How was your first experience at SourceCon?

T: My First SourceCon experience was great! Having the opportunity to see amazing speakers and be in the presence of TA Gurus was awesome. Another highlight was the round table discussions where we had open conversations about sourcing topics and shared tips and advice with each other. I was ultimately just happy to get connected to this group and be welcomed into a community that supports one another regardless of where you are based or employed. I now feel more confident in my role knowing I have several people nationally and internationally to reach out to for any questions or help that is needed.

P: I don’t often get to meet other recruiters in an educational setting like SourceCon. It was a fun opportunity to discuss what we learned. The in-person interaction was great, and I would have missed hearing a lot of insights from others if it was virtual.

What was the best trick or tool you learned?

T: The trending topic at SourceCon was hands down ChatGPT! During this conference, I learned that ChatGPT is a useful tool in recruiting because it can cut time while preparing job descriptions, searches, reach out messages, social media posts, blogs, and much more. While intimidating, it is still very intriguing and something I am wanting to explore.

P: We learned how to leverage social media to find the candidates we are targeting. Utilizing tools like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, even Snapchat to discover different social communities where you may find good candidates – developers, engineers, designers, etc.

What was your favorite presentation and why?

T: While Dean Da Costa’s presentation on open-source intelligence was very interesting and in-depth, I would say Marcel Van Der Meer’s presentation on unlocking the power of Neuromarketing and Mastering Candidate Outreach was my favorite. As a recruiter, it can be a struggle to get a quick response or even a response at all from candidates. Learning new tips and tricks helped give me a better understanding of the principles of neuromarketing, so I know how to create compelling messages and boost response rates.

P: I really enjoyed “Career Paths for Sourcers” by Erin Matthew. She was engaging and informative on the variety of places that sourcers and recruiters can progress their career. She emphasized that it does not have to be the same career trajectory for everyone and there are so many ways to create your own path within the industry.

What will you now apply to everyday recruiting?

T: When it comes to more difficult positions or newer technology, I will be applying GlossaryTech. GlossaryTech is the go-to guide to exploring technology definitions. I will also be using “Candidate Lookup by Code” to search for potential candidates with limited information, on multiple platforms, and even to identify those who may not be actively looking for a job.

P: I’ll be using the social media tricks that I learned. Finding groups on Facebook that are industry focused (software developers, engineering, UX Designers, etc.). There you can find all sorts of qualified candidates who will post about being laid off or quitting, and candidates who are passively seeking. On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, there are accounts and ‘influencers’ that target the same audience you may be looking for. Focusing on who engages with their content can open a whole new pool of candidates to reach out to.