Smart Sourcing Playbook

CLC RECRUITING™
Smart Sourcing Playbookg y
Ten Tactics Every Smart Sourcer Should Use

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL®
CLC RECRUITING™CLC RECRUITING
Research Analyst
Manisha Gandhi
Consultant
Emily Harding
Senior DirectorsSenior Directors
Brad Adams
Thomas Handcock
Managing Director
Donna Weiss
NOTE TO MEMBERS
This project was researched and written to fulfill the research request of several members of The Corporate Executive Board Company and as a result may not satisfy the information needs of all member
companies. The Corporate Executive Board Company encourages members who have additional questions about this topic to contact the Member Support Center at EXBD_Support_HR@executiveboard.com
for further discussion. The views expressed herein by third-party sources do not necessarily reflect the policies of the organizations they represent.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NOTE
CLC Recruiting, Corporate Leadership Council
© 2012 The Corporate Executive Board Company. All Rights Reserved. RR2171211PRO 2
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NOTE
CLC Recruiting has worked to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides to its members. This project relies upon data obtained from many sources, however, and CLC Recruiting cannot guarantee the
accuracy of the information or its analysis in all cases. Furthermore, CLC Recruiting is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Its projects should not be construed as
professional advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Members requiring such services are advised to consult an appropriate professional. Neither The Corporate Executive Board Company nor its
programs are responsible for any claims or losses that may arise from any errors or omissions in their reports, whether caused by The Corporate Executive Board Company or its sources.

SMART SOURCING PLAYBOOK
Why Smart
Sourcing?
The 10 Tactics
Takeaway
Resource

Do the Following Challenges Sound Familiar?g g
S /R it
“I don’t have time to build
pipelines ”
“I have too many
unqualified applicants ”
“My prospects don’t
convert into applicants ”
“The skills I source for are
hard to find ”Challenges
Sourcer/Recruiter
pipelines. unqualified applicants. convert into applicants. hard to find.C g
Common
Reasons
• Application volumes
rising
• Alarmingly poor
• Candidates decline
offers
• Difficult to keep
• Strong competition for
talent
• Passive labor market
• High requisition load
• Recruiting function
short-staffedReasons g y p
applicant quality
• Unclear hiring needs
p
prospects in the pipeline
engaged
• Changing candidate
behaviors and
preferences
• Specialized hiring
requirements
• Unstable hiring
requirements

Smart Sourcers Focus on Intelligenceg
Common Sourcing Styles
Research-Focused Relationship-Focused Social Media-Focused Mass Market-Focused Intelligence-FocusedResearch Focused Relationship Focused Social Media Focused Mass Market Focused Intelligence Focused
(Smart Sourcing)
• Invests heavily in • Focuses heavily on • Invests more in shaping • Posts openings in • Tailors sourcing efforts
generating lots of
names
• Diligently screens every
application
• Exhausts all potential
sources
prospect relationship
building
• Typically uses a softer
approach for initial
outreach
• Invests in keeping
employment brand
perceptions through
social media
• Prefers social media
channels for initial
outreach
highly visible places
• Prefers scalable
channels over more
niche channels
• Quickly and efficiently
posts newly opened
to meet the specific
needs of each position
• Systematically captures
key intelligence from
each prospect
interaction
U d t t l t
• Relies on expert
Boolean search skills
• Has deep industry
knowledge
prospects warm for
future jobs
• Spends more time
building rapport and trust
with prospects
• Encourages prospects to
t k t ti t
• Uses online networking
more heavily to source
leads
• Is first to adopt new
online recruiting tools
• Teaches others how to
i l iti
requisitions
• Uses a consistent
sales pitch to convert
prospects when sourcing
leads
• Relies on initial phone
t lif
• Uses data to select
sources that yield quality
hires for a given position
• Deliberately provides
transparent, accurate
information about the
career opportunity
Smart Sourcing: An Opportunity for Impact
take extra time to
discuss job with friends
and family
use social recruiting
tools
screen to qualify
promising applicants
pp y
• Actively seeks to
influence strategy, not
just fulfill orders
The best sourcers and recruiters today are using smart sourcing techniques—they gather and apply valuable sourcing intelligence to improve outcomes of
sourcing efforts.

