Sourcing Vs Recruiting – Interchangeable or Different?


HR Practices

The success of all organizations, regardless of how large or small, depends greatly on a standout marketing strategy as well as its recruitment process. For some individuals and organizations, the differences between sourcing and recruiting are often difficult to understand. Because of this fact, it can become quite challenging for employees to determine which one of the two, between sourcing and recruiting would work best for the said organization. As such, it has become imperative for organizations to understand the differences between the two and the impact that sourcing and recruiting can have on a business.

Sourcing vs. Recruiting- what is the difference?

Today, most employers rely heavily on sourcing and recruiting for hiring its taskforce. As a result, it is not uncommon for businesses to identify sourcing and recruiting as the same process. However, there are some major differences between the two that need to be identified and understood in order for things to run smoothly, you can read more about them at

So how do recruiting and sourcing differ from one another?

Recruiting refers to the various processes that are utilized to enlist and enroll individuals as members of a workforce or a team. Sourcing, on the other hand, refers to the steps undertaken to find a diverse group of candidates and knowing where to look for these candidates.

When organizations recruit, they typically create appealing incentives, offers, and campaigns that are designed to entice prospective candidates into enrolling in their organization. The incentives tend to vary and might include offering candidates’ competitive salaries, enhanced healthcare packages, perks of the job, benefits and more, all in a bid to persuade the right candidates. Recruiting might work for some organizations. However, the process of recruiting is often time-consuming, is costly, and it does not always yield positive results.

Sourcing, alternatively, involves undertaking steps to find the right candidates. For sourcing to work, an organization must locate and select the candidates based on a particular criterion. Sourcing involves searching proactively for the most talented group of individuals to fill specific positions.

Sourcing is generally down by the Human Resources team but can also be carried out by the employers or managers within the organization. For sourcing to work, sources typically rely on a range of avenues such as job boards, fairs, online groups, forums and communities, and so on and so forth. When these avenues fail to reap results, an organization might then rely on sourcing specialists or consultants to source for the right candidates.

When compared, it is clear that sourcing and recruiting are two distinct processes of the hiring process. Sourcing may not be the same as recruiting but it is definitely part of recruitment. When the process of sourcing is complete, the recruitment process can then begin.

Although both sourcing and recruiting definitely overlap at one point or another, it essential for organizations to understand the differences between the two so that they can pick the right hiring avenues that will allow goal attainment. For an organization to succeed, sources and recruiters must work together in order to identify, attract and hire the right talent.


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