Being in the recruiting industry you’ve heard these terms a thousand times but how often have you stopped to wonder whether there is a difference between them or are the same. And if they are same why do we have so many different terms for the same reason? Well I’m not sure about you but I for one would like to know if there is any, Difference between Headhunters, Recruiters and Sourcers. Therefore, I’ve taken the liberty to answer these similar questions that most of us are also wondering. So let’s take it step by step and begin with how they are defined.

Definitions

If you wish to get a clear understanding of these terms it is important for you to understand the terms first.

Headhunters

These are individuals that are hired by a third party corporation or company in order to locate suitable candidates possessing certain skills sets that aren’t easy to come by. These skill sets are harder to find and requires a certain background.

Recruiters

On the other hand a recruiter is an individual that is hired by a corporation or company to fill positions that crop up on regular bases within the organisation. The recruiter may be either employed at the organisation and work solely for that company or a third party recruiting organisation. These individuals may work within their own business or are usually a part of a larger staffing organisation.

Sourcers

These are individuals that are tasked with finding candidate details such as a specific name, title and or contact information of that particular person.

Now that we have a clear understanding of the terms we’ll be able to understand what the tasks these individuals are involved in are and this too might help you get a clear understanding.

How do they work?

 

Headhunters

For Headhunters, as mentioned earlier, these individuals usually take a proactive and an aggressive role in finding candidates and reach out to the ones directly if they find them suitable for the post. Such candidates are reached out and searched by headhunters. Their task usually consists of actively sourcing candidates and is completed once they get the candidate but these individuals aren’t involved in the recruiting process apart from locating candidates.

Recruiters

Recruiters on the other hand are involved throughout the recruiting process beginning from advertising job specs, scouting the desired talent, recruiting the right talent and introducing the new recruit’s to the company staff. 

Sourcers

Sourcers have a relatively similar role to the ones mentioned earlier but they are tasked to only source candidate details that are forwarded to recruiters to take the recruiting process to the other level. These individuals are present for a brief period of time i.e. they need only source candidates with the requirements and then recruiters handle it from there.

In a nutshell, a Sourcers role ends after a candidate has been sourced and shows an interest in the job offerings. Similarly a Headhunters role comes to a halt after a particular prospect has been located. While a Recruiters role begins at the application stage and only ends after an offer has been extended and /or accepted.

Hope this information was as useful as it was for me. Well I think it’s safe to say that, the difference between headhunters, recruiters and sourcers is clear now. If you have any suggestions or pointers that you’d like to add, do let us know via the comments sections.

Hiring professionals usually encounter a common problem when sifting through inch sized stacked up resumes which is the employment gap present in a potential recruits CV. Most recruiters use this as a decision making factor when selecting desired talent. Also many of them are of the opinion that may be this may not be a suitable candidate for the organization similar to a candidate having a two paged resume. These particular aspects are not overlooked and can be deal breaker from the candidate’s perspective. Additionally, Talent Acquisitionist stand to lose exceptional talent as such individuals usually possess the skills that your organisation is in dire need of. Writing them of as unsuitable for the organisation merely based on the employment gaps and two paged resumes seems faulty. Don’t you think?

If you’re wondering the same thing as us then you’ve come to the right place as we at Sourcing ADDA, strive to gain clarity on causes that affect the recruitment fraternity as a whole. If you aren’t convinced about it then let’s fix it immediately with a valid reason that will enlighten you. Here @SourcingAdda, we conduct the on demand discussions on Wednesdays to get a sense of the evolving trends and to better understand the industry we are so passionate about. We do that to prepare our members by providing updated information that is true at the ground level. And our loyal members like Yogesh one of our Pune group members was the one who suggested we shed some light on, How should Recruiters or HR Heads deal with candidates having an employment gap and mentioned below is what we derived

The conversation above clearly states that talent with career gaps should not be a constraint when making a candidate selection decision. Many fellow recruiters are of the opinion that gaps or career breaks or going on sabbatical can have a rewarding impact on the talent and can be rejuvenating to them. Employment Gaps help new but similar candidates to develop a fresh thinking that facilitates fresh ideas. And which organisation doesn’t want such fresh expression of talent in the work delivered by these individuals. More importantly such talent are usually eager to get back to work and thus nurturing this fresh talent becomes our responsibility as employment providers. Additions, of Talent such as these can do wonders not only to their overall personal development influencing their work but also impacts the growth of the company. Now don’t you think these talent pools are worth a re-look rather than a cause of concern?

Only, good recruiters have the fortitude to see a different side that average ones miss out on. They are the ones who realise that making assumptions without first asking questions and gathering information could lead to bad hiring decisions. They are of the opinion that passing on potentially qualified candidates without giving them a chance to explain could be a mistake for not only recruiters but the company at large affecting the progress of the firm.

Additionally, it would be a good decision on your part to join the ever growing recruitment community as you can leverage it to scale your hiring needs and build pipelines of talent where our Whats App groups will come in handy. In order to reap the benefits of our community you need to get more involved by participating in our regular activities and by following us @Sourcingadda for real time updates to our upcoming activities and events. And if you’ve been following us closely you’d know that we always look forward to your comments on the topic discussed therefore be sure to leave your views in our comments section below. If you wish to be a part of our online community to remain tuned to the evolving trends within the recruitment fraternity then be proactive and register yourselves immediately today.