Focusing on Intelligence Increases Your Impactg g p
Smart Sourcers have higher quality shortlists and higher business influence as compared to other sourcers
Common Sourcing Styles
Research-Focused Relationship-Focused Social Media-Focused Mass Market-Focused Intelligence-FocusedResearch Focused Relationship Focused Social Media Focused Mass Market Focused Intelligence Focused
(Smart Sourcing)
Percentage of
Sourcers With
High-Quality
Shortlists
29%
40% 42% 43%
64% Smart sourcers
have higher quality
shortlists compared
to other sourcers.
58%
60% 60%
93% Almost all smart
sourcers have high
business influence,
while only 60% or
l f th
Percentage of
Sourcers With
High Business
Influence
50%
58%
60% 60%
less of other
sourcers do.

Ten Tactics for Moving to Smart Sourcingg g
Requisition-Driven
(Typical) Sourcing
Intelligence-Focused
(Smart) Sourcing
• Master the sourcing
process
• Get high-quality
candidates faster
Tactics
1 Don’t treat all requisitions equally
2 Influence requisitions you source for
• Use channels that bring
in lots of applications
• Target sources of
high-quality candidates
3 Help candidates filter themselves for jobs
4 Source where other sourcers don’t
5 Target channels that offer quality, not quantity
• Build strong
relationships with all
prospects
• Engage only qualified
prospects
6 Take advantage of events at your talent competitors
7 Emphasize your organization’s differentiated strengths
8 Focus engagement efforts on truly-interested prospects
9 Earn prospects’ trust before fostering relationships
10 Use Web 2.0 for high-touch, scalable engagement

Smart Sourcing Tactics Help Solve Your Challengesg p g
S /R it
“I don’t have time to build
pipelines ”
“I have too many
unqualified applicants ”
“My prospects don’t
convert into applicants ”
“The skills I source for are
hard to find ”Challenges
Sourcer/Recruiter
• Don’t treat all requisitions
equally
• Help candidates filter
themselves
equally
• Influence requisitions you
source for
themselves
• Take advantage of events
at your talent competitors
equally
themselves
pipelines. unqualified applicants. convert into applicants. hard to find.C g
Tactics
*Click on the tactics
to view details
• Take advantage of events
at your talent competitors
• Focus engagement efforts
on truly-interested
candidates
themselves
• Source where other
sourcers don’t
• Target channels that offer
y p
• Emphasize your
organization’s
differentiated strengths
on truly-interested
did t
• Source where other
sourcers don’t
on truly-interested
candidates
• Use Web 2.0 for
high-touch, scalable
engagement
Target channels that offer
quality, not quantity
candidates
• Earn prospects’ trust
before fostering
relationships
• Use Web 2.0 for
high-touch scalable
high touch, scalable
engagement

Why Smart
Sourcing?
The 10 Tactics
Takeaway
Resource

Don’t Treat All Requisitions EquallyFocus your efforts
disproportionately on the
1
Go Back to Tactics Page
q q ydisproportionately on the
most important requisitions.
• Focusing on all requisitions
equally is not only
time-consuming, but also
d ffi i d
Impact of Prioritizing Sourcing Requests on Quality of Shortlist
reduces your efficiency and
quality of shortlisted
candidates.
• Use needs definition meetings
and conversations with peers
to discuss the long-term value
f l ti h i iti
11%
Sourcers who prioritize
their sourcing efforts are
more effective than those
who do not.
of completing each requisition.
3%
No Prioritization Prioritization Based
on Importance
Percentage of Sourcers
Who Prioritize Based
on Importance
31%
Percentage of Sourcers
Who Treat All
Requisitions Equally
69%
o po ta ce
Get Started
Intelligence Value Questionnaire
Use this questionnaire to find out the intelligence value of completing each of your requisitions.
Intelligence You Should Use
For This Tactic
Organization Intel
 Talent needs of organization
Source: Smart Sourcing, CLC Recruiting, 2011
g
 Business goals
 Organizational changes

