Anyone who has been in the industry longer than five minutes will tell you that sourcing is not only one of the most important aspects of recruitment but also one of the most time-consuming. From trawling LinkedIn to keeping on top of all those resumes in your inbox, it’s little wonder that when the chance to automate any part of the sourcing process comes along, we grab it with our very tired hands. But what if that candidate sourcing platform that has served you so well in the past just isn’t living up to your expectations of late?

Perhaps it’s time to take a look around at what else is on offer, after all, a change of scenery can often open new doors. And if those new doors lead to higher quality candidates, then all the better!

What’s wrong with your current sourcing platform?

Actually, there’s probably nothing wrong with it at all. It does the job it’s supposed to do and helps you free up time to focus more on the relationship side of recruitment.

But as you are well aware, the recruitment industry is an ever-changing environment and candidates can change their job searching habits en masse at the drop of a hat. If your current platform is still locked into a 2016 or even a 2017 approach to candidate sourcing, then you could be missing out on those quality hires you so desperately need.

Older platforms or even current ones with basic features will sometimes perform really well in one aspect of sourcing while omitting another completely. So you could have a platform that is pretty amazing at sourcing through social media, but that lacks the ability to target candidates that are a fit for the company brand and culture.

As you can imagine, with 84% of candidates saying that a company’s reputation is a high priority in job searching, the ability to source candidates with employer brand in mind is kind of a big deal.

But even if you think that your current platform lives up to everything we just mentioned, we still think it’s a good idea to take a few hours out of your busy schedule to shop around and see what new tech is out there.

What a better candidate sourcing platform should provide

While it can’t quite have your morning coffee ready for you as you walk through the door (if only) a candidate sourcing platform should be able to help you out with the following.

Better social sourcing

Did you know that 89% of companies have plans to recruit through social media? Or that candidates feel that social media platforms are the most useful resource in their job hunt?

The truth (and we all know it) is that social media has been at the forefront of recruitment trends for the last few years. However, as we mentioned earlier, not every sourcing platform collects potential candidates using the same methods or handles that data in the same way.

Your ideal platform will not only locate the right candidate with the required skills but will also allow you to identify the ones that are likely to fit the company culture. We’re sure you can understand that having a good handle on this aspect of sourcing could mean the difference between speedy success and a lot of time wasted on unsuitable candidates. So as far as features go, this is a pretty big one.

A diverse candidate pipeline

Whether it’s cultural, gender, or even generational diversity, ensuring that your sourcing includes candidates with diverse backgrounds is essential. As we all know, casting a wider net means that you include more potential candidates in your search and that often leads to higher quality hires.

But it’s not just about sourcing more quality leads. Diversity in the workplace improves productivity, fosters an understanding attitude in your workforce, and encourages creativity while also doing wonders for your employer brand. It really is a no-brainer; a sourcing platform that allows you to build a diverse candidate pipeline is an absolute must.

Consistent branding

Yes, we do like to repeat ourselves from time to time, but employer branding really is that important. That 84% of candidates that feel reputation is important is a stat that you simply can’t ignore. Add that to the fact that 55% of candidates would abandon an application process after reading negative reviews online and you can see why we sound like an old CD stuck on repeat.

But as much we hate to, we’re going to drag ourselves away from those stats for now to address an issue that we see a lot of, and that is inconsistent employer branding. There’s no point in working hard to achieve a certain brand voice and personality if this image is not consistent throughout your channels. And we’re not just talking about your social media profiles. We’re talking about sourcing here, so that includes your jobs board posts, career pages, and even employee referral programs.

A good sourcing platform will allow you to easily maintain your brand voice throughout each of these channels. This consistent branding reminds your potential candidate of the positive company image at every step of the recruitment process. It might not seem like much, but it’s these ‘minor’ details that could set you apart from your competitors and help you land the best talent. Is it an essential feature your next sourcing platform should include? You better believe it!

A combination of human intuition and the latest tech

There are those that will tell you gut instinct is the only way while there are others that have their feet planted firmly in ‘camp automation.’ Here at vsource, we appreciate the advantages both approaches can offer. That’s why our combination of innovative technology and years of hands-on experience works so well for our clients. Yes, we’re bragging just a little here, but we genuinely feel that we’ve found the perfect balance between human intuition and automated processes.

Being able to hand off your sourcing efforts to a team member who, with the help of some slick tech, can do the work of many is worth its weight in high-quality resumes. We’ll let you decide if this is a worthwhile feature. (Hint: it really is!)