LinkedIn sourcing: find and approach the right candidates

What sourcing actually means in recruitment

Sourcing is the searching and shortlisting work that happens before a candidate actually applies. You actively look around, select profiles and make personal contact. This stage comes before intake conversations or assessments. The goal is to find suitable people and spark their interest, even when they're not actively job hunting.

Terms like talent sourcing and candidate sourcing describe this same process. This article is specifically about sourcing in recruitment, not about procuring products or services. The focus here is on white-collar roles, such as sales, finance or IT.

Why strong LinkedIn sourcing matters more than ever

The job market is tight. Plenty of professionals are open to something new, but no longer take the first step themselves. That's why recruitment increasingly has to start with a personal message. LinkedIn is the most important platform for this, especially for office-based roles. It shows what someone can do, what they've done, and where their interests lie.

On top of that, LinkedIn makes sourcing possible through a range of filters, search functions and direct messaging. That lets you decide quickly who's worth reaching out to. A considered candidate approach on LinkedIn also builds your employer brand, which makes it especially valuable for teams that want to work with a consistent voice, as with corporate recruitment and a strong employer brand in LinkedIn messages.

Preparing for sourcing: who are you actually looking for, and why

Good sourcing starts with clearly defining who you're looking for. That's what stops you ending up with long lists full of irrelevant profiles. First, map out precisely what the role really needs. Think about:

• The job title, and the logical variations candidates use themselves.
• Essential skills, plus the traits that are nice-to-have rather than required.
• Location, languages, and whether the role can be done remotely.
• Level: junior, mid or senior, and the timeframe you're hiring in.

Also think from the candidate's point of view: what would draw them to this role? Technology, impact, culture or growth opportunities are often the key motivators. You'll use those points in your message later. That's how you connect better with the reader and increase your chances of a reply.

LinkedIn sourcing step by step: searching, filtering and Boolean search

LinkedIn offers standard filters such as location, job title and current employer. With LinkedIn Recruiter, you can search in more depth, for example by educational background, previous roles and specific exclusions.

Boolean search helps you combine those filters cleverly. It's a way of searching that uses logical operators. Here's a quick rundown:

• AND: search for both terms. Example: "project manager" AND "construction".
• OR: search for either option. Example: "consultant" OR "advisor".
• NOT: exclude certain terms. Example: "engineer" NOT "software".
• Quotation marks: for exact phrases. Example: "marketing specialist".
• Brackets: to combine sets. Example: ("Python" OR "R") AND "data".

Always start broad and see how many results you get. Then refine step by step until you're left with a manageable group. That forms your first shortlist.

Finding and assessing passive candidates

Passive candidates aren't actively job hunting themselves, but they're often open to a good conversation. Watch for signals in a profile that can point to interest or relevance:

• Someone has been in the same role for years and might be ready for something new.
• Their work experience lines up closely with your vacancy.
• You share interests, or you're in the same LinkedIn groups.

Don't make assumptions based on photos, personal details or age, judge purely on substance. That keeps the process professional and inclusive.

From shortlist to talent pool and talent pipeline

Your shortlist is a snapshot: who fits your vacancy right now? But some candidates are more interesting for a later moment. That's when you build a talent pool: a collection of profiles you keep with future roles in mind.

A talent pipeline is more concrete still. It holds people you've already been in contact with. You keep a short note on the conversation or the outcome. Following up on this properly means you're working with the future in mind. This is part of your sourcing strategy, and it helps you move faster the moment a new vacancy comes up.

From sourcing to first message: connection request or InMail

You're ready to make contact. On LinkedIn, you have two ways to do this:

• A connection request with a short note. Useful if you already have some common ground.
• An InMail, via a paid licence. This lets you send longer messages to people outside your network.

Both formats have their limits. Connection requests are capped at a maximum, and InMails cost credits. So choose carefully who you spend your time on. Want to spend less time writing? See how we make InMails personal without extra writing time.

What a strong first candidate approach includes

A first message should be short and connect directly with the candidate. We'd recommend this structure:

• Open with something specific from their profile: "You recently worked on a sustainability project, that caught my eye."
• State why you're reaching out: "We're looking for someone for a role where your experience would be a strong fit."
• Ask an open question: "Would you be open to a quick chat next week?"

Avoid long introductions, jargon, or lines that sound too salesy. That quickly feels distant, or like spam.

Follow-up as a standard part of your process

Message not read, or no reply after a few days? Send a follow-up message. This is a crucial step. It lifts your response rate significantly, without being pushy.

Example:

"Hi [name], I sent you a short message earlier this week. Did you happen to see it? Let me know if you have a moment for a quick call."

You can mention something new to give the message extra value, but don't put on pressure. Keep the tone friendly and clear.

GDPR and handling applicant data fairly in sourcing

GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation) is about privacy, and it applies to candidate sourcing too. Only collect what you genuinely need for the role. Always explain why you're reaching out to someone, and don't keep data any longer than the purpose requires.

It helps to set clear agreements within your team. Use one central place for notes on contact moments, and don't keep anything in loose spreadsheets or screenshots. That's how you work more carefully and reduce the risks around applicant data and GDPR.

Measuring results: how to turn sourcing into a repeatable process

Measuring matters if you want to improve your approach. Keep an eye on the following figures:

• How many connection requests get accepted.
• How many people reply to your message or InMail.
• How long it takes to write a message or build a shortlist.
• How many conversations your sourcing generates per week.

Try something new every so often: a different opening line, a different order in your text, or a different day to send messages. This Manpower case study on saving time with InMails shows how that works in practice.

How Elvatix strengthens your sourcing at the step from shortlist to message

Most sourcing tools help you find profiles, but we focus on the writing that comes after. Elvatix is an AI copilot that works directly inside LinkedIn. It doesn't matter whether you use LinkedIn Recruiter or LinkedIn Lite.

You pick up to 25 profiles, and for each one you get a draft: a connection request, InMail or follow-up message. You check the message, adjust it where needed, and only then send it. Everything stays manual, so you keep control and decide on the right tone yourself.

Want to know more about working inside LinkedIn with a lightweight integration? We'll show you how it fits seamlessly into your process.

Employer brand, team consistency and a personal tone at scale

In larger teams, it matters that messages stay recognisable. A candidate who speaks to three recruiters shouldn't run into three completely different styles. We set up a base profile for tone and structure, with enough room for individual touches. That keeps your employer brand visible and avoids misunderstandings. This is especially valuable for corporate recruitment and a strong employer brand in LinkedIn messages.

Common sourcing mistakes, and how to avoid them

• Search too broad: you end up with far too many profiles. Think through who you're looking for beforehand.
• Long messages: this puts people off. Keep it short and purposeful.
• Too direct a tone: this feels pushy. Make the message inviting instead.
• No open question: without a hook, a reply often never comes.
• No follow-up: this means you miss out on opportunities.
• Careless with data: you run needless GDPR risks.
• No agreement on style: this gives the market an inconsistent impression. Align your team's style properly.

You avoid most of these mistakes with clear routines and the right support. That keeps your sourcing strategy professional and effective.

Sourcing as a routine: start small and keep improving

Candidate sourcing works best as a fixed part of your working week. Block out set times for searching, writing messages and following up. For example: search on Monday, send messages on Tuesday, follow up on Friday. Try things out calmly and see what works for you. Small changes in timing or tone can already make a big difference to your results.

Want to talk through your approach on LinkedIn? Or stuck when it comes to writing personal messages? Get in touch if you'd like to talk through your LinkedIn messages.