Influence Requisitions You Source ForSmart sourcers use
evidence when collaborating
2
qevidence when collaborating
with hiring managers to
understand and test
assumptions about hiring
needs, and influence
requisitions as necessary.
Impact of Effective Needs Definition Phase on Recruiting Outcomes
• Setting expectations with hiring
managers upfront in the needs
definition phase improves the
likelihood of sourcing higher
quality candidates and
decreases their time to
Needs
Definition
Assessment
and Selection
Onboarding
dec eases t e t e to
productivity.
• Using evidence (i.e., relevant
data and expertise)
strengthens your voice in
meetings with hiring managers,
enabling you to firmly influence 4 2 Working Days
10.6% 7.0% 9.6%
3 7 Working Days 3 3 Working Days
Can increase
quality of hire
by…
Can decrease time
to productivityenabling you to firmly influence
how hiring needs are defined.
For This Tactic
Organization Intel
 Talent strategy
4.2 Working Days 3.7 Working Days 3.3 Working Daysto productivity
by…
Get Started
Evidence Documentation Template
Use this template to document evidence about positions you recruit for regularly, and use this
id t i fl hi i d
 Talent strategy
Market Intel
 Employer brand position
 Events at talent competitors
 Workforce trends
 Business trends
Source: Achieving Operational Excellence in Recruiting, CLC Recruiting, 2005
evidence to influence hiring needs.Prospect Intel
 Preferences

Help Candidates Filter Themselves forBy conveying accurate
information about the job
3
p
Jobs
information about the job,
you can encourage
candidate self-selection,
thereby reducing the number
of unqualified applicants.
Al t 40% f hi d
New Hire Rating of the Accuracy of Information Provided by the Organization
Percentage of New Hires
• Almost 40% of new hires do
not believe they got accurate
information about the job,
often leading to “buyer’s
remorse”; this presents a huge
opportunity to improve
information accuracy.
Somewhat
Accurate orinformation accuracy.
• When writing job postings,
emphasize details about
day-to-day responsibilities and
describe qualities of the ideal
applicant to help candidates
filter themselves
37%
63%
Nearly 4 in 10 new hires
do not believe they got
accurate information
Accurate or
Less
Accurate or
Very Accurate
filter themselves.
about the job in advance.
For This Tactic
Market Intel
Prospect Intel
Get Started
Checklist for Writing Clear, Compelling Job Postings
Use this checklist to create accurate job postings that compel only qualified candidates to apply. You
l li k h t th l i d l
Source: Driving to Win-Win Selection Decisions, CLC Recruiting, 2008
p
 Preferences
 Obligations
can also click here to access the e-learning module.

Source Where Other Sourcers Don’tBy uncovering undervalued
pools of high quality talent
4
pools of high-quality talent,
smart sourcers avoid
cut-throat competition for
high-quality candidates.
• Targeting sources that other
it l k
Percentage of Sourcers Who Use
Undervalued Talent Pools
Impact of Using Undervalued Talent Pools
on Ability to Generate Leads
recruiters overlook can
improve your ability to
generate high-quality leads.
• Assess undervalued talent
pools to identify and select
those pools with high-quality
t l t bl t t j b
24%
20%
I t Abilittalent able to meet your job
requirements.
Targeting
Impact on Ability
to Generate
Leads
For This Tactic
Organization Intel
Targeting
Undervalued
Talent Pools
Get Started
Undervalued Talent Pool Identification Worksheet
Use this resource to uncover and select undervalued pools of high-quality talent.
Organization Intel
Market Intel
 Talent competitors
 Industry trends
Prospect Intel
 Preferences

Target Channels That Offer Quality,Instead of using channels
that provide the most
5
g Q y,
Not Quantity
that provide the most
potential prospects,
focus on channels validated
by data and recommended
by peers.
P d i d d t b t
Sourcing Channel Selection Criteria
Prevalence Among Smart Sourcers (Indexed to Average Sourcers)*
• Peer advice and data about
how effective the channel has
been in the past are valuable
criteria for identifying channels
that provide access to
high-quality leads.
T il h l
1.00x 1.00x1.00x
1.51x
1.26x
• Tailor your channel usage
strategy based on the type of
requisition such as high
volume, senior-level, etc.
Average
Sourcer
Smart
Sourcer
0.75x
For This Tactic
Historical DataPeer AdviceProspect Volume
Channel Selection Criteria
Smart sourcers use prospect volume as a criteria to choose their channels 25% less often than
Get Started
Sourcing Channel Evaluation Tool
Use this tool to assess your sourcing channels and determine whether to focus on new channels.
Market Intel
 Talent competitors
 Industry trends
Prospect Intel
 Preferences
Smart sourcers use prospect volume as a criteria to choose their channels 25% less often than
average sourcers do.
 Perception of organization
 Sources of information

