Last time I wrote for Recruitingblogs.com, I suggested you pull your sourcing skeleton out of the closet. This month I have rehab on my mine. And that Amy Winehouse song is echoing...

Rehab occurs to me because I run. Or lately, I hobble. Had a series of minor injuries this year with the last being a pulled hip muscle. Every time I get an injury, there's a rest period, rehab and rebuilding my running program, from square one. I hate it. I like to run, it helps me focus and is a huge de-stressor. And quite frankly I like routine. It struck me, as I was on my easy four mile rehab loop, that taking a break, like a vacation, is a good thing. Whether it's a vacation from work or the regular running routine, it gives me time to regroup. And regrouping lets me get a clear view of what's working and what's not.

I think the same concept can work very well in re-evaluating your sourcing strategy. You've pulled the skeleton out of the closet. You've started at square one, but perhaps you're not generating results. Maybe you need to stretch. Try the techniques with new keywords. Be flexible on the job titles. Go beyond your standard professional associations. Expand your list of competitors with like people. Go to Google Sets if you're blocked. Leverage sites like Google Finance, Alexa and Quantcast for more information.

Use tools to save yourself time on the rote so you can have time to test out new searches. If you always XRay the same social media sites for profiles, maybe you need to FlipSearch them. Or maybe you need to restructure your string and leverage Boolean Field Operators. Or maybe you need to stray from your "go to" site and visit some of the other hundreds of social media sites out there. Maybe you need to try a new search engine, especially if you never stray from your search engine of choice.

And assess. Have you been too focused on finding the golden resume? Maybe you need to find names and call people. Definitely bounce your sourcing strategy off of a peer, mentor or trainer. If you can't pinpoint what's failing you, get someone who knows search to take a peek at your process and question it. If a technique or search string is failing you, and you're blocked on why, fresh eyes and a new perspective may be just the help you need.

But in any case.....it's time to take your sourcing strategy to rehab. Review and rebuild to be more successful and productive than ever.