A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING

by Broadbean

INTRODUCTIONCandidate resourcing may seem like a straight forward process, however with the vast amount of applications available to recruiters it’s not as black and white as we think. Our A-Z Candidate Sourcing guide aims to provide useful tips, tricks and hints to help you source the best talent available.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | INTRODUCTION

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | APP

Power Search Utility – This is a must for every Recruiter/Sourcer. The Power Google application is basically a Boolean cheat sheet. From basic operators, to advanced modifiers, this application contains every Boolean term to help improve your sourcing skills. It even defines all Boolean operators and modifiers and gives examples on how to use each.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | BROADBEAN

Broadbean Search allows you to run a single search that covers both external and internal candidate data. So each search will find new candidates on LinkedIn and CV databases and include the results of previously sourced candidates. This allows you to make the most of the data you’ve already gathered. The system also shows how you can improve the performance and ROI of search channels.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | CAREER SITE

Different to your own job board, a career site is a great way to showcase your business as a great place to work. Include the latest vacancies, videos and photos which provide a different perspective and multi-channel way of getting your culture across. You should also ask for contributors from your employees – testimonials go a long way in reinforcing the employer brand promises. Really simple to set up, you just need to ensure you maintain it and keep it current.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | DATA

The bigger the better! Big data collected from the candidate response behaviours on modern job boards provides a real-world, right-now example. Job boards are one of the best tools for sourcing the talent you need and big data analysis can also measure the effectiveness of a recruitment campaign so you can make necessary adjustments to improve performance.

Employee recommendations work best where an organisation has a long-term, regular recruitment need. Existing employees may know potential candidates who are not actively looking for employment via other channels. Potential candidates will have a good understanding of the role and the organisation from the person who recommended them. Furthermore, the employee who recommended the candidate often feels a sense of responsibility towards them and helps guide them in their new role.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | EMPLOYEE RECOMMENDATION

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | FACEBOOK

The developments in candidate sourcing over Facebook are staggering. With new tools being launched seemingly each month staying ahead of how you can use Facebook to recruit is becoming a fulltime job. With this is mind, get training or expert help and don’t underestimate just how many candidates you could find on Facebook.

Google has officially achieved world domination and if you know how, you can pretty much find anyone, with a digital profile. String searching and Boolean searches are key to any online sourcing. Make sure you know the latest Google techniques by investing in regular training and stay in tune with the latest developments in search languages.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | GOOGLE

2013 saw an increase in job application volumes however a decline in vacancy volumes (see Broadbean’s 2013 Recruitment Trends Report). So what does this show? It suggests that there is a growing amount of searchable talent, even though job vacancies have fallen this has not dampened candidate motivation. That being said, it is important to always stay up to date with hiring trends in order to remain one step ahead of the competition.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | HIRING TRENDS

In recruitment, the internet can either be your best friend or your very own worst enemy, and it really depends on how you use it.

Sure it’s great for networking and posting jobs, but sometimes the internet is like having a china piggy bank; you only need a pound but in order to get it out, you have to break your way in. Candidate sourcing via the internet is very similar; in order to find that perfect candidate you have to break and scrape your way through the crowds. Time consuming yes, but rewarding all the same.

CANDIDATE SOURCING | INTERNET

Posting to job boards requires forethought and a process. Start with thinking about your end goals – how many applicants do you need or want? Is this a branding only exercises or do you need to boost candidates in your talent pool? All of your answers will determine which types of boards you should post to and how you construct your advert.

CANDIDATE SOURCING | JOB BOARDS

Quick Tips: - try and amend the text for the different types of board

i.e. generalist –v- specialist sites. use the filter questions to hone the applicants. test different headlines/job titles if you can and always

include salary, location and benefits where possible.

It’s something we generally say half-heartedly but in this case we generally mean keep in touch! Candidate circumstances change quicker than the weather and you never know when you will need them next. Keeping an up to date record of placed and shortlisted candidates will not only provide you with a catalogue of talent but means that when a role comes up that requires a German speaking sushi chef from Hackney you will know who to call

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | KEEP IN TOUCH

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | LOOK WITH YOUR EARS

Word of mouth may seem like an unlikely source for recruiting talent but you will be surprised how much people in the recruitment business talk. Network and build relationships with other recruitment consultants and you never know who you may come across.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | MORE THAN JUST LINKEDIN