Timing outreach to coincide
with events that create
6 Take Advantage of Events at Your Talent
with events that create
uncertainty for potential
prospects increases their
interest in your job
opportunities.
R hi t t t
Impact of Events on Prospect Interest in Job Opportunity
g
Competitors
• Reaching out to prospects as
requisitions open up (or are
about to open up) is time
consuming and often results in
a low prospect response rate.
• Always monitor business and
Events That Drive High Prospect Interest
• Prospect’s organization announces layoffs
• Prospect receives a disappointing performance review
Events That Drive Moderate Prospect Interest
> 10%
industry news for layoffs,
acquisitions, stock price
fluctuations, and changes in
senior management at top
talent competitors, and reach
out to prospects when these
events occur
Events That Drive Moderate Prospect Interest
• Prospect’s organization announces an outsourcing initiative
• Prospect’s organization announces it is being acquired
• Prospect’s company’s stock price drops dramatically
• Prospect’s organization announces a change in senior management
1-10%
events occur.
I t lli Y Sh ld U
Events That Drive Low Prospect Interest
• Prospect’s organization announces it is acquiring another organization
• Prospect's direct manager leaves
< 1%
Get Started
Event Monitoring Worksheet for Recruiters and Sourcers
Use this worksheet to monitor business and industry news and plan your subsequent outreach
ti iti
For This Tactic
Market Intel
 Business trends
Source: Attracting Critical Talent in an Uncertain Economy, CLC Recruiting, 2010
activities.Prospect Intel
 Preferences

Emphasize Your Organization’sFocus your outreach
messages on changing
7
p g
Differentiated Strengths
messages on changing
prospects’ awareness and
perception of your
organization’s differentiated
strengths to improve brand
attractiveness.
Relative Impact on Employment Brand Attractiveness
• Tailoring employment brand to
prospect preferences is
necessary but insufficient.
• When communicating with
prospects, ensure that they do
t i l t
Changing prospects’ perception and
awareness of your organization’s
differentiated strengths can improve
brand attractiveness by an additional 23%.13%
10%
100%
not perceive your employment
brand as generic or are
unaware of the brand’s
strengths as compared to other
organizations.
77%
For This Tactic
Organization Intel
Brand
Tailored to
Prospect
Preferences
Prospect’s
Perception of
Brand Compared
to Competitors
Prospect’s
Awareness of
Organization’s
Brand Strengths
0%
Components of Employment Brand Attractiveness
Get Started
Differentiated Brand Messaging Worksheet
Use this resource to evaluate and differentiate your brand messages as compared to your talent
tit
Market Intel
 Business trends
Components of Employment Brand Attractiveness
competitors.Prospect Intel
 Preferences
Source: Attracting and Retaining Critical Talent Segments, CLC Human Resources

Focus Engagement Efforts onInstead of keeping in touch
with all prospects focus
8
g g
Truly-Interested Prospects
with all prospects, focus
your engagement efforts on
prospects who are
interested in the job
opportunity and likely to
switch (i.e. truly-interested
prospects).
Behaviors Indicating Prospects Are Not
Truly-Interested
Percentage of Prospects Who Exhibit
Behavior
p p )
• There are three key types of
prospects who you should filter
out: window shoppers,
embellishers, and attention
seekers.
17%
Window Shopping
Engaging with sourcers despite high
job-switch barriers (e.g., mortgage, family)
seekers.
• Asking direct questions
reveals little about prospects’
true interest; surface
underlying indicators of their
likelihood to switch indirectly.
11%
Embellishing
Saying anything to sourcers to advance in
the process
9%
Attention Seeking
Engaging with sourcers for the attention
of being recruited
Get Started
Uncovering Prospect Intelligence Template
Use this guide to assess prospects’ true interest indirectly during conversations with them.
For This Tactic
Market Intel
Prospect Intel
 Preferences
 Obligations

