Help me create a fair, repeatable sourcing plan for this open role. Job requirements and outcomes: [JOB DESCRIPTION] Company, team, and work details: [COMPANY CONTEXT] Approved hiring constraints and policy: [HIRING POLICY AND CONSTRAINTS] Candidate markets and sources available: [TARGET MARKETS AND CHANNELS] Existing talent-pool or competitor context: [CURRENT SEARCH CONTEXT] First, separate the role requirements into must-have qualifications, trainable preferences, and information that should not be used to screen candidates. Identify any requirement that is ambiguous, unnecessary, potentially exclusionary, or unsupported by the role outcomes. Ask up to three questions only if a missing detail changes the search materially.
Create a sourcing brief with: 1. A candidate persona focused on relevant capabilities, adjacent backgrounds, likely titles, seniority range, and evidence of the required work. 2. Three distinct talent pools: direct matches, adjacent-industry candidates, and nontraditional or return-to-work candidates. Explain why each pool is relevant. 3. Boolean search strings for LinkedIn or a resume database, with title synonyms, skills, and exclusions limited to job-related terms. Include a plain-English version of each search. 4. A consistent initial-screen rubric with 5 to 7 job-related criteria, what evidence counts, and a “needs follow-up” option rather than assumptions. 5. A candidate outreach outline that states the role, work, and process accurately and does not make unapproved promises about pay, flexibility, sponsorship, or advancement. 6. A weekly funnel plan: target profiles reviewed, messages sent, expected replies as a range, and data to record for source quality. Do not use protected characteristics, proxies for them, names, photos, graduation years, or personal background as selection criteria. Do not invent benefits, compensation, hiring timelines, candidate experience, or company facts. Before answering, check that every screen is traceable to a job requirement and that the three pools do not simply repeat the same candidate population.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [JOB DESCRIPTION] | Paste the approved job description, including responsibilities, required skills, and level. | Senior data analyst: build recurring revenue dashboards, write SQL, define metrics with finance, and present findings; 4+ years analytics experience. |
| [COMPANY CONTEXT] | Describe the team, location or remote arrangement, manager, and work the hire will perform. | 45-person B2B software company; reports to Head of Finance; remote in the United States with monthly New York meetings. |
| [HIRING POLICY AND CONSTRAINTS] | State approved location, work authorization, compensation disclosure, diversity, and interview-policy rules. | Use only job-related criteria; disclose approved salary range of $115k–$135k when requested; no sponsorship for this role. |
| [TARGET MARKETS AND CHANNELS] | List geographic markets and sourcing channels you are permitted to use. | United States; LinkedIn Recruiter, employee referrals, and an approved analytics community job board. |
| [CURRENT SEARCH CONTEXT] | Share prior search terms, talent-pool notes, known competitors, and sourcing results so far. | Initial searches for Senior Data Analyst found many marketing analysts; competitors include SaaS companies with usage-based pricing. |
How to use
- Paste the approved role description and the actual hiring-policy constraints, not informal preferences.
- Run the Boolean strings in your permitted tools and sample results before sending outreach.
- Use the rubric consistently; record missing evidence as follow-up rather than rejecting based on a profile impression.
- Follow up with: “Adapt the first screen rubric into structured interview questions with anchored evidence levels.”
Variations
Boolean search strings
Use this when the role and sourcing strategy are already set.
Build Boolean search strings for [ROLE] using this approved requirement list: [REQUIREMENTS]. Search in [PLATFORM OR DATABASE] across [LOCATION OR MARKET]. Provide three searches: direct experience, adjacent titles, and skills-first candidates. Explain each operator and synonym choice, then list likely false positives and how to remove them using only job-related exclusions. Do not use demographic, school-prestige, age, or personal-background filters. Ask questions only if a requirement or target market is missing.
Outreach sequence
Use this when you have a target list and need accurate first-contact messages.
Write a three-message candidate outreach sequence for [ROLE] at [COMPANY]. Use these approved facts only: [ROLE FACTS]. The recipient’s relevant public experience is [CANDIDATE CONTEXT]. Each message should be 70 to 120 words, name the specific work connection without flattery, state the next step, and make no promise about compensation, remote work, sponsorship, or timing unless included in the facts. Flag any detail needed for an accurate message.
Intake calibration
Use this before sourcing when the hiring manager’s requirements are unclear.
Turn these hiring-manager notes into a sourcing intake document: [NOTES]. The role’s expected outcomes in six months are [OUTCOMES], and these constraints are approved: [POLICY CONSTRAINTS]. Identify must-haves, preferred skills, trainable gaps, deal-breakers that are not job-related, title alternatives, and interview evidence required for each must-have. List contradictions or vague requirements to resolve. Do not infer candidate traits from prestige signals or personal history.
Tips
- Turn “culture fit” requests into observable work behaviors, such as handling ambiguous metrics definitions or presenting a recommendation to finance.
- Use title searches as an entry point, then test skills and outcomes; titles vary widely across companies.
- Keep a reason code for every disposition so the team can spot a search filter that is excluding strong candidates.
- Audit reply and pass-through rates by source before declaring a market exhausted; a low-response message is not proof of low talent supply.
FAQ
Can AI choose who to reject from a candidate list?
Use AI to structure job-related evidence, but keep the hiring decision with accountable people and follow your company’s hiring policy. Avoid feeding sensitive personal data into unapproved tools.
Are Boolean strings enough for sourcing?
No. They retrieve profiles, but a good search plan also defines adjacent pools, evidence standards, outreach accuracy, and funnel measurement.
Should sourcing messages mention salary?
Follow local law and company policy. Include only an approved range and approved language; do not let AI infer compensation.