JobMachine Interview: Sourcers Extraordinaire
Shally Steckerl and Dave Mendoza are super-sourcers. Neither need an introduction from me, and but they just started a new business, and I truly think that most recruiters (both third-party and corporate) could benefit from their services. Don't know what sourcing is? Heard about it but unsure how it applies to you? Read on for how JobMachine can help you place more of those talented passive candidates next year.
1) What is JobMachine? Can you give me a) JobMachine in 10 words or less,
and b) A 30-second Elevator pitch?
a) JobMachine creates, consults and trains recruiters on the world's most
advanced sourcing techniques.
b) The focus of JobMachine's consulting practice is to add value to our
customer’s sourcing and recruiting teams by helping them build core
competencies and organizational capabilities. We have helped architect
sourcing and research teams at companies like Microsoft, Google, Cisco,
Coca-Cola Enterprises and Motorola, and have advised and trained many
others.
2) What exactly does a sourcer do? Do you just find lists of candidates and
hand them to companies? How is that different than what Jigsaw, ZoomInfo,
or a list broker does?
Sourcers utilize all databases including JigSaw and Zoominfo, as well as
resume boards, among hundreds of other sources. However, a sourcers true
value is in being able to conduct original research using a combination of
ethical telephone elicitation techniques and advanced manipulation of search
engine data to identify the names, titles and contact information for
prospective candidate leads that may potentially fit open requirements. A
sourcer may work internally or externally, providing an organization with
the results of the original research so recruiter can then call the
prospects to gain their interest.
3) So are you a sourcer, an outsourcer of sourcing, a trainer, a
third-party recruiter, or a mixture? Do you see yourself competing with
contigency contract firms or independent recruiters?
JobMachine adds value to contingency or contract recruiting firms,
independent recruiters, outsourcing firms and corporate recruiters by
showing them how to produce leads for their open positions more efficiently,
faster, and at reduced cost. We enhance, not replace, the recruitment
function of any organization.
4) It is becoming more difficult to find top quality candidates. Everyone
says their process is what matters, but they can¹t all be true. Without
using marketing speak, what is actually different about how you generate
results?
With the growth of technology it is becoming easier to find quality
candidates. We create new techniques to find leads that nobody can find,
giving our customers access to untapped talent pools.
5) Do you use any of the new Web 2.0 tools (blogs, social networking
software, podcasts) to help you find people?
We use all those tools and are constantly researching new ones.
6) I'm a candidate and I know that recruiters want to contact me, not be
contacted by me. Is this the same thing for sourcers? Would it help me to
call you to get on your list?
No, sourcers exist behind the scenes. A sourcer's job is to find someone
with the exact background required for the position to be filled. Though
some sourcers are also great networkers, they are generally not directly
responsible for a requisition.
7) How can I, as a candidate, improve my chances of getting "found" online
by a sourcer?
Create an online presence that clearly details your expertise, aspirations
and how to contact you. Make sure that online presence is listed or linked
to places relevant to your industry.
8) What business results do you feel comfortable sharing with the audience
(growth numbers, number of clients, big deals announced)?
Most of our clients have us under NDA so in many cases we can't disclose who
we work with. We are currently working with three major hospital groups, two
RPOs, several very well known executive search firms and a number of
high-tech companies. We are also doing quite a bit of International work
with companies in Australia, UK, China and India.
9) What blogs do you regularly read, and how do you justify blogging instead
of doing billable work? How much time do you spend a week blogging, and has
it produced any results?
A list of the blogs I read is found here:
I only blog about once a week, sometimes less, but it takes me on average
about an hour to craft my posting. I blog in addition to, not instead of,
doing billable work. I blog to help raise the bar for the sourcing industry
in general, and this in turn has helped me raise my own bar. I have been
publishing a newsletter, and now a blog, for nearly 10 years. This
persistence is one of the key reasons why I am widely perceived as the
number one expert in this field.
10) What is the most exciting technology that you see out there?
We are very excited about the new trend towards vertical search. We expect
that very soon there will be a web based sourcing tool that gathers
information from a variety of sources and aggregates it into one place.
11) Give us two trends that affect corporate recruiting departments in North
America.
1) Baby boomers are exiting the workforce in droves
2) Universities aren’t training enough skilled graduates to meet demand
If you add up 1 and 2, consider that experienced hires will have to come
from other companies - that is to say competitors and start-ups. This means
that sourcing is going to become a much more important aspect of what
recruiters do to obtain the talent their organizations need.
12) Anything you want to finish with? Promotions, reasons to use you, final
thoughts?
If you want to check out what we are all about, try our Advanced Sourcing
CheatSheets. These printable Desktop Internet Search References can get you
out of the hot plate. You can consult them quickly and they will provide you
with reliable, instantly useful results. Our CheatSheets are not designed to
replace all your sources, but when you get that "red hot" requirement
demanding results "yesterday" reach for your medicine cabinet, take some
migraine medicine and apply these remedies. The magic of these CheatSheets
is that by following a few simple steps, and using unique keywords, a savvy
CyberSleuth can obtain some initial results in as quickly as ten minutes or
less. Simply copy the search strings, replace the examples with your own
keywords, and you are on your way to a migraine free diet of resumes!
