Sourcing techniques to find candidates
Posted by Drew Terry
Spread a wide net is an idiom often used to describe the process of trying several things to have the best chance at success.
Just like successful fishing usually involves more than casting a net, successful recruiting often incorporates multiple sourcing techniques to identify the best candidates. Here are four things to keep in mind when trying to catch your next candidates:
- Choose the right job board Know where to fish
Success is elusive if you’re not searching in the right places. When looking for physicians, consider sites they visit to find career opportunities specifically for them.
For example, PracticeLink provides residents, fellows and practicing physicians free career advancement resources. That includes a magazine, a job-search timeline and career fairs - as well as a job board where they can respond directly to hiring employers.
PracticeLink gives physicians the ability to control their privacy settings. This means some candidates are visible to recruiters at their discretion, while others search available opportunities in private and reach out to employers when they see an opening that interests them. These private candidates won’t know you’re hiring if you don’t tell them, so be sure to post all your opportunities so they know there’s a reason to reach out.
- Create interesting job postings Cast strong lines
While everyone uses job postings, the trick is to make yours stand out above the rest. Start by learning how each available information field works in your posting system and taking advantage of them to tell a compelling story about the opportunity. (For example, in PracticeLink’s system, postings will automatically list the position type and specialty at the top of the page, so you can instead use your headline field to include a unique selling point.)
If images and videos can be incorporated, be sure to take advantage to enrich your postings and help candidates more quickly get to know the area, opportunity and organization.
- Search candidate databases Home in on your target
If job postings are like casting lines, then searching a candidate database is like using a fish-finder. They help you see where potential candidates currently are and can provide insight into professional and personal interests.
The natural starting point for a search is by specialty and qualifications for the open position, but it doesn’t have to stop there. When searching a candidate database, consider additional criteria that may help you discover candidates most likely to be interested in your opportunity, including geographic preference, past ties to the region or hobbies that are popular in your area.
- Send compelling emails Use attractive lures
Once you find qualified candidates, it’s time to contact them. Oftentimes, that means sending an email.
When creating your email messages, start with crafting a short, enticing subject line. In about 50 characters (including spaces), include a message that will convince them to open and view the full message, and include personalization when possible.
To help avoid spam filters, know the trigger words that could flag your email and keep it from ever reaching your candidates. Also avoid deceptive techniques like adding "Re:" to the beginning of a subject line for a new email or marking something as high importance when it’s not. Also, avoid including an attachment in your first email with a contact.
When writing the body of the email, be brief and descriptive. Explain why you’re contacting them and why they should be interested in your opportunity. Like a job posting, an image or video can add interest to your email; however, some email clients make it difficult or impossible for recipients to view visuals - or worse, may fail to deliver your message at all. However, there are still some clever ways that help you incorporate video in a way that enhances your message while making it deliverable.