Talent Sourcer Work Samples: Practical Exercises to Identify Top Recruiting Talent

Talent Sourcers serve as the foundation of an effective recruiting strategy, acting as the frontline talent scouts who identify and engage qualified candidates before they even enter your formal recruiting process. The best sourcers combine strategic thinking, creative research skills, data analysis, and exceptional communication abilities to build robust talent pipelines that fuel your organization's growth.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a sourcer's true capabilities. While candidates may eloquently describe their sourcing methodologies or past successes, these conversations rarely demonstrate their actual skills in action. This disconnect can lead to hiring sourcers who interview well but struggle to deliver results.

Work sample exercises provide a window into how candidates approach real sourcing challenges. By observing candidates execute practical tasks similar to those they'll face on the job, you gain invaluable insights into their problem-solving approach, technical proficiency, and communication style. These exercises reveal not just what candidates say they can do, but what they actually do when faced with authentic sourcing scenarios.

The following four exercises are designed to evaluate the essential competencies of high-performing talent sourcers. Each activity simulates a different aspect of the sourcing role, from developing comprehensive strategies to crafting compelling outreach messages. By incorporating these exercises into your interview process, you'll be able to identify sourcers who can truly drive your talent acquisition efforts forward.

Activity #1: Sourcing Strategy Development

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive sourcing strategy for a challenging role. Effective sourcers don't just jump into searching databases; they first create a structured approach that considers various channels, keywords, and targeting parameters. This activity reveals how candidates think strategically about sourcing and their familiarity with diverse sourcing methods.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a moderately difficult position in your organization that requires creative sourcing (e.g., a specialized engineering role, a leadership position with unique requirements).
• Prepare a simplified job description with key requirements, responsibilities, and any unique aspects of the role.
• Provide access to a computer with internet access for research purposes.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for this exercise.
• Have a hiring manager or recruiting leader available to answer clarifying questions about the role.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided job description and ask any clarifying questions.
• Develop a comprehensive sourcing strategy document that includes:
• 3-5 primary sourcing channels you would utilize
• Key search strings or Boolean search examples for at least two platforms
• Target companies or industries where qualified candidates might be found
• Any creative approaches you would implement beyond traditional methods
• Estimated timeline for building an initial pipeline of qualified candidates
• Be prepared to present and explain your strategy to the interview panel.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide feedback on one strength of the strategy (e.g., creative use of Boolean strings, innovative sourcing channels).
• Offer one area for improvement (e.g., overlooked potential candidate pools, inefficient search parameters).
• Allow the candidate 5-10 minutes to revise one aspect of their strategy based on the feedback.

Activity #2: Candidate Outreach Messaging

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to craft compelling, personalized outreach messages that capture attention and generate responses. The best sourcers understand that generic templates yield poor results; effective messaging requires research, personalization, and strategic communication. This activity reveals the candidate's writing skills and their approach to candidate engagement.

Directions for the Company:

• Select 2-3 LinkedIn profiles (or similar professional profiles) of individuals who would be strong candidates for a current opening.
• Ensure these profiles have sufficient information for the candidate to craft personalized messages.
• Provide the job description for the role you're targeting these individuals for.
• Allow 20-30 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided profiles and job description.
• For each profile, craft a personalized outreach message that you would send via LinkedIn InMail, email, or another appropriate channel.
• Each message should include:
• A compelling subject line or opening
• Personalized elements showing you've researched the individual
• Clear value proposition explaining why they should consider the opportunity
• A specific call-to-action
• Be prepared to explain your approach and why you believe it would be effective for each profile.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the messages (e.g., effective personalization, compelling value proposition).
• Offer one suggestion for improvement (e.g., more concise messaging, stronger call-to-action).
• Ask the candidate to revise one of their messages incorporating the feedback.

Activity #3: Market Research and Competitive Intelligence

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to research and analyze talent markets to inform recruiting strategies. Top sourcers don't just find candidates; they provide valuable intelligence about talent landscapes, competitor activities, and market trends. This activity reveals the candidate's research skills and strategic thinking about talent markets.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a role or skill set that is strategically important to your organization.
• Prepare a brief on what information would be most valuable (e.g., salary ranges, companies with concentrations of this talent, emerging talent pools).
• Provide access to a computer with internet access and any subscription tools your company uses.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Conduct research on the specified talent market using available resources.
• Prepare a brief market intelligence report that includes:
• Overview of where this talent is concentrated (companies, geographic locations)
• Estimated compensation ranges based on available data
• Key competitors for this talent and their apparent recruiting strategies
• Any emerging trends or alternative talent pools worth exploring
• 2-3 specific recommendations for how to approach this talent market
• Be prepared to present your findings and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the research (e.g., thorough data collection, insightful analysis).
• Offer one area for improvement (e.g., overlooked data sources, deeper analysis needed in specific areas).
• Allow the candidate 10 minutes to expand on one aspect of their research based on the feedback.

Activity #4: Pipeline Analysis and Optimization

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to analyze sourcing data and make data-driven recommendations for improvement. Effective sourcers don't just build pipelines; they continuously analyze performance metrics and optimize their approach. This activity reveals the candidate's analytical skills and strategic thinking about pipeline management.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a sanitized dataset representing 3-6 months of sourcing activities for a specific role or department.
• Include metrics such as: sources used, number of candidates identified, outreach response rates, conversion to interview, and time metrics.
• Ensure the data has some clear patterns or issues that could be identified and addressed.
• Provide the data in a spreadsheet format.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided sourcing data.
• Analyze the effectiveness of different sourcing channels, approaches, and messaging.
• Identify at least 3 key insights or patterns from the data.
• Prepare recommendations for how to optimize the sourcing strategy based on your analysis.
• Create a simple visualization (chart or graph) highlighting one of your key findings.
• Be prepared to present your analysis and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the analysis (e.g., insightful pattern recognition, creative optimization ideas).
• Offer one area for improvement (e.g., overlooked data relationships, additional metrics to consider).
• Ask the candidate to expand on how they would implement one of their recommendations, incorporating the feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each exercise requires 30-60 minutes, plus time for feedback and discussion. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your needs rather than attempting all four in a single interview. You might consider conducting these exercises across multiple interview stages or dedicating a half-day assessment for final candidates.

Should we provide these exercises to candidates in advance?

For Activities #1 and #2, it's best to present them during the interview to assess how candidates think on their feet. For the more complex Activities #3 and #4, you might provide the basic premise 24 hours in advance, allowing candidates to prepare mentally while still completing the actual exercise during the interview.

How should we evaluate candidates who have experience with different sourcing tools than we use?

Focus on the candidate's approach and methodology rather than specific tool expertise. A strong sourcer can adapt their skills to new platforms. During the exercises, make it clear that you're evaluating their strategic thinking and approach, not their familiarity with specific tools they haven't used before.

What if a candidate asks to use their own sourcing tools or subscriptions during the exercises?

This shows initiative and should generally be allowed, as it demonstrates how they work in their current environment. However, ensure they can explain their process clearly so that you can evaluate their methodology regardless of the specific tools used.

How should we account for nervousness or performance anxiety during these exercises?

Create a supportive environment by framing these as collaborative working sessions rather than high-pressure tests. Begin with casual conversation to help candidates relax, and make it clear that you're interested in their thought process as much as the final output. Consider offering a short warm-up period before starting the timed portion.

Can these exercises be conducted remotely?

Yes, all four exercises can be adapted for remote interviews using screen sharing and collaborative documents. For remote sessions, consider extending the time slightly to account for potential technical issues and ensure candidates have access to necessary tools and resources beforehand.

Implementing these work samples will significantly enhance your ability to identify talent sourcers who can truly drive results for your organization. By observing candidates tackle realistic challenges, you'll gain insights that traditional interviews simply cannot provide.

Yardstick's suite of hiring tools can further strengthen your sourcing team selection process. Our Interview Intelligence platform can help you analyze candidate responses during these exercises, while our Predictive Talent Analytics can help you identify which sourcer characteristics correlate with success in your specific organization. To explore more resources for building an effective hiring process, visit our AI Job Descriptions, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator.

Ready to build a complete interview guide for your Talent Sourcer role? Sign up for a free Yardstick account today!