Active sourcing involves proactively reaching out to suitable candidates directly—rather than waiting for applications to come in. Recruiters identify talent through business networks, resume databases, and talent pools, and reach out to them personally. Especially in the face of a skills shortage, this is often the only way to fill hard-to-fill positions
Active Sourcing
What is Active Sourcing? Meaning and definition
Active sourcing is a significant method when it comes to attracting new employees. Instead of waiting for the perfect candidates to come knocking (“passive sourcing,” e.g., by posting job ads), proactive recruiters take the initiative to seek out suitable candidates themselves.
For active sourcing, for example career platforms such as LinkedIn or Xing are used to find suitable profiles and contact them by message (“profile mining”). The aim of active sourcing is to identify suitable candidates for the vacant positions, to inspire them and ultimately to successfully fill the vacancies.
When is active sourcing a good idea?
Active sourcing is a particularly useful strategy for small and medium-sized companies without an established employer brand, as the shortage of qualified applicants is often particularly pronounced here. Nevertheless, active sourcing can be used in any company as long as they are open to novel ways of recruiting. Active sourcing can work in any industry as long as you match your target audience.
What are the active sourcing methods?
There are several active sourcing methods. Here we present four popular variants:
- Talent Pool: A talent pool is a predefined group of candidates who have already shown interest in your company, e.g. in previous applications or at networking events. This pool allows you to quickly access candidates who are already familiar with your brand when needed. This can significantly reduce response time when filling positions.
- Social networks: The aforementioned “profile mining” on platforms such as LinkedIn and Xing is one of the most powerful methods of active sourcing. Here you can search for profiles that match your requirements. By analyzing profiles, you gain valuable insights into the qualifications and professional backgrounds of potential candidates and can contact them individually.
| Tool | Cost/year | Special feature | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Recruiter | ~€10,000 | Unlimited InMails, advanced filters, team features | Starting at 10+ jobs/month |
| LinkedIn Recruiter Lite | ~€4,000 | 30 InMails/month, basic filters | For occasional active sourcing |
| Xing Talent Manager | ~€3,000–5,000 | Particularly strong in the DACH region | Business & trade professions |
| 💡 Kooku recommendation: LinkedIn Recruiter Lite is the best way to get started for most medium-sized companies. If you fill more than 20 positions a year, the full version will quickly pay for itself. | |||
- The CV Database Search: Online platforms and job portals such as Indeed, Experteer, Monster or StepStone often offer extensive databases of CVs. With a targeted search of these databases, you can find qualified candidates who are actively looking for jobs or open to new career opportunities.
- Referral Sourcing: Satisfied Employees are the best ambassadors for your company. Referral sourcing uses existing employees to refer potential candidates from their own network. These candidates are often qualified and a good fit for the corporate culture.
Which active sourcing strategies are particularly proven?
Choosing the right active sourcing strategy depends on your goals, industry, and the specific requirements of your open positions. Each of these methods requires a strategic approach and careful planning to successfully target and attract the best talent to your organization.
Among the various active sourcing methods, profile mining on social networks is currently particularly popular and has proven effective in many places. Here are some reasons why this method is often considered the best:
- Extensive data: Platforms such as LinkedIn offer extensive information on professional profiles, qualifications and professional backgrounds of candidates. This allows Active Sourcers to target candidates who are a perfect fit for open positions.
- Actuality: Profiles on job-related social networks are updated regularly. This means you have access to up-to-date information about candidates, including their current positions and professional interests.
- Direct communication: You can get in touch with candidates directly via the platforms, which enables quick and uncomplicated communication. This is particularly important in order to arouse the interest of candidates and to establish the first contact.
- Simple filtering: The search and filter functions on platforms such as LinkedIn allow you to target your search precisely to specific qualifications, experience and locations.
- Visibility: Profile mining on social networks allows you to present your company and your vacancies to a broad target group. This increases the visibility of your offers and attracts potential candidates.
Although profile mining on social networks is considered highly effective, it is important to note that other active sourcing methods can also be useful in certain situations.
Active sourcing and GDPR: What you need to consider legally
Active sourcing operates in a legal gray area that recruiters should be aware of: Direct outreach on LinkedIn and Xing: Contacting candidates via professional networks is generally permitted, as users make their profiles publicly visible. Consent is generally not required for the initial contact—as long as the cover letter is professional and tailored to the position. Talent Pools and Data Retention: Candidate data may not be stored indefinitely. Anyone setting up a talent pool must either obtain documented consent from the candidates or delete the data within 6–12 months at the latest (depending on the company’s internal data protection policy). Tip: Be transparent right from the start in your initial message: “May I add you to our talent pool?” CV databases (Indeed, StepStone): Viewing profiles on job portals is permitted under the respective platform’s terms of service—but sharing CV data with third parties without consent is not. Note: This section is of a general nature. For a legally binding assessment, we recommend consulting a data protection officer.
