Recruiting is hard work, especially in today’s market. A recruiter’s job is to identify talent in a market where candidates’ demands are high, and employers compete to win talent. But how are recruiters finding candidates? We share the many channels recruiters use to search for top talent so you know where you should look for opportunities in your next job search.

Networking

Recruiters are constantly networking. Whether it be a networking event, making calls, or chatting with people in their personal lives, networking is critical for recruiters to be successful. It’s important to remember that networking is a two-sided street; recruiters aren’t just looking to make ends when meeting new people. Effective networking includes business introductions that aren’t self-serving and information sharing when appropriate. If you meet a recruiter, keep in mind that their network is expansive, which can help you in a number of ways.

ATS

Applications submitted to a recruiting agency’s website will get filtered to an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Resumes are parsed based on various information such as location, title, and keywords. Recruiters assigned to the job opening will be notified of new applicants and review them as quickly as possible. Recruiters also use the ATS to take notes on candidates that other recruiters can access. The ATS notes will give insight into whether the candidate is working with a colleague, their current work status, and any notes on previous interviews. An ATS is one of the more valuable tools a recruiter and its company utilize because of these features. 

LinkedIn

Almost every business professional has a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is an excellent site for networking, learning, and recruiting. Recruiters will use LinkedIn to perform searches for candidates and attempt to reach out to them for networking and recruiting purposes. Recruiters can search for candidates on LinkedIn with a keyword search or by sifting through their clients’ competitor’s business profiles. LinkedIn also offers its own job board where recruiters can post their jobs.

Job Boards

Probably the most obvious source of candidates for recruiters is a job board. Typically, recruiters post jobs on different job boards such as Dice, Monster, LinkedIn, or Indeed. Recruiters can also view any resumes posted on the job boards by prospective candidates. Most candidate searches include location and skillsets to identify qualified talent. It’s important to note that recruiters can only access resumes if they pay for the services. Viewing resumes and posting job openings can be costly.

Referrals

Referrals are one of the greatest gifts anyone can give a recruiter. In fact, recruiters and their companies value referrals so much that you can expect a referral bonus for any successful referrals. Since referrals are typically given by a trusted source, a recruiter can expect the hiring process to potentially go quicker. Referrals are a great asset to recruiters and companies alike.

DIVERSANT

DIVERSANT, an ACS Company, specializes in placing IT talent throughout the U.S. Our recruiters work diligently to understand their candidates’ career goals and align them with jobs and companies that can advance them to their next career level. Contact one of our many highly skilled recruiters today to start your job search.