talent sourcing refers to the process of researching, identifying, developing, and communicating with potential talent candidates so as to transform people into qualified job candidates. The wider aim of talent sourcing is to create a consistent stream of highly-qualified applicants for top positions. Talent sourcing typically targets the higher echelons of management: executives, department managers, and supervisors, in senior management, while also targeting the entry-level professional. In today's increasingly globalised labour market, there is a growing recognition of the need to recruit talent from the globalised world outside the major cities. Thus companies are devoting increasing resources towards talent sourcing - to not only tap into the pool of talent in the country where they operate, but to tap into the talent pool of countries outside their home markets as well.

There are two main forms of talent sourcing that companies use. The first is traditional recruitment; in this case the company publishes advertisements in job fairs and recruitment agencies, holding recruitment events, and contacting candidates directly. The second form is much more proactive - that is, it conducts face-to-face or telephone interviews with candidates who express interest in working at the company. Candidates' information is supplied on request, including their CV, providing detailed information about their skills and experience. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, companies will want to have access to as many suitable candidates as possible, with specific criteria for a suitable candidate.

For companies to get the best results from talent sourcing, the first step is to identify a problem or gap in the current job market. For example, it could be that there is a gap in the supply of IT professionals in the UK, or an education or training deficit in the UK job market. One way companies can address these issues is through a series of targeted initiatives aimed at filling specific gaps in the job market. These could involve creating training programmes aimed at addressing specific skill gaps, or gathering information on existing gaps and developing processes to close them.

The next stage of talent sourcing involves creating a talent strategy. This will include defining the talent process and what will constitute the talent strategy. The talent strategy will then be reviewed according to its success, which will result in the creation of a job description and specification. This job description will need to include specific details on what the company expects from each role, for example, the number of hours per week a candidate will be expected to work, the number of people likely to be involved in a role, their role description, and specifications for skills, talent and experience required for each role. The job description will also need to set out expectations for the type of work a candidate can expect.

Once the job specification and job description are finalised, companies can begin the actual talent sourcing process. This will involve contacting potential recruits for an initial interview, which is often conducted face-to-face. During this interview the company will be looking to identify specific talent gaps, address those issues and then look to identify the right people to fill the roles. They may, for example, identify that one of the key drivers for a particular driver's success is the ability to learn new tasks quickly and efficiently. The company may therefore look to recruit people who are good at learning new tasks quickly and efficiently. Alternatively they may seek to recruit people who have a high potential for growth and development.

The final stage of talent sourcing involves evaluating the responses received from the initial recruitment process and establishing the talent needs of potential hires. In doing so it will be necessary to obtain the consent of the potential employee or candidates. In some cases, hiring managers can use a talent sourcer to get the information they require without having to approach the people directly. However, in other instances it may be necessary for a talent scout to visit the premises to gain access to the talent sources. Either way, using a talent sourcer provides companies with an effective and efficient means of finding the right people while saving time and money.