Great companies maintain their competitive advantage by almost unfailingly “getting the right people on the bus.” The first link in this chain is sourcing the right skills.

Top sourcing and recruiting professionals implement and even invent “next” practices but they also have a solid grasp on the fundamentals. They are forecasters, strategic planners, savvy marketers, analysts and futurists. A profile of today’s top sourcing professional looks something like this:

• They know what they’re looking for: Great sourcing requires not only satisfying today’s needs but also sourcing people with the capabilities to quickly learn new skills and competencies as the business evolves. This isn’t guesswork; effective sourcing means understanding corporate strategy and objectives, so that they know which talent to target, and how to prioritize sourcing and recruiting efforts.
• They think and act like marketing professionals: Recruiters and sourcers were like order takers; the calls were mostly incoming. Today attention-grabbing job titles and compelling descriptions are just the starting point. The best sourcing professionals are adopting a consumer marketing approach, using a range of tools, technologies and methods to reach their audience and compel it to take action. They understand the importance of stealth marketing to build buzz around the firm and its opportunities, and they know that the best candidates, like consumers, aren’t likely to respond to the first message they receive.
• They tap the networks of their employees: There is no better sourcing method than employee referral. Every employee can be a talent scout. Every conference, seminar, birthday and wedding can be an opportunity to assess potential talent.  Employee referral is the least expensive and the most efficient method of sourcing. This method also leads to better hires. At least one-third and ideally one-half of hires should come from this source.
• They source everywhere: Great sourcers see no borders or boundaries in finding best performers. They fear no challenge when it comes to poaching top talent, or bridging geographic borders. They target their competitors’ ‘A’ players. They are leaders in their organizations in arguing for the recruitment of top talent no matter where it resides in the world. As futurists, they also realize that the best people are less likely to emigrate or relocate today, and so they advocate for the use of virtual and remote teams so that the best can be assembled regardless of distance.
• They measure, analyze and continuously improve: They know the effectiveness of each source and method, and they can calculate their impact on the business. They can articulate their value in financial terms by tracking the revenue impact of the people they source and who are hired versus the cost of their own operations. They measure and analyze their efforts and outcomes so that they can demonstrate their worth, but more importantly, so they can continuously make adjustments to improve their sourcing and recruiting methods.
• They leverage technology: Job boards, resume databases, intelligent search engines, social networks, blogs, wikis and virtual worlds are just some of the sourcing tools that have come on the scene since the late 1990s. It is next to impossible for a sourcing specialist to compete today without a specialization in at least some of these tools.
• They add rigor to the hiring process: The best talent expects to be tested strenuously before an offer is made to an individual. In sourcing, rigor starts by knowing what you’re looking for, targeting talent strategically and screening potential sources thoroughly.
• They contemplate the future: Strategic sourcers know of the precursors or warning signs that updates them of any upcoming change. These may be broad economic changes that impact demand for talent. More often change is portended by disruptive technology, new competitors, breakthrough processes or pending regulations. Despite the pace in most sourcing and recruiting operations today, top professionals take the time to think about the future.
• They source all types of talent: The contingent and non-traditional workforces are growing at more than five times the rate of the traditional workforce. Organizations rely more and more on contract, temporary, remote, flex-time and part-time workers. Worker preference is also driving the trend as both older and younger talents often opt for freedom and higher comparative wages that contract work offers and/or the flexibility of alternative work arrangements.