By 2035, according to the Institute for Employment Research There is a shortage of more than seven million skilled workers. To counter this, it is important to present oneself as an attractive employer and to break new ground. After all, in today's highly competitive working world, it is vital for companies to attract highly qualified specialists. Two concepts play a prominent role here: active sourcing and employer branding. Both strategies aim to position the company as an attractive employer and to make talent acquisition more effective in order to attract the right talent. In this article, we will take a closer look at Active Sourcing and Employer Branding and explain their importance for modern recruitment.
What is Active Sourcing?
Active sourcing is about finding suitable candidates through an active process, contacting them and getting them interested in a targeted position. What's important here is that it's all about the target group's point of view, so as a company representative, you get to consider what exactly might interest potential candidates in an open position. Since most talent is in employment these days, we focus on the so-called passive candidates with active sourcing. These are those who are not actually looking for a new position.
If you want to know more about Active Sourcing, take a look at this article: Active Sourcing - Everything you need to know.
What is employer branding?
Employer branding refers to the way a company is perceived as an employer with the aim of building a strong, credible and attractive employer brand to differentiate itself from competitors. Employer branding encompasses various aspects such as corporate culture, working conditions, career opportunities, social benefits and the company's reputation. The goal is to sustainably shape the perception of employees and candidates.
It's especially important that you communicate a clear message that reflects the company's identity and values to appeal to potential candidates.
Synergy between active sourcing and employer branding
Active sourcing and employer branding complement each other. If you proactively search for talent, you can show potential candidates the advantages of working with you and strengthen your employer brand at the same time. With authentic employer branding, companies position themselves directly for the future and at the same time prevent bad employer branding. Because if it is developed from within and actually lived, then it can't be bad. And after all, you only want to attract candidates who fit the company and ideally don't even talk to the others. Because that saves you time and money!
Through a personalized, appreciative approach and targeted communication, you show interest on the one hand, and at the same time offer an honest insight into the corporate culture and the company's attractiveness. With the help of active sourcing, you can spread the message of your employer brand in a more targeted way and thus address your target group directly.
Why doesn't active sourcing work without employer branding?
Active sourcing and employer branding are closely linked and complement each other in their effect. While active sourcing focuses on actively searching for candidates, addressing them in an appreciative manner and inspiring them, employer branding lays the foundation for the attractiveness of the company as a potential employer for my target group.
If you as a company do not have a clear employer brand, it can be difficult to attract the attention of highly qualified professionals. This is because your company may be perceived as less attractive or less credible.
When differentiating your company from competitors, a strong employer brand helps you show potential candidates what makes your company unique and attractive. With a weak employer brand, it is much more difficult to get potential candidates to take a closer look at your company or to consider it as a possible employer, even if you actively approach them.
Ideally, you want to retain talent for the long term, and you do that with a strong employer brand that demonstrates a positive work environment, offers development opportunities for your employees, and maps out career paths.
What specifically can you do now?
To take the first steps in active sourcing for your business, I recommend the following:
Define your goals
Before you get started with active sourcing, you should establish clear business goals: Do you want to find targeted professionals for specific vacancies, grow your own talent pool, or build a talent pipeline for future recurring hires? Here, the objective determines the approach and the necessary resources that will be used for active sourcing.
Identify and analyze your target audience
Here you can look specifically at which target group is most relevant for your company, which skills and experience are needed, and which areas of expertise. With a crystal-clear definition of your target group, you can make your search more precise and address potential candidates in a more targeted manner.
Plan your resources
Determine exactly what resources are available for your active sourcing. This includes the number of recruiters, the technologies and tools to be used, and the budget for paid services.
Optimize your online presence
You need an attractive online presence. This means that your career page and social media channels in particular should be tailored to your target group and information about the corporate culture and values should be easy to find.
Identify your sources
Determine on which channels you will find your target group and on which you will stay. This can be business networks as well as career portals, industry-specific forums and specialized platforms.
Build your talent pipeline
Make sure there are candidates in your pipeline who may be of interest for future positions and who are not really actively looking for a new job yet.
Speak specifically and directly to
The key is to address your candidates in a targeted, individualized and appreciative manner. So show interest in the skills and experience and include them in your personalized approach.
Engagement and follow-up
Actively stay in touch with candidates who are in your talent pipeline, show interest regularly, and keep reminding yourself to build a long-term relationship.
Measure your success and optimize
Look at the results of your active sourcing activities, analyze them and see what is already working well and where adjustments can be made.
Active sourcing is a great way to respond to the changing situation of the candidate market. For this, an individually created employer brand is indispensable if you want to attract and inspire suitable candidates in the future. It requires planning, patience and determination, but applied correctly, Active Sourcing, together with Employer Branding, lays the foundation for successful Talent Acquisition.
In summary, active sourcing without employer branding is less effective because the potential of directly addressing candidates cannot be fully exploited. Employer branding creates credibility, trust, and attractiveness for potential candidates, and active sourcing makes it possible to target potential candidates with strong employer branding behind them and get them excited about the company. In the current times of constant change, companies need to clearly demonstrate the values they stand for in order to attract and retain the right candidates for the long term. Both approaches maximize the chances of success in attracting and retaining highly qualified professionals over the long term.
