Working as a recruiter means constantly looking for and testing new ways to reach candidates. Each has its pros and cons. During our survey on Talent Pooling, we decided to ask recruiters which talent search methods they use most often. We also found out which ones they find most frustrating. What methods do recruiters use to reach out to candidates? Which do they find the most time-consuming or even annoying? Read the post and find out which ones are in question!
The most common forms of recruitment – the opinion of recruiters
When asked “Which recruitment method do you use most often?” during the “Talent Pooling” survey organized by Talent Place, more than half (57.3%) of our respondents indicated direct search – which involves sourcing among candidates on LinkedIn, for example. When you find a person who fits a particular position – you send a message. Sourcing is the first step to expanding your network of contacts and opportunities to build relationships with them. The second most popular method is the classic publication of ads on portals designed for this purpose (31%).
Which methods produce the best candidates?
Each recruitment method allows you to target different types of candidates. A similar relationship is introduced by the search site. You can find other specialists on LinkedIn, and still others on Discord. According to respondents, the best candidates come from referrals (38.1%). and direct search (37.2%). The next most mentioned were: own candidate base/network (11.8%) and ads on portals (11.5%).
When we clump these methods into two broader categories – traditional sources (direct search + ads) and talent pooling (base + referrals), the results are as follows: classic forms – 48.7%; talent pooling – 49.9%. These are very even results with a minimal advantage in favor of the newer forms of talent acquisition.
Which recruitment method is the most frustrating?
According to respondents to our survey on Talent Pooling, the most frustrating method of recruitment was: direct search / sourcing, (received as much as 40.6% support) It is a precise method, helps build a relationship with the candidate, but it must be done in the right way so as not to discourage him. Its big downside is that we mostly find people who are not looking for work and are not open to change.
The most commonly cited reason regarding the frustration of sourcing, is primarily the time it takes to do it. An additional factor is that candidates often ignore the messages we send to them, or they get lost in the mailbox among emails from other recruiters. Nonetheless, direct search also knows as sourcing is still the most popular method for recruiters to find candidates.
A way to diversify and reach new talent through sourcing would be to make intentional typos, for example, in the job title or in naming the technology required for the recruitment data. Some candidates purposely make mistakes to protect themselves from spam bots.
Other recruitment methods and their level of frustration according to recruiters
The second most frustrating way to reach candidates is “publishing ads on social media or job search sites” (26.3%). This is perhaps the most classic form of job search. This method increases the risk that people without the required qualifications and skills apply, plus the competition between candidates is quite high. A lot of people may apply to one ad, which will lengthen the vetting process and the search for the right candidate.
Which methods have proven to be the least disruptive?
Surveyed recruiters narrowly cited such forms of sourcing candidates as referrals (2.8%), LinkedIn (2.2%), and candidate database (1.9%). As we can see, the differences between the two are small, and the least frustrating of the methods was found to be Talent Pooling. If you’re recruiting employees and haven’t had a chance to test these methods, be sure to see if they will make your day-to-day work easier and lower the frustration of sourcing candidates.
You can see that the differences between the most and least frustrating method of sourcing candidates are huge.
Recruitment through relationships –talent pooling
Recruitment based on relationships with a pre-built candidate base (learn more about building a candidate base HERE) is a much younger method than direct search, so not everyone is familiar with it yet. At Talent Place, we are eager to promote the concept of talent pooling. Among other things, relationship-based recruiting allows you to recommend your candidates to other recruiters from your own network for their processes. The main advantages that talent pooling offers are saving time and, in this case, nerves as well. Learn about relationship-based recruitment and see if this is the method for you.
If you are interested in the topic of talent pooling go to our Talent Pooling website and download the report and e-book about this method in recruitment.