Active Sourcing Process: 6 steps to success
Step 1 – Define the requirements profile: In the first step, it is crucial to define a clear requirements profile, including required qualifications, experience and skills.
At Kooku, we use a matrix to distinguish between visible (hard facts) and not directly visible but still important (soft facts) requirements. Both for the Hard Facts as well as the soft facts are further differentiated between nice-to-haves and must-haves differentiated. This detailed yet concise approach allows us to precisely define the requirements for the position we are seeking and ensure that we identify the best possible candidates.
In particular, the hard facts/must haves are relevant for direct searches in social networks, because these are usually the three to five criteria that can be recognized at first glance in the candidate profile.
Step 2 – Select active sourcing channels: Choose the right business channels for your candidate search, such as LinkedIn or Xing. You can find detailed information about our specialized active sourcing service here. Depending on the position, other platforms or forums may also be considered. Think carefully: where do you best reach suitable candidates? Ask yourself:
- Which business networks do the potential candidates in my target group use most often?
- Are there specialized forums or online communities where professionals in this industry are active?
- Which channels offer the best opportunities to build an authentic relationship with potential candidates and capture their interest?
Step 3 – Find suitable candidates: Start the search and use your preparation to find candidates efficiently. The following also help Search strings.
Search strings are specially formulated search queries that help find precise results. These strings should contain keywords and criteria that match the requirements of the job. For example, you could search for specific qualifications, skills, experience or locations like “Java Software Developer Berlin”.
Step 4 – Write to candidates: The cover letter is crucial for arousing the candidate’s interest. Kooku CEO Mathias Mengel recommends formulating the cover letter directly in the message function of the respective business platform: “If you formulate a cover letter on a white sheet, it usually becomes very extensive and cerebral. That is inappropriate. A better approach: Click directly on “Write message” and write a short message using the AIDA formula.”
A cover letter according to the AIDA principle means:
- Attention: Attract attention with the headline/first sentence.
- Interest: Why is the position interesting for the candidate? What does he get out of it?
- Desire: Spark a desire to learn more about the open position – more salary, development opportunities, etc.
- Action: Encourage the candidate to respond directly or click on a job posting.
You can find out more in our 5 tips for appealing LinkedIn cover letters .
Step 5: Create text memory
Once the first message is written, it now serves as a template for similar candidates. It is important that the cover letter always individually to the person and their current life situation. So it’s worth collecting different cover letters, for example, for candidates who are actively looking for a job and for candidates who are not. These messages can then be collected bit by bit, for example in a tool such as OneNote , Clipboard Master or Notion . In the future, the appropriate cover letters can be found here in just a few seconds.
The news writing process is often underestimated. That’s why working with professional recruiting agencies can be a relevant option for an effective recruiting strategy. Recruiting agencies have expertise in identifying suitable candidates efficiently and addressing them individually. This not only saves time, but can also be more cost-effective and increase the success rate.
Step 6 – Track results and optimize the processTo maintain an overview, increase speed and be able to follow up with candidates in a targeted manner, it makes sense to record the results, e.g. in an applicant management system (e.g. Workable or Recruitee, which are linked to LinkedIn) or simply in a spreadsheet. At Kooku, we use our own innovative recruiting dashboard for this purpose.
Want more insight into active sourcing or want to educate your employees on the topic? Take a look at our Active Sourcing Training Over!
Active sourcing service provider
Find a few suitable candidates on LinkedIn, write them a nice message and the position is filled – sounds really easy. Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. What is often overlooked is the time and effortbehind this supposedly simple task. Searching through profiles, writing persuasive messages, maintaining contacts and managing application documents – all of this requires time and resources. This is where active sourcing service providers come in.
“Based on our project experience, about 70% of candidates do not respond immediately to the first message. Fortunately, there are proven processes and software tools that can support the recruiting process to help track top-tier candidates. The key issue: If the HR department lacks experienced recruiting experts, the process can drag on considerably. Recruiting agencies offer an efficient alternative: Typically, we only need about 10–15 hours per week to achieve sustainable and rapid results.” – Mathias Mengel, Founder & CEO of Kooku
Service providers like Kooku specialize in the art of active sourcing and can help you find the best talent for your open positions. They have the necessary know-how to search specifically for the best candidates for you and to approach them professionally.
