Have you ever thought that you needed to be able to code or understand computer programming to be successful at a large tech company? If this, is you, you have quite a few options that will allow you the opportunity to work within the tech industry but fulfilling different roles which help the business stay afloat. One of those roles could be that of a sourcer. If you’re unfamiliar with what a sourcer is or what the role entails, then take a look at this interview I conducted with Keiana Morris who is a University Talent sourcer at VMware!
Alicia: What does a sourcer do?
Keiana: If you have ever had a job, you are probably familiar with the recruitment cycle! There are at least 5 stages: Preparing, Sourcing, Screening, Selecting, Hiring, Onboarding. As a sourcer I work with recruiters to find talent. Compared to a recruiter, I only find talent and screen the candidates. I do not select them for interviews, nor am I involved with any hiring or onboarding steps.
After I screen candidates, the recruiters review the screening information and introduce the talent to the hiring manager to continue throughout the interview/hiring process.
Sourcers are similar to hunters, well at least the good ones. This means after gathering information from the recruiter/hiring manager, I select keywords, phrases and experiences to conduct a search for talent. I conduct searches typically using LinkedIn, but I also use campus job boards, groups on Meta (Facebook) and our internal databases to source talent. When I find talent, I contact them and set up a quick and informal call for a screening.
Alicia: How did you become interested in talent development/sourcing?
Keiana: In 2014, I decided I wanted to go to graduate school to help individuals with their careers. During my last semester of graduate school, I had to complete an internship and it was then that I facilitated a recruitment event for Nationwide Mutual Insurance. I enjoyed the process, coaching students, knew this was what I wanted to do and I was offered a position as a university recruiting coordinator after graduation and was quickly promoted to a university recruiter.
Alicia: How did you get started with sourcing?
Keiana: As any person in Human Resources/Talent Acquisition will tell you, there are some parts that are fun and some in which you do not enjoy as much. The great thing about the Human Resources/Talent Acquisition field is that there is room to move around if you want. Experiencing the full recruitment life cycle as a university recruiter at Nationwide was a great learning experience. I learned that I truly like speaking to candidates, coaching students and being an advocate, but I really didn’t find joy in entering data and double -checking salary and relocation information.
Alicia: Within your company what area/industry does sourcing fall under?
Keiana: It can vary depending on the company but for VMware if falls under talent acquisition, however, each business unit has their own set of recruiters and sourcers.
Alicia: If you were entering your profession now, what would you do differently?
Keiana: I would have been more involved in tech and business. Overall, I think I would have been more intentional about being immersive in different skills. I would have also prioritized exposing myself to more than what was given to me, specifically with tech, I would have explored beyond the surface level.
Alicia: Are you happy with your work-life balance?
Keiana: Yes! I love the work-life balance! VMware has a culture of flexibility which allows for us to prioritize what is important to us outside of work.
Alicia: What personal qualities or skills do you think have helped you the most in this role?
Keiana: Being empathetic, having knowledge of academia and what students go through, and how to treat people, understanding that individuals think differently, and realizing that every situation is not black or white.
Alicia: What has surprised you the most about this profession?
Keiana: The different types of people within the profession, most specifically those who don’t have a background within recruiting. It’s interesting to see how people from so many different work backgrounds can be successful in this field.
Alicia: What part of your job do you find the most rewarding? The most challenging?
Keiana: The most rewarding is finding out a student received an interview with a hiring manager after speaking to them and also finding out they received the job. The most challenging is having to meet unrealistic expectations from hiring managers.
Alicia: What made you decide to work for VMWare particularly?
Keiana: The culture really spoke to me and drew me in. After speaking to the manager during my hiring process and seeing how well she handled my interviews and communication, solidified my interest in being a part of the team.
Alicia: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone interested in this field?
Keiana: Explore ALL of the options within human resources and talent acquisition to find what resonates with you the best. Each company is different and each industry is different. A sourcer at VMWare may have very different responsibilities than a sourcer at a small non-tech company. Based on my experience, the human resource director can be responsible for the full recruitment cycle as well as managing benefits, compensation, relocation, in addition to employee resources.
If you’re really interested in this field, speak with various people in various industries and know that you do not have to be a desk recruiter or work for a staffing agency to be successful in this field.
Alicia: Do you have any lasting advice for anyone who may be interested in this field?
Keiana:
- Be open to anything (especially change)
- Make connections
- Network with a diverse group of people
- Be open-minded
- No exact training necessarily, it is rather easy to transition into especially if you are recruiting for something you have experience in
- Yes, you can be a successful recruiter in any field without experience or knowledge in the field that you recruit in, however if can be to your advantage
- Make sure to put yourself in a position to learn more
If you would like to chat about your exploration process or career goals, make sure to schedule a career advising appointment with an advisor through Handshake!
