Talent sourcing vs recruitment… What’s the difference?
Talent sourcing and recruitment are two different terms that are often used interchangeably in the recruiting sector. Although they are related and can overlap, there are various key differences.
It’s important for employers to understand the importance of talent sourcing for their business. Hiring the right candidates is vital for the success of any organisation, which is why investing in the right resources is so imperative.
Talent sourcing
Talent sourcing/acquisition is the proactive process of identifying, assessing, and engaging with potential candidates for selected roles and turning them into applicants. This process is part of long-term human resource planning and focusses on finding candidates for positions that require a very specific skillset.
With the growth in digital job platforms, talent sourcing has become a more specialised area and individuals responsible for finding talent are called “sourcers”. Sourcers create interest and drive talent to a specific company.
Effective talent sourcing requires a much deeper understanding of the industry and the job. It is much more than just looking at clusters of resume keywords. In order to source candidates productively, an experienced sourcing professional should know the best places to source for great talent and the kind of experience to look for in these individuals’ resumes.
Recruiting
Recruiting involves the posting of jobs on various platforms, processing applications, guiding the applicants through the recruitment process, setting up interviews, and even assisting in contract negotiations in some cases. Although some recruiters search for suitable candidates, they are more involved in the process of receiving and sorting applications.
Recruiters can either work for a specific organisation or work for a third-party recruitment company.
The connection between talent sourcing and recruiting
Talent sourcing and recruiting can work hand in hand to ensure the best placement of candidates. Even though talent sourcing is a specialised field, a talent sourcer and recruiter can be the same person.
The sourcer is responsible for connecting with passive candidates and turning them into applicants, who will then be handed over to the recruiter to follow the rest of the recruitment process. Without talent sourcing, the recruiter will have to rely on applications coming through normal channels.
Benefits of talent sourcing
Talent sourcing will allow you to interact with more qualified candidates, especially in niche industries. Employers will likely see a higher success rate through talent sourcing as some candidates cannot be reached through traditional recruitment methods.
Sourcers will also be able to get to passive candidates with the right skills and knowledge instead of just relying on applications that come in via normal application processes.
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