FAQ

Sourcing is the research, identification and personalized outreach of passive talent to convert them into candidates for our clients.

Sourcing is headhunting 2.0.

Headhunting generally refers to leveraging a network, specializing in a particular industry or maintaining a firm’s own database. The approach is more traditional: cold calling and direct outreach.

Sourcing is broader and goes beyond traditional sources. The research is much more exhaustive, across databases and the web, and is supported by advanced technology.

Generally speaking, a sourcer focuses on researching, identifying and proactively reaching out to talent, particularly when those individuals are difficult to reach through traditional channels. A recruiter, on the other hand, is involved throughout the recruitment process, from defining the need through to hiring.

At Sourcinc, these areas of expertise are complementary. Our team is skilled in both sourcing and recruitment. Depending on the type of mandate, we can focus on talent research and outreach or manage the entire process, including assessment and interviews.

Generally, yes. Within organizations, sourcers are usually part of the HR or talent acquisition team.

At Sourcinc, every member of our team has chosen sourcing and recruitment as their specialty.

A passive candidate is generally happy in their current role and is not actively looking for a new job, but may be curious to learn more about an opportunity.

An active candidate has already taken concrete steps toward making a career move.

It is the trail a person’s professional experience leaves online: a social media presence, an Indeed profile, or a mention on the Team page of a company website.

This is what allows us to find, identify and approach someone who has not applied for the role.

A Boolean search is a formula that combines several operators (AND, OR, NOT, parentheses and quotation marks) to refine search criteria across different external databases.

It significantly narrows the list of profiles to those that best match what the client is looking for.

Both.

Proactive, when we build talent pipelines in advance for an upcoming need.

Reactive, when inbound applications are not producing results, the recruitment firm you work with is not presenting relevant profiles, or your employee referral program is not generating the desired results.

Proactive sourcing makes it possible to collect talent market data and make better decisions. It provides a concrete view of the profiles available in the market, including those working for competitors.

It also allows you to build a list of relevant profiles in advance, sometimes even before a role opens, which can accelerate future hiring processes. It also helps hiring managers better understand their talent market.

The intake meeting is a 60- to 90-minute discussion that takes place before any mandate begins. Our team asks targeted questions to fully understand the environment, the market, the ideal profile and the best approach for converting passive talent into interested candidates.

A sourcing strategy builds on the work completed during the intake meeting with the client and hiring manager.

At a minimum, it includes a Boolean search, a sequence of outreach messages designed to convert targeted profiles into candidates, and a list of companies where the desired talent may be found.

This step also requires a strong understanding of the company, its industry and its environment. We review articles and other relevant sources to refine the search and target the right profiles.

LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, Google X-Ray, artificial intelligence tools such as Metaview, and any other database relevant to the mandate and target persona.

No. LinkedIn is one tool among many. We also use Indeed, Google X-Ray, AI tools and any relevant database based on the target persona.

Every message is personalized so that we represent you as a true extension of your internal team. Particular attention is paid to both the content and tone of our outreach messages.

Every profile who does not respond receives up to three follow-ups, each one personalized.

A review of the person’s background first allows us to validate whether the profile matches the criteria we are looking for.

The behavioural interview then allows us to go further: to better understand the person’s experience, validate their skills and assess their potential before presenting their candidacy to the client.

For a recruitment mandate, we provide a summary assessment from our behavioural interview, along with the candidate’s resume and any other documents they have provided.

Yes. When a recruitment process is confidential, we can begin the external search directly, without posting the role or using internal channels.

For a sourcing mandate, it is preferable to have an internal team that is comfortable managing the recruitment process. Sourcinc focuses on talent research and identification, while your team retains responsibility for candidate management and the subsequent stages of the process.

For a recruitment mandate, Sourcinc manages the entire process. Your team therefore does not need specific recruitment expertise.

No. Every mandate begins with a custom search designed specifically around the client’s needs.

Our search results are centralized in co//app, our technology platform, which allows us to structure and track identified profiles throughout the mandate.

We do not recycle profile lists or searches from one client to another. Every new mandate starts with a search tailored to the role, the market and the criteria defined with the client.

We do not recycle our lists. Every search is built specifically for the mandate. The same profile may, however, appear on more than one list when they match the criteria for different mandates.

We also never source employees from our active clients.

In sourcing, the search begins as soon as the mandate launches, and the first interested profiles may be identified within the first few days.

For a recruitment mandate, it generally takes three to five weeks before the first candidates are presented. During this period, our team researches and approaches profiles, speaks with interested individuals and assesses the most relevant candidates.

