The Case for Splitting the Sourcing Function
You’ve spent long, arduous hours digging names out of some specific companies - names that hold specific titles that are doing the job you’d like them to do for your company. Now your recruiter (surprise!) asks you, “Have you TALKED to these people? Are they INTERESTED?”
Some sourcers are not only charged with the incredibly difficult and time-consuming front-end research on projects to identify names but also with doing “advance interest” profiling of these same potential candidates for their recruiters. Personally I think it’s just too much to ask of your names sourcers and you’re running the risk of burning these uniquely talented souls out and running them out of your organizations to kinder, gentler pastures but hey, for those of you who so choose, I have the following advice for your sourcers.
I know many of you are not only charged with names sourcing but you also have the responsibility of "profiling" that name you source for "advance interest" for your recruiters.
It's critically important that this "first call" to that truly passive candidate - the one you've identified through names sourcing into a company - is well handled.
To do this we must understand what this "potential" candidate represents. He represents "opportunity" - not an assurance that he is going to respond positively to a canned message prepared by your recruiting department - a job explanation that is too long, too detailed, too difficult to express on this first call.
"This is Maureen Sharib - you've been identified as someone XYZ is very interested in regarding an open position they have -"
"I'm not looking - how'd you get my name?"
"XYZ understands you're not looking. XYZ has identified you as someone they're hoping could help direct them on an open position they have. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
"I guess - what is this about?"
At this point it's up to you and your skills as a profiler (personally I think you're changing into your recruiter outfit here but it’s up to you to defend your original job agreements) to present the opportunity in a light that engages them and encourages them to speak further with you. You should not be looking to close a deal on this first call - you should be looking to make friends, test the waters, put your finger to the wind.
Remember, eight out of ten of these people you call on this "first call" are actually not looking or maybe not even thinking about looking for another job. Until you call with your "opportunity".
There is no guarantee this truly "passive" candidate will be "interested" immediately in your opportunity. Remember, 10-20% of them won't be truly "passive": 1-2 out of 10 will naturally be found "to be looking" for other opportunities in the population at any one time. Maybe more. Something like sales is a notoriously "movaroundable" bunch. But there is a very good chance that 3-5 of them will be interested enough IN THAT FIRST CALL, if that first call is handled properly, to LISTEN. And that's what you should be looking for at this stage. Be on the lookout for those that may "not be interested AT THIS TIME". There may, and probably will, come a time when they will be. That's why this is a process of making friends FIRST and then pipelining some of these people for FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
This is a numbers game. You must engage your recruiters in this concept and get their “buy-in” to the process. They must be willing to accept your hand-off of a candidate and understand how to take it from where you left it. Many staffing organizations do not think this critically or are not trained in how to develop a truly vibrant candidate pipeline. You have to decide where you fit in best – if it’s not where you are at present consider moving on – there are more and more organizations these days “seeing the light” who will highly value your services and offer you the accommodations you need to help them as a names sourcer.
Getting back to results, I guess what it boils down to is that you will receive the reaction that you EXPECT to receive. The tenor of your voice, how you sound, the way you present yourself are the critical elements at this early stage. People have a few seconds to decide if they want to talk to you. They decide very quickly if they LIKE you or not. If you don't sound like someone they "want" to talk to, you're lost. If your delivery is one in which you sound like a quick buck artist or a "get rich" schemer, they're going to hear it and it's going to turn them OFF. Work on your deliveries for best results in this area.
You have a vitally important service (opportunity) to offer – be proud of it and carry its worth in your delivery. Understand that your call may be just the ticket they're waiting on out of wherever they are at the moment. Your call is more likely to be welcomed than rejected if you approach it correctly. Your own listening skills are paramount here. People DO speak to total strangers; they DO listen to opportunity; they DO react positively to what makes sense in the marketplace. Sometimes it's what's NOT BEING said that speaks the loudest volume. It's up to you to hear it and you can't hear it if you're jabbering nervously away, looking for "yes" and "no" answers right off the bat.
NOTE: When you're profiling you're not sourcing. If this is throwing a monkey-wrench into what it is you like to do, consider having someone that follows up on your sourced names do the profiling - a "Candidate Developer". The Poll that's now running in the newly formed (and already past 240 members!) Sourcers Guild allows people to identify themselves as Telephone Sourcers, Internet Sourcers or Candidate Developers - a surprising number (for me) chose the last, with the added encouragement of "Give me the name and I'll bring 'em in!"
Check the poll out in there and add yourself to the mix. It's the BEST WAY to get "found", if'n you know what I mean and I know you do!
Recruiting.com. Talkdigger, Slashdot, Digg, Delicious.
Looking for a talented Names Sourcer or for Trainers to teach you or yours how to names source? Look in the Database section of the Sourcers Guild!
“We will either find a way or make one.” ~ Hannibal
Maureen Sharib
Telephone Names Sourcer/Trainer and Sourcers Guild Guide
513 899 9628
maureen at techtrak.com
