Recruiting: It's So Much More Than Just "Finding a Person"

By Tamara Stevenson, Sr. Director of Recruiting, RTA Consulting

I was getting my car serviced today, and while chatting with someone at the dealership, they asked what I did. At first, I said I work in Talent Acquisition. Cue the puzzled look. So I clarified, "I work in Recruiting." That got a reaction: “Oh! You’re like a Head Hunter!” …Sure, if you want to call it that.

Unfortunately, this is still what many people think recruiting is: just seeking people out. Essentially, being sourcers. There’s certainly a talent acquisition function that focuses on sourcing, but in most cases, sourcing is only one part of the recruiter’s role.

Here’s the thing: sourcing is just one piece of the puzzle. When a full sourcing effort doesn’t deliver the right candidate, saying, “we just need more sourcing” completely misses the mark. Recruiting is a strategic process that extends far beyond identifying people who meet basic requirements. It’s about:

• Understanding the Role: What are the nuances of the position? What kind of impact does this hire need to make now and in the future?
• Defining the Candidate Profile: Beyond skills and experience, what personality traits, cultural fit, and values alignment will set someone up for success?
• Mapping the Candidate Pool: ?A strategic talent partner should have access to aggregated candidate pool data, to help you understand the market and roadmap your search.
• Engaging with Precision: Sourcing isn’t just about numbers. It’s about targeting the right pools and creating outreach that resonates on an individual level.
• Crafting the Right Messaging: How are we positioning the opportunity to attract the best talent? Are we addressing the motivations of the right people?? An experienced talent partner has knowledge that comes from speaking with the exact audience you are targeting, understands their pains, and knows what will capture their attention.
• Guiding the Journey: From the first interaction to the offer stage, the candidate experience is just as important as the company’s hiring process.

If you’ve exhausted your current hiring levers and still haven’t found the right person, it’s time to dig deeper. Is there a gap between what you’re looking for and what the market can realistically deliver? Does the hiring team need to realign on expectations or expand their view of what “great” could look like?? Have you mapped the candidate pool and done a complete effort in targeting these people?? If all you’re doing is sourcing more candidates without re-evaluating the strategy, you’re essentially pouring water into a leaky bucket.

Recruiting is a collaborative effort rooted in empathy, strategy, and adaptability. “Just more sourcing” might be part of the answer sometimes, but it’s rarely the whole solution.

If you are stuck on a search and want to get some expert eyes on it, let’s chat! Reach out to us at [email protected] to see for yourself how a strategic talent partner can change the game.