Every candidate presented to the client has first completed a behavioural interview. This process allows us to go beyond a simple screening call and present genuinely qualified candidates.

In recruitment, a position is generally filled within six to eight weeks. Some more specialized roles may require additional time.

Timelines can also vary depending on the different stages of the hiring process, including the number of interviews, the availability of those involved and the time required to make a decision. A smooth, well-coordinated process naturally helps accelerate recruitment.

The number of profiles varies from one mandate to another. Our goal is not to reach a specific number, but to identify enough relevant profiles to meet the need without ever compromising quality.

Results depend on factors such as the search criteria, the level of specialization of the role, the availability of the talent being sought and the geographic market being targeted.

For a recruitment mandate, we generally present two to five profiles.

The goal is always to present a relatively short list to make your decision easier. We do not present candidates simply for the sake of presenting candidates.

It is the number of people who respond to outreach divided by the total number of outreach messages sent during a mandate. Responses can be positive or negative.

In the recruitment industry, response rates to outreach messages generally range from 15% to 20%. At Sourcinc, we target a response rate of at least 45%.

Because outreach matters just as much as research. Our messages are personalized to the targeted profile and written to accurately represent your company and the opportunity being presented.

We also rely on structured, personalized follow-ups. When a profile does not respond to the first message, we may send up to three follow-ups to maximize the chances of making contact.

In a sourcing mandate, no hire is guaranteed. However, in 80% of our mandates, clients tell us they are in the process of hiring or plan to move forward with one of the profiles identified.

The success of a mandate is therefore defined according to the objective established with the client. It may mean generating qualified candidates, building a talent pool for future needs, or mapping a market to better understand the profiles available.

Anywhere from zero to unlimited.

Some clients also use our sourcing services without an immediate hiring objective, in order to gain market intelligence and make better business decisions.

At Sourcinc, we track several indicators to measure the performance of a mandate:

• the number of profiles approached;
• the response rate;
• the number of profiles who have expressed interest, identified in the green section of co//app;
• the number of introductory calls;
• client satisfaction.

These same indicators can also be used by an internal sourcing team. In that context, satisfaction can be measured among the managers and teams being supported.

No. We also offer recruitment, On-demand recruiter, and Consulting services. Our ecosystem also includes executive search and international recruitment.

For certain mandates, we also support our clients with job postings.

Sourcing : We build a pipeline of relevant profiles and approach them over a four-week period. The deliverables: the pipeline, a detailed set of market insights and all of our notes.

Full-cycle recruitment : A recruitment mandate has no set end date. Our objective is to fill the position, and the mandate ends when the role is filled or the client decides to stop the process. We manage sourcing and outreach, phone screening, interviews and a detailed assessment of every profile presented.

On-demand recruiter : Our talent acquisition expertise integrates directly into your operations to support a specific need, a higher volume of open positions, or ongoing recruitment needs. The recruiter’s role and level of involvement are tailored to your reality and may include sourcing, job postings, interviews, and candidate management

It is the list of profiles targeted and approached during a mandate. At Sourcinc, the pipeline is organized into three sections:

• Green: relevant profiles who are interested in having a conversation.
• Yellow: profiles targeted by our team who have not responded.
• Red: profiles who appear to match on paper but are either not interested or, following a phone conversation, do not match what the client is looking for.

For our recruitment mandates, a replacement guarantee applies if the candidate leaves within six months of being hired, or if they do not meet the requirements of the role and their employment is terminated during that period.

Certain conditions apply, including payment of invoices within 30 days, replacement for the same position and client notification within the timelines specified in the contract.

Yes. Executive recruitment is part of our ecosystem through AURA Executive Search, our division specializing in the search and recruitment of executives and senior leaders.

AURA offers sourcing and full-cycle recruitment services for senior-level positions, including board members, vice-presidents and C-level executives. The service includes psychometric assessments and a 12-month guarantee.

AURA is the division of our ecosystem specializing in executive and senior leadership search. Mandates are managed by a dedicated team with expertise specific to executive recruitment.

The search approach is built on the same rigour as Sourcinc, but the process is adapted to the realities of senior-level recruitment. Candidate assessment, presentation and support are specifically designed for leadership roles and the considerations that come with them.

Yes. International recruitment is part of our ecosystem through nōmad, our team specializing in international recruitment and mobility.

nōmad supports companies looking to recruit talent internationally and assists them through the different stages of the journey, from recruitment through relocation. Immigration-related processes are handled with specialized partners.

nōmad is the international recruitment and mobility expertise within our ecosystem. It comes into play when a company needs to expand its talent search beyond Canada.

