The bad news is, your manager said "no" to engaging an agency for that tough-to-fill role that's killing you. The good news? You are now working with a talent sourcer to identify and drive leads for you.

For those of you who don’t have the luxury of working with an in-house Sourcing Team that has established processes and SLAs in place, (and even those who do!) here's a short list of what NOT to do when engaging with a sourcing resource:

1) Don’t lob it the over the fence. Include the sourcer on your intake call and/or status meetings whenever possible (sometimes we have sourcers listen in to calls on mute and IM the recruiter with questions). Ideally, introduce your sourcer to the hiring team as an expert that is helping identify top-notch, hard-to-find candidates. In any scenario, ensure your Sourcing Team has both a) the critical candidate variables (ie. keywords) needed to perform relevant searches, and b) the "inside scoop" on great projects or other key, exciting challenges the candidate will tackle in order to engage & excite them. After all, passive candidates have a job and are happy where they are (for the most part). Arm your sourcer with what they need to woo that fantastic, “perfect” candidate.

2) Don’t demand a résumé. Passive candidates very often do not have updated résumés. A LinkedIn profile is enough for an initial phone conversation. In a pinch, it can even be used for an interview. The fact is you need a hire. Remember back in the day, when you started off, and worked your butt off to get candidates submitted? Get scrappy again!

3) Don’t skip the ATS. Be sure to invite the prospect to apply early in the process to ensure EOE & OFCCP regulations are met and accurate tracking takes place. It’s shocking how many Fortune 500 companies don’t do this. Move messages from social media to email to the ATS very quickly. If you are working with more of a researcher (who is generating names and you're doing you own initial reach out), that's your job. See #5

4) Don’t drop the ball. If you have invested the time and energy in identifying and engaging a prospect isn't a fit right now, be a resource to them. Network. Pay it forward. Encourage them to join your company's talent network, follow you on Twitter, AND connect on LinkedIn for future opportunities (after you have asked for referrals, of course!).

5) When you hit the mark - don’t forget to track your Sourcing Team hire. We need to track wins and provide ROI, too. Please let us know when you hire a sourcing team win so that we may share success. I recently caught a new hire announcement for a sourced candidate from 4 months ago, buried in a regional newsletter. The in-house placement saved us a $75,000 agency fee. That’s a BIG deal!

Net net - This isn't the 1990s personnel department. Please help us help you make great hires for your clients. That means a new approach. As the recruiter, you own the relationship with your hiring teams. Partner with us to take work off your plate when you need that purple squirrel. Sourcers aren't just “junior recruiters” anymore, we are highly trained, strategic resources whose sole job is to proactively identify and engage top talent for your requisitions. Help us help you!

How do you maximize your efforts with sourcers? What best practices have you identified in partnering with sourcing?

Other questions or comments? Please chime in!