitment to talk about the subject, realizing (on my part, for selfish reasons) that if the subject was not illuminated it would continue to occupy the same shadowy corner post it had been relegated to. My commitment hasn’t changed and is only bolstered by the commitment and fine contributions made by the thought leaders in this newly recognized Industry. More here.

[Sandra McCartt]

I have always been of the opinion that many time curosity "killed the cat" or in the case of sourcing instigated the process that resulted in a hire. I have only heard of a few people who were irritated by being contacted by a sourcer. And who wants those anyway? Many passive candidates are sitting at their desk working away with never a thought to check the job market until a phone sourcer or a recruiter calls them.

In my opinion the phone sourcer is the PR front man for the recruiter. They generate interest, flatter most people that they were identified and contacted and most importantly start the subliminal curosity to "hear more", "see what's out there" or "find out how they stack up in the current salary market for their area".

Sourcers may actually be the be the forward observers of the recruiting industry ,many times making the first contact that generates the curosity to Look.