Depending on the need, recruitment can be carried out through targeted sourcing or through in-person international recruitment missions. The support also takes into account the different steps required for talent mobility and relocation.

International recruitment is based on many of the same research and assessment principles as our other services, but requires a strategy adapted to an international context.

Before launching the search, nōmad identifies the markets to target based on the skills required, available talent pools and the conditions that allow candidates to complete their mobility journey to Canada.

This strategy allows us to focus our efforts on the most relevant markets before we even begin researching and approaching talent.

Yes. Relocation services are offered by nōmad, the international mobility expertise within our ecosystem.

nōmad supports companies that want to facilitate the arrival in Canada of talent recruited internationally or support the international mobility of their employees. Support is also available directly to individuals preparing to settle in Canada, whether they are arriving alone, as a couple or with their family.

Our specialty is sourcing and exhaustive research, regardless of the industry.

Our clients include some of the largest companies in banking, food and beverage, manufacturing, telecommunications, construction, technology, artificial intelligence, video games, defence, aerospace, retail and pharmaceuticals.

No. We work on individual contributor, manager, director and senior leadership (C-level) positions alike.

More and more blue-collar workers and individual contributors can be found on social media and in databases. Some early-career roles are also becoming increasingly difficult to fill, and clients turn to Sourcinc to find this talent.

No. Our team is primarily based in Montreal and Toronto, and we also have a business presence in Paris.

We execute mandates around the world: in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

No. Sourcinc specializes in sourcing and talent acquisition. We do not offer HR consulting services.

For these needs, however, we can refer you to trusted partners with the appropriate expertise.

No. Sourcinc does not offer specialized compensation consulting services. We can, however, provide information on market salary trends or refer you to partners who specialize in compensation.

As part of our sourcing mandates, we also collect the salary expectations of the profiles we approach. This data gives you a concrete point of reference for the expectations observed in the market for the type of profile you are seeking.

Sourcinc does not maintain a résumé database. Every mandate starts with a new search, supported by a sourcing and outreach strategy tailored to the client’s specific needs.

Traditional staffing firms also work with active job seekers and often rely on their own candidate databases.

Our methodology focuses instead on identifying profiles that match the client’s criteria, whether or not they are actively looking for a new opportunity.

We also offer different service models depending on the level of support you need: four-week sourcing sprints, full-service recruitment, and On-demand recruiter, which integrates directly into your operations.

No. A firm that specializes in one industry will tend to reuse certain lists or limit its search to its network.

A generalist firm that specializes in sourcing, like Sourcinc, builds a custom approach for every need.

Every member of our team has chosen sourcing and recruitment as their specialty. They come from a variety of industries and have different levels of experience. We carefully select the right consultant for the right mandate and the right client.

Our team is not commission-based, and the number of mandates assigned to each consultant is limited. We focus on quality, execution and results rather than volume.

When your internal efforts have not produced the desired results: job postings, your employee referral program or your internal database are not generating enough qualified profiles.

Also when your recruitment process is confidential and you want to begin the external search directly.

Or simply when you do not have the capacity to recruit internally, whether because you have too many open positions or upcoming leaves. We are here to support you in all of these situations.

The first step is to understand where the need lies. Is your job posting generating enough applications? Are your network and employee referral program helping you reach the right profiles? Is the talent you need simply difficult to reach through the usual channels?

If your efforts are not producing the desired results, Sourcinc can help you identify the right approach, whether that means targeted sourcing or full-cycle recruitment support.

The choice depends primarily on your needs, your internal resources and the level of support you are looking for.

• Sourcing: you have the internal capacity to manage the assessment and hiring stages, but need help identifying, approaching and engaging the right profiles. This approach is particularly relevant when the talent you are looking for is difficult to reach through traditional channels or when you have several similar positions to fill.
• Recruitment: you want to entrust us with the process beyond the research stage. We then manage sourcing, outreach and candidate assessment through to the presentation of qualified profiles. This service also includes a six-month guarantee.
• On-demand recruiter :you have several positions to fill and want to integrate talent acquisition expertise directly into your operations to support a larger or recurring need.

Our services can also be adapted to your reality. If you are unsure which approach is right for you, we can determine together the level of support that best fits your needs and internal resources.

Each service has its own pricing model, based on the level of support and the nature of the mandate:

• Sourcing: a fixed fee for a four-week sprint.
• Recruitment: a percentage of the position’s base salary, with a six-month guarantee.
• On-demand recruiter : an hourly or weekly rate, established according to the duration and scope of the mandate.

The best model depends on your needs and the level of support you require.