The benefits of working with active sourcing service providers are many. You can save time and resourcesoften have access to a broad broad network and are familiar with the latest trends and best practices in the field of active sourcing, which can give you a competitive advantage.
Of course, the selection of a suitable service provider is crucial. It is important to find a partner who understands your specific requirements and Customized solutions can offer. However, if the right choice is made, working with an active sourcing service provider can make the recruitment process much easier and increase the chances of attracting top-notch talent.
Feel free to contact us now to fill your open positions with our help in just a few weeks.
Advantages and disadvantages of active sourcing
Active sourcing undoubtedly offers some advantages that can be invaluable in talent search and selection. Nevertheless, there are also disadvantages.
Advantages:
- Access to passive candidates who are not actively looking for jobs.
- Shortening the time-to-hire by actively searching for and finding a suitable candidate.
- Leveraging qualified talent from talent pools.
- Higher chances of finding the ideal candidate.
Disadvantages:
- Time expenditure in hours (approx. 10-15 hours per week per position!) through individual contact with candidates.
- Our Vacancy Cost Calculator →
- Increased competition for passive candidates and possible message spam in the mailbox of A-Players
Active sourcing costs: what you need to plan for
The cost of active sourcing depends on whether you set it up internally or commission a service provider:
In-house
- Tool license (LinkedIn Recruiter Lite): approx. 3,000-5,000 €/year
- Time expenditure per job (10-15h à 40-70 €): approx. 400-1,050 €
- Training / onboarding (one-off): approx. 500-2,000 €
Agency / Service provider
- Success fee: 15-25 % of the annual salary
- Monthly flat rate: from approx. 2,000 €/month
- Advantage: Immediate capacity, no license costs, higher response rates
What does an unfilled position really cost? Most companies underestimate the opportunity cost. Calculate it with our free vacancy cost calculator →
Active Sourcing Examples
Theory is important. Often, however, it is only practice that makes sense. A few examples will show you how Active Sourcing methods are applied.
Scenario 1: Imagine you are looking for experienced software developers for your tech startup. You go to LinkedIn, type in specific keywords like “full-stack developer” and “Python expert,” and filter the results by location and experience. You’ll find talented professionals who match your requirements. Then, you send them personalized messages emphasizing your company’s interest and the benefits of hiring you. This is a classic example of profile mining on social networks.
Scenario 2: Let’s say your company already has a talent pool of previous applicants who weren’t selected at the time, but are still promising. You can actively nurture this talent pool by keeping in regular contact with candidates and informing them of new job opportunities. When a suitable position becomes available, you can reach out to those candidates directly and encourage a reapplication.
Scenario 3: You introduce a referral program in your company and encourage your employees to suggest talented candidates from their own network. These candidates already have the trust of an employee, which can make the recruiting process easier.
You see: Active sourcing is diverse and adaptable. It can be implemented in a variety of ways, depending on your goals and the resources you have available. The art of Active Sourcing is to choose the right strategy for your specific needs while maintaining human contact and professionalism. We at Kooku are happy to support you in this.
In passive sourcing, the company waits for applications (e.g. through job advertisements). With active sourcing, recruiters actively search for suitable candidates themselves and contact them directly – regardless of whether they are currently looking for a job.
Active sourcing is particularly worthwhile for companies with hard-to-fill vacancies, little awareness as an employer or in sectors with a shortage of skilled workers. It works in every industry, as long as the target group is active on digital platforms.
In-house approx. 400-1,050 € per position (time expenditure) plus tool licenses (approx. 3,000-5,000 €/year). An agency works either on a success basis (15-25% of the annual salary) or with a monthly flat rate.
Yes, if the direct approach is made via business networks such as LinkedIn or Xing and is job-related. Documented consent or clear deletion periods are required for talent pools.
A response rate of 20-35% is considered good. With generic mass mailings, it is often less than 10 %. Personalized messages based on the AIDA formula achieve significantly better results.
Profile mining refers to the targeted search for candidates in career networks such as LinkedIn or Xing. Recruiters use search filters and search strings to find suitable profiles and write to them directly.
A talent pool is a group of pre-registered candidates who have already shown interest in the company – e.g. from previous applications or networking events. It enables faster recruitment, as suitable contacts can be accessed immediately for new positions.
Efficient recruiting with results.
Active Sourcing at Kooku
We find the right candidates for your open positions.
With a clear process, suitable search strategies and measurable key figures, we increase the response rate and shorten the time to fill. We develop an individual sourcing strategy for each position, tailored to your market and your recruiting goal.
Active sourcing from Kooku. Efficient. Personal. Successful.
View Kooku's Active Sourcing Service