We can’t express how important it is to network within the recruitment industry and in fact anyone for that matter! Let’s face it you can never know too many people, whether you network online, face-to-face or over the phone you are building relationships and spreading the good word about your business.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

Setting up your own jobsite isn’t as tricky as it sounds. If you have a raft of quality vacancies that talk to a consistent group of professionals, it may be beneficial to create an online community with relevant content and jobs with which to engage your target audience. After all online engagement is key to getting the best talent ahead of your competitors.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | OWN JOBSITE

We’re not actually far off using Pinterest as a recruitment tool. You can already post job graphics on your accounts. Pinterest works like every other social

channel – on shares and likes – building a network, centred around common themes = the perfect place to connect graphically either your brand or

the vacancies you have.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | PINTEREST

We know that for some, placing a candidate has become more important than placing the RIGHT candidate. We understand that many consultants are under pressure to make placements and fast, but in order to strengthen businesses candidates need to be placed for the right reasons. As any client will surely agree, having patience and accuracy really pays off in the long run.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

There are a few methods of resourcing which can boost or build

talents pools of ready to go candidates. If you can get it right,

the model of training new recruiters in the art of resourcing is a good way to test their skills as well as

supporting recruiters already making placements in your

business.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | RESOURCING

Most recruiters have a knack of spotting a bad candidate from the offset, however here are some important tell-tale signs that they are not the one:- Behaves unprofessionally Is late Hasn’t researched your company Isn’t a team player Lacks insight and/or accountability Disparages former employers Asks inappropriate questions

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | SIGNS OF A BAD CANDIDATE

Twitter can play a great part in helping you to identify talent. Using Twitter to search for hashtags or keywords, you should be able to easily identify people’s profiles that fit into the category you’re recruiting for. Social sourcing however is limited if only approached in isolation. Be mindful too, that you learn the language of social engagement before you start conversing.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | TWITTER

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | UNIVERSITIES & SCHOOLS

Have you checked in with your local schools and educational establishments? Most have career departments or teachers who are responsible for providing career and job advice for students. Make great connections at this level, wherever is relevant to your recruitment strategy and you will never be short of the best new talent.

You have one personally so why not corporately? Let’s face it, no one naturally wakes up bright eyed and bushy tailed but we all have this little tendency to pretend we do on social networks. It’s called a virtual persona because it purely lives between the screen of your computer. Having a corporate virtual persona is a great way of personalizing your company, so that it becomes more than just four walls of brickwork. Your brand becomes alive (a walking, talking, sleeping, eating virtual person) and for some reason or other it is kind of comforting getting to know a company.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | VIRTUAL PERSONA

At Broadbean we are dedicated to providing our clients with regular webinar training sessions that are interactive and informative. In the online webinar training session you will:- Understand how to spring clean your account – tidy up and make

sure your account is in great shape to shine in the next quarter. Refresh your knowledge - from back to basics to the special tricks

that make all the difference to the way you use Broadbean. Learn something new or adopt a new technique!

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | WEBINARS

If you are not already a client of Broadbean’s, you can request a demo HERE. Alternatively if you are a client and would like to join our webinar training sessions you can HERE.

Xing is the (other) social network for business professionals. It is a platform where professionals from all kinds of different industries can meet up, find jobs, colleagues, new assignments, cooperation partners, experts and generate business ideas. Broadbean has recently integrated both our Posting and Search services with XING. So, if you are a Search user, and you source candidates socially, you can now search across Xing too!

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | XING

Also known as the Millennials, or the Millennial Generation, Gen Y professionals are in their 20s and are entering the workforce at all levels. In order to understand how to approach individuals sitting within this boundary, it’s important to know their characteristics.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | Y GENERATION

Tech-Savvy: basically born with a smart phone and twitter account these guys know their tech stuff!

Family-Centric: all about work/life balance, flexible schedules and fewer billable hours. Some call it laziness, they call it freedom.

Achievement-Oriented: confident, they have high expectations of their employers, seek out new challenges and are not afraid to question authority.

Team-Oriented: loyal, committed and wants to be included and involved.

Attention-Craving: craves attention in the forms of feedback and guidance. They appreciate being kept in the loop and seek frequent praise and reassurance.

We’re not literally talking about getting out a microscope here, but instead finding out more about a candidate than just what is on their CV. You don’t have to get too personal but showing an interest in their personal life can really help them to relax and loosen up and in return you get to know their personal strengths. It also shows the employer that you take an interest in the people you place.

A-Z CANDIDATE SOURCING | ZOOM IN