There are several Industries with challenges and the Talent acquisition Industry is no exception. When it comes to the growth of a business it is absolutely essential to have Talents that have the desired calibre. And that begins from the Talent Acquisition department.

We’re all familiar with the challenges that we face as Talent Acquisitionist’s but let’s find out if there are some that we’ve not come across as yet. Therefore our popular #SourcingChat topic was on, “Challenges for Recruiters in the Technology Age.” To catch up with the discussion you can view the #Storify as we’ll be covering only the Top Tweets of the #SourcingChat.

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.1 What key changes are driving online sourcing & recruiting in the technology age? #SourcingChat

• Manish Pipalwa@pipalwa

A1. #Business.Dynamics are Changing- So do #HR Function. #Technology will make it #Competitive #sourcingchat pic.twitter.com/qvUt6SMDnZ

• Thirukumaran R@ThiruHR

@SourcingAdda A1: ATS, Social media channels,#Bots in Sourcing #Analytics in Hiring are driving online sourcing #futureofwork #sourcingchat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.2 How can technology enhance or improve your existing system? #SourcingChat

• Poulomi Bhaduri@PoulomiBhaduri1

A2. Data organization, analysis, management can be done in much effective way with d help of tech #sourcingchat

• FastCollab@FastCollab

A2: An online ATS can empower recruiters in better track of hiring process #SourcingChat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.3 How companies are preparing for smart technologies? #SourcingChat

• Mukta Patil@MuktaPatil4

A3 companies need to train employees and adopt new process to prepare #SourcingChat

• Soniya Sharma@soniyasharmahr

@SourcingAdda A3 Companies have to organize Tech learning and development programs, need 2 participate in webinars,conference #SourcingChat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.4 Has technology improved the candidate experience? #SourcingChat

• Thirukumaran R@ThiruHR

@SourcingAdda A4:Get an #app, let candidates to rate the experience&that will raise a red/green flag on #candidateexperience #SourcingChat

• Vaibhav R@vaibhavr84

@SourcingAdda #SourcingChat A.4 Candidate experience so far has not improved since we do not even send an apology email to rejected once.

• com@Oyster_Connect

A4) Candidate can get feedback through mails and can also track the status of the application for job through portals #SourcingChat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.5 Which generation are you a part of (Traditionalist, Generation X, Generation Y..? #SourcingChat

• Amit Patel@amitpatelHR

@SourcingAdda technology will always a time saver which is really crucial part of any recruitment. it is faster, easy to use #SourcingChat

• Md Saifullah Rizvi@SaifuRizvi

@SourcingAdda A5. Best is to become blend of all 3. Pick best practices from every generation and practice!! #SourcingChat

Well there you have it the Top Tweets of the #SourcingChat that was held. To know more view the #Storify.

In the meantime be sure to follow us at @SourcingAdda to receive real time updates to our upcoming events and activities. Don’t go just yet; do leave us your views in our comments section as we’re looking forward to them.

The Talent Acquisition Industry has constantly been debating about whether Candidate feedback is to be given or not. And if yes, how should it be given especially in rejection cases. Handling rejection can be difficult on both parties involved in the hiring process, the Interviewer and Interviewee.

The Interview being the candidates foot in the door to amazing opportunities if selected. Moreover most Recruiters usually tend to miss out on conveying the feedback to the Interviewed Applicant on time due to their mountain of tasks at hand.

Giving feedback in the right manner in a way that Applicants aren’t discouraged from their job hunt is absolutely essential but overlooked by Recruiters on the whole. Hence, the popular #SourcingChat focussed on these aspects and only the Top Tweets of the #SourcingChat is listed out due to popular vote for Top Tweets only but you can view the #Storify to know more.

Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.1 As a Recruiter, do you always give feedback to interviewed candidates? #SourcingChat

D Prasanth Nair@DPrasanthNair

@aditi_sha26 @SourcingAdda A1 #sourcingchat lot of us give. But need to be more consistent and also improve quality of feedback

Mark Mansour @MarkMansour01

@SourcingAdda I always do for candidates I interview. When trying to get feedback from a hiring manager it’s harder a1#SourcingChat

Manish Pipalwa@pipalwa

A1 Sharing feedback is a Learning for #Recruiters. It help to improve on #Sourcing while identifying Gaps #SourcingChat

Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.2 Are you scared of giving the feedback for rejected candidates? If yes, Why? #SourcingChat

Md Saifullah Rizvi@SaifuRizvi

A2. it is humane to be hesitant while sharing d negative feedback. One has to learn to subtly share d message of rejection! #SourcingChat

Aditi Sharma@aditi_sha26

A2: Yes, sometime I feel like the feedback will demotivate the candidate. #SourcingChat

Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.3 Do you prefer giving the feedback personally (Call/Email) or through automated system? #SourcingChat

Sumeet Jindal@sumeetjindalin

If the feedback is official then thru mail, personal then personally thru message. For for close friends, face to face. #sourcingchat

gopal kharwat@IamGopal89

A3.I feel a an email or in person works well,depending on the seniority. System-naah,no personal touch #SourcingChat

Soniya Sharma@soniyasharmahr

A3 I prefer giving it ny way the candidate is comfortable wid.Very few candidates r curious 2 knw wt made company 2 reject thm #SourcingChat

Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q.4 How feasible is to give feedback to every candidate personally in volume hiring? #SourcingChat

Gaurav Dubey@BetuChotu 

#SourcingChat a4. in volume hiring, feedback can be same because many candidates will lack same skills. tell it in the way they understand.

