Active sourcing

The term “active sourcing” is currently being used a lot in the world of recruiting. Many companies have either been doing this for a long time or plan to proactively recruit new employees in the near future. In this article we will explain the term active sourcing, explain why this method is so important today and also list the advantages and disadvantages.

Definition of Active Sourcing

Active sourcing is an individual approach to suitable candidates that aims to attract interested parties to your company. Active sourcing has strong similarities to classic personnel consulting. In both cases, the location and requirements are specifically determined before contact is made. Contact usually takes place online and includes all eligible employees, including those from competing companies.

Importance of Active Sourcing

There is a shortage of skilled workers in almost all areas of the labor market today. This means that most candidates are not actively looking for a job, but are already employed. Therefore, the traditional approach of posting a job advertisement and waiting no longer works and no longer leads to the desired result, namely finding a corresponding number of suitable candidates in a manageable amount of time.

Advantages of active sourcing

Active sourcing is necessary these days for all companies that practice responsible recruiting. The aim of this method is to make the recruiting process more efficient and thereby save costs. This also makes it possible to draw the attention of suitable candidates who are not looking for a new professional challenge to the relevant open position. This allows you to build up your own talent pool that you can quickly access if necessary. In some cases, this can result in cost savings, for example because companies do not have to advertise vacancies. Active sourcing is therefore primarily used to select qualified candidates in the right place, regardless of whether they are looking or not.

Disadvantages of active sourcing

Despite the many advantages, there are also disadvantages to this method. Candidates who are approached via social media using this recruiting method often do not react at all. Requests of this type are often either not taken seriously or are perceived as harassment. Or the person being addressed has a profile on the internet, but rarely uses it. Another disadvantage arises when active sourcing is done without a plan. This only generates costs, but no benefits arise. It is also important to always act professionally when addressing candidates.