Earn Prospects’ Trust Before FosteringProspects are more likely to
respond to outreach and
9
p g
Relationships
respond to outreach and
continue to engage when
you earn their trust.
• More than half of prospects do
not respond to initial outreach
b th i
Impact of Sourcer Activities on Prospects Probability to Respond to Sourcer Outreach
because the sourcer is
ineffective.
• Sourcers who focus solely on
fostering relationships actually
see negative results; providing
believable information and
li i th t it
Probability to Respond
Fostering
Sourcer Activities
Networking with prospects without a job
opportunity
11%
personalizing the opportunity
helps you earn prospects’
trust.
Relationships
Leading with a soft pitch (e.g., asking
prospects for referrals)
Personalizing the opportunity based on
prospect’s experience and interests
7%
4%
Earning
Prospects’
Trust
prospect s experience and interests
Providing credible information about the
job and organization 6%
%
Get Started
Prospect Outreach Diagnostic
Ask yourself 12 questions to see if you are building prospects’ trust.
For This Tactic
Prospect Intel
 Preferences
 Interests and strengths
 Education and experience
 Reason for prior job move

Use Web 2.0 for High-Touch, ScalableOne-to-many
communication is as
10
g ,
Engagement
communication is as
effective as one-to-one
communication in engaging
prospects in a customized
manner.
E i ith t
Impact of Type of Communication on Prospect Engagement
• Engaging with prospects on a
regular basis does not
necessarily have to be a
time-consuming activity.
• You can use Web 2.0 channels
such as e-newsletters,
t i d b f ti
9% 8%
Scalable communication is
as effective as one-to-one
communication, making it
possible to productively
engage many prospects at
once.Impact on
Prospect
customized by function or
areas of interest, to keep in
frequent touch with many
filtered prospects at once.
One-to-One Communication One-to-Many Communication
p
Engagement
One-to-One Communication One-to-Many Communication
• Professional networking profile
• Comments on blog post or article
• Direct e-mail message
• Social networking profile
• Personal phone call
• Professional networking groups
• Proprietary talent network
• E-mail with targeted job postings
• Social networking groups
• Organization’s e-mail newsletter
For This Tactic
Organization Intel
 Function-specific events
 Talent needs of organization
Get Started
Prospect Engagement Newsletter Template
Modify this template to create customized newsletters that keep prospects engaged with minimum
ti i t t
• Personal phone call Organization s e mail newsletter Talent needs of organization
Market Intel
 Industry trends
Prospect Intel
 Interests and strengths
time investment. Education and experience
 Preferences
Source: CLC Recruiting research

Why Smart
Sourcing?
The 10 Tactics
Takeaway
Resource

CLC Recruiting’s Ten Tactics for Smart Sourcingg g
Smart Sourcing Tactics Get Started with These Resources
1 Don’t Treat All Requisitions Equally Intelligence Value Questionnaire
2 Influence Requisitions You Source For Evidence Documentation Template
3 Help Candidates Filter Themselves for Jobs Checklist for Writing Clear, Compelling Job Postings
4 Source Where Other Sourcers Don’t Undervalued Talent Pool Identification Worksheet
5 Target Channels That Offer Quality, Not Quantity Sourcing Channel Evaluation Tool
6 Take Advantage of Events at Your Talent Competitors Event Monitoring Worksheet for Recruiters and Sourcers6 Take Advantage of Events at Your Talent Competitors Event Monitoring Worksheet for Recruiters and Sourcers
7 Emphasize Your Organization’s Differentiated Strengths Differentiated Brand Messaging Worksheet
8 Focus Engagement Efforts on Truly-Interested Prospects Uncovering Prospect Intelligence Template
9 Earn Prospects’ Trust Before Fostering Relationships Prospect Outreach Diagnostic
10 Use Web 2.0 for High-Touch, Scalable Engagement Prospect Engagement Newsletter Template

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Smart Sourcing Playbook

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