Vikas Dua@vykasdua

A4. In Volume hiring, better to ‘templat-ise’ feedback to extent poss and automate with emails/sms #SourcingChat @SourcingAdda

Nitisha Shah@nitishashah1

Let thm knw how much you appreciate their effort. If you genuinely want to keep their resume on file for future opportunities. #SourcingChat

Sourcing Adda @SourcingAdda

Q.5 Share your secret of giving good interview feedback for rejected candidates? #SourcingChat

Soniya Sharma @soniyasharmahr

A5 While Rejecting due 2 skill gap i always try to give feedback on the spot or over the phone later. Used for IT recruitment#SourcingChat

Nitisha Shah @nitishashah1

A5. The interviewee is looking for constructive insights. Don’t begin by listing all the things they did wrong #SourcingChat

Vikas Dua @vykasdua

A5. Be quick, be honest, give some tips for improvement/ guide in the right direction #SourcingChat @SourcingAdda

Well this brings us to the end of another great #SourcingChat and we hope you’ve enjoyed it just as much as we’ve enjoyed conducting it. If you’ve found this #SourcingChat informative and would like to be a part of it then be sure to follow us @SourcingAdda for updates to our upcoming activities.

We’ve been into the Talent Acquisition Industry for quite some time and we’re familiar with the tools & techniques that are commonly used by most of us. But would you like to know about the other Tools & Techniques that are available?

If you’re answer is yes, then you’d like to know about the #SourcingChat on, “Best Tools and Techniques used in Recruitment Process” if you’ve missed it. But don’t fret you can still catch up with the Top Tweets of the #SourcingChat and here they are…

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q1. The importance of tools in sourcing & recruiting? #SourcingChat

• Vikas Dua @vykasdua

A1. Use of #tech tools in #Sourcing & #recruiting is to reduce timelines, bring efficiency, improve #experience #SourcingChat

• Soniya Sharma@soniyasharmahr

A1 A Modern tool to minimize the time length between sourcing, recruitment & selection #sourcingchat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q2. What are the various recruitment tools you use for sourcing passive candidates? #SourcingChat

• Kapil Sawakare@KapilSawakare

A2. #dribble #behance #github #stackoverflow #Googlesearch #Twitter #Linkedin #googleplus #facebook #SourcingChat

• Aditi Sharma@aditi_sha26

A2: GitHub, stack overflow, LinkedIn, recruitin, angellist, behance and dribbble for UX techgig #sourcingchat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q3. What are the tools you use for your daily job like Job posting, mass mailing etc.? #SourcingChat

• Mukta Patil@MuktaPatil4

A3 job postings, LinkedIn messages, interacting with applicants, search, re search, headhunting, networking #SourcingChat

• Hemanth Nanduru@HemanthNanduru

A3: Posting in LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook via Buffer& posting in respective groups in social media #Sourcingchat

• Manish Pipalwa@pipalwa

A3 For Job Posting We use #WhatsApp Groups #LinkedIn @iimjobs #careersite & #jobportals – We do mix- Free & Paid sites #sourcingchat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q4. Importance of Excel and Reporting in Sourcing or Recruiting. What tools you use? #SourcingChat

• Poulomi Bhaduri@PoulomiBhaduri1

A4. Helps to take more informed decision, reduces work repetition & duplication #SourcingChat

• Arvind Ramani@Arvind_R16

A4: Excel has been there for ages. Newer ones like InsightSquared are gaining popularity. #SourcingChat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q5. How effectively these tools make your work easy? #SourcingChat

• Aditi Sharma@aditi_sha26

A5: best to arrange your work and track your candidates #sourcingchat

• Arvind Ramani@Arvind_R16

A5: Improves managing productivity at scale, Helps with operatinoal rigour and assists in almost stock market like reporting #SourcingChat

• Sourcing Adda@SourcingAdda

Q6. Name any one of your favorite recruitment/sourcing tool? Why? #SourcingChat

• Md Saifullah Rizvi@SaifuRizvi

A6. @LinkedIn . Being a professional and part of a fast growing/ changing world one can’t afford to not have presence on it. #SourcingChat

• Kunjal Kamdar@kunjal23

A6. Tools will come and go. Some will evolve. But magic of #Boolean will always charm and help us 🙂 #sourcingchat

Well these were the best ones we came across in the #SourcingChat that was conducted. I’m sure that if you’ve read this far then you’ve come across something you like and you want to know more. In that case you need to follow us @SourcingAdda to get real time updates to our upcoming events. So don’t be left out of all the action be a part of it by joining in to remain updated at all times.