What does an IT sourcer do?

In conversations with our clients, many of them raised an interesting question: what’s the real difference between a “recruiter” and a “sourcer”? These titles sometimes are used interchangeably, but it can be unclear what each of these roles does. That is why we wanted to explain what the IT sourcer is, his role and responsibilities in the selection process, and the differences from the IT recruiter.

What is the IT sourcer?
IT recruiting is a complex and time-consuming process. To find the ideal candidate who would be motivated to join and work effectively in the company, sometimes one IT recruiter is not enough - you need a team. That's when the IT sourcer joins the squad.

The IT sourcer is a person whose responsibility is to search for specialists and experts and evaluate them for open IT job positions. He must have a good knowledge of IT and technology, be familiar with the terminology and understand the work and daily life of different IT professionals.

“The IT sourcer is a person whose responsibility is to search for specialists and experts and evaluate them for open IT job positions.”
What does the IT sourcer do?
The IT sourcer uses various recruiting channels daily, including StackOverflow, GitHub, Google groups, CodeProject, and some social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram to search for the best candidates for various IT positions.

He is the first to evaluate the CV and other available information of potential candidates to determine if the person is suitable for the specific position.

The IT sourcer then contacts candidates identified as suitable for the position. That is usually done via email and is an important step in the recruitment process. How the email is composed and formulated will determine the candidate's interest in the available position.

What is the difference between an IT recruiter and a sourcer?
The IT sourcer does the initial phases of the recruitment process - searching for candidates, and evaluating their skills, experience, and motivation to change workplaces. If the candidate shows interest and motivation to change jobs, the IT sourcer arranges an interview and gives the candidate's contacts to the recruiter.

The IT recruiter continues the selection process by conducting interviews, introducing the candidate to the company, and working on the candidate's motivation. The recruiter's work aims to take the candidate to the final stage of selection - making a job offer to the candidate and being sure he accepts it.

In short, the main difference between the IT recruiter and the sourcer is that the sourcer's main task is to search for and address suitable candidates for the position, whereas the IT recruiter provides a further selection process by supporting the candidate and ensuring a successful selection result.

The best results in the selection process are achieved thanks to a strong teamwork. We are excited to expand our team and start a cooperation with our first sourcer. We are confident that this addition will help to advance our recruiting projects and find the best candidates for our clients.

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