Sourcing Is the Most Relevant Superpower in Recruiting Today
30-second read
When it comes to recruiting, intentionally designing a narrow top-of-funnel is mandatory for any company that wants a shot at having a structured hiring motion and a sane hiring team.
Context: Narrow = Well-defined ICP + enough friction to enter into the process that uninterested candidates voluntarily opt themselves out before ever talking with a recruiter.
The result: Conversion rates increase because recruiters are talking to fewer people who are really interested.
From what I’ve seen, a narrow top-of-funnel is most effectively created by humans who know how to source candidates.
Not software. Not AI. Not content. Not marketing. But highly-skilled humans doing the manual work of applying their intuition, insight, experience, and nuance to the search.
Creating unfiltered candidate demand is a recruiting nightmare. Volume-in does not make for a welcoming experience. That’s why the ability to find and filter talent is the most relevant superpower in recruiting today. It enables the rest of the hiring process.
Note: I’ve been told by several external recruiters that up to 70% of the recruiting fee that’s paid to them is spent on sourcing candidates. This is telling.