If all your sourcing tools vanished tomorrow – no LinkedIn Recruiter, no Chrome extensions, no fancy AI plug-ins – would you still know how to find great candidates? ⁉️If Sourcing is a mindset for you, you will be fine!

That’s not a trick question. It’s the kind of quiet panic most recruiters have felt at least once 😬

You log in, ready to start a search, and boom: license expired. Or worse, the entire platform’s down. For many, it feels like being locked out of your own house with the kettle on 🔒☕️

But here’s the thing:

Sourcing isn’t a tool. It’s a mindset. 💭

And once you understand that, everything else gets easier. Tools become optional extras, not crutches. Let’s take a deeper dive into this topic, together…

Your Brain’s Still the Best Sourcing Tool 🧩

Let’s be clear – I’m not anti-tools. I love using multiple Chrome Extensions to make my life easier. It’s fast, familiar, and weirdly comforting, like a pair of old tracksuit pants 🩳

But here’s the problem: Comfort rarely stretches you.

And sourcing? It needs stretch. It needs curiosity. It needs you to look where no one else is looking 🔍

Because if all you’re doing is clicking filters and pasting Boolean strings from ChatGPT, you’re not sourcing. You’re just hoping 🤞

Sourcing Is a Muscle – And Most People Don’t Train It 🏋️‍♀️

If you only ever search the easy roles in the easy places, don’t be surprised when you can’t handle a niche cybersecurity search with no LinkedIn footprint, no job title, and no budget 🕵️‍♀️

Real sourcers train their brains. Regularly.

Every so often, I run a sourcing search with nothing but:
☑️ A Google tab
☑️ A list of skills
☑️ A fresh cup of rooibos 🍵

No plugins. No paid tools. Just me and my brain. It can be slow. Frustrating. Like trying to chop an onion with a spoon 🧅🥄

But that’s the point. Because when the tools are gone, what you’re left with is the one thing that really matters: Your mindset. 🧠

LinkedIn Flattened Sourcing – Here’s Why That’s a Problem ⚠️

Someone once said to me:

“LinkedIn killed headhunting. The ones who did it before? They’re the ones who can still do it now.”

That line stuck.

Before LinkedIn, we had to work a bit harder:
📞 Call switchboards
🗺️ Map org charts
💻 Lurk in forums and newsletters
🕳️ Go down rabbit holes

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was effective. And the best bit? It sharpened your thinking.

Now, with everyone relying on the same filters and InMail templates, it’s all a bit… vanilla 🍦Sourcing should never be vanilla, especially when your favourite flavour is choc-mint (True story about Van)

Not Every Great Candidate Has a LinkedIn Profile 🕶️

And even if they do? Many haven’t touched it since 2019. Some don’t even have photos. Some go by weird nicknames. Some are brilliant but invisible 👻

That’s where proper sourcing kicks in.

Try these underrated but powerful sourcing tactics:

🧠 Google X-ray searches – Still one of the best ways to peek under the hood without a license
🔍 Custom Google Search Engines – Build your own, tailored to your niche or region
📅 Event attendee lists – Think conferences, meetups, webinars – people sign up, and we can find them
👨‍💻 GitHub, Dev.to, Google Scholar – Wildly underused sites, especially for tech or academic roles
🏢 Competitor team pages – Who needs job boards when you can sleuth who’s already doing the job?

It’s not shiny. It’s not automated. But my gosh, it works. ✅

Talent Mapping: The Least Sexy, Most Powerful Thing You Can Do 📌

Let’s talk about Talent Mapping.

Not the kind that ends up in a dusty slide deck 📉 I mean proper, live, useful maps that help you build pipelines and spot trends before the roles land in your lap 🚀

One recruiter I trained built a pool of over 50,000 candidates this way. No LinkedIn Recruiter. Just structure, consistency, and a bit of grit 💪

Talent mapping gives you:

🧭 Market insights job boards can’t show
🧑‍💼 A bench of future-ready candidates (not just “active” ones)
🕵️‍♂️ Competitive intelligence your BD team will love

Cheap. Effective. Criminally overlooked.

Cross-Referencing Is Your Superpower 🕸️

Some of my best sourcing wins haven’t come from fancy tools. They’ve come from looking in more than one place at once.

Examples I’ve loved:

🧪 A researcher with a barely-there LinkedIn profile – but 10 publications on Google Scholar
💻 A developer who “forgot” to mention JavaScript on their CV – but starred 17 JS projects on GitHub
🎙️ A product manager who’s never posted on LinkedIn – but spoke on a UX podcast last week

Sourcing is detective work. It’s about connecting the dots. 🧵

One recruiter put it beautifully:

“I came from a background in business intelligence. It taught me what to ask, how to ask, and where to find the answers.”

Exactly. This job isn’t about tools – it’s about questions and better communication.

Tools Level the Playing Field – Mindset Wins the Game 🎯

Let’s be honest. If we’re all using the same tools, searching the same platforms, and copying the same Boolean strings… where’s the edge? 🥱

Tools make things accessible. That’s great. But when everyone has the same gear, the real difference is how you think. 💡
And thinking is free.

So What Does a “Sourcing Mindset” Look Like? 🧠

Let’s break it down. A sourcing mindset means:

🔎 Curiosity over convenience – You don’t stop at “no results.” You dig
🔄 Resourcefulness over reliance – When one channel dries up, you pivot
🧩 Pattern recognition over