Sourcing is proactive: instead of waiting for applications, a sourcer searches for people who match a role and reaches out to them. Common methods include Boolean searches on professional networks, searching the applicant tracking system for past applicants, attending events and asking for referrals. A sourcer might, for example, build a list of warehouse supervisors within commuting distance and send each a short, personalised message.
Sourcing earns its keep on hard-to-fill or specialist roles, where good candidates are rarely looking. It works best when the target profile is agreed with the hiring manager first, so effort is not wasted on the wrong people. Sourced candidates should go through the same structured, job-relevant screening as inbound applicants, which keeps the comparison fair and avoids favouring people simply because someone found them.