Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked about what a sourcer does and doesn’t do. I’ve given you some of my thoughts on where to look for a sourcer for your team, some suggestions on how to interview potential sourcers, and what qualities in an individual might lead them to be a good sourcer. I’ve also given you some insight into the day in the life of a sourcer. So what’s left?

How about some fun things: some common misconceptions of what sourcing is. Yes, I believe every sourcer has beaten this topic to death at some point or another. But now, it’s my turn.

The goal of this is not to make light of these misconceptions, but rather to re-educate everyone on some of the things that are incorrectly associated with research and sourcing, and hopefully offer some suggestions on the correct way to view this very vital part of a recruiting operation.

There are a lot of people out there in the recruiting community who have no clue what a day consists of for a sourcer. I’ve had people ask me if I just stare at my screen all day or surf websites or just sit there and basically do nothing – true story! While I do ‘stare at my screen’ a lot (been known to go cross-eyed on occasion!) when I sourced full time, what I did all day is not simply surfing websites. It’s more complicated than that, and in part 3 of this series of Breaking Down the Sourcing Function, I would like to walk you through a typical day (if that in fact even exists!) of a sourcer.

Read this quote from one of the greatest work movies of all time, Office Space, and tell me if this isn’t what some recruiters think you do all day!

Bob: You see, what we’re actually trying to do here is, we’re trying to get a feel for how people spend their day at work… so, if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?

Peter: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late; I use the side door – that way Lumbergh can’t see me…and after that I just sort of space out for about an hour. I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I’m working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I’d say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.