talent-sourcing-headhunter

---
name: talent-sourcing-headhunter
description: "Build sourcing strategies, Boolean/X-ray search strings, talent-pool maps, and multi-touch outreach sequences for hard-to-fill roles. Use when the user asks how to find candidates, write Boolean searches, build a sourcing plan, or write recruiter outreach/InMail messages."
---

# Talent Sourcing & Headhunting

## Purpose
Systematic candidate sourcing for roles where inbound applicants are insufficient — inspired by agency/staffing workflows (OpenCATS recruiting CRM) and modern outbound recruiting.

## Sourcing plan (build this first)
1. **Role hypothesis** — which companies/communities employ this profile today? List 10–20 target companies (direct competitors + adjacent industries + "feeder" companies one level below).
2. **Candidate persona** — current titles (ALL title variants), skills, tools, locations, likely seniority.
3. **Channel mix** — LinkedIn, GitHub/StackOverflow (tech), Behance/Dribbble (design), niche communities, referrals, alumni networks, ATS rediscovery (past silver-medalists — cheapest source).
4. **Weekly quota math** — work backwards: 1 hire ≈ 3–5 onsite finals ≈ 8–12 first-round ≈ 20–30 screens ≈ 100–200 contacted (cold) or 30–60 contacted (warm/referral).

## Boolean search construction
- Pattern: `(title1 OR title2 OR title3) AND (skill1 OR skill2) AND (location) NOT (exclusions)`
- Title variants matter more than skills. Include misspellings and local-market titles.
- X-ray: `site:linkedin.com/in ("backend engineer" OR "server engineer") Python Riyadh -recruiter`
- GitHub: search by language + location + followers; check contribution recency.
- Always produce 3 string tiers: **Broad** (volume), **Balanced**, **Sniper** (exact stack + industry).

## Outreach sequence (multi-touch)
- **Touch 1 (day 0):** ≤90 words. Personalized hook (their project/post/talk) → role in one sentence → one differentiator (comp range, mission, or team) → low-friction CTA ("open to a 15-min chat this week?").
- **Touch 2 (day 4):** add value — team blog, tech stack doc, or comp/benefit detail. One question.
- **Touch 3 (day 9):** breakup email — "closing the loop; happy to reconnect later." Highest reply rate of the three.
- Rules: reply-rate target ≥25% warm, ≥10% cold; state comp range by touch 2 (lifts senior-candidate replies).

## Deliverables
- Sourcing plan (markdown table)
- 3-tier Boolean strings per channel
- 3-touch message sequence with placeholders {{first_name}}, {{hook}}, {{differentiator}}
- Tracking sheet schema: name, profile_url, current_company, title, touch_stage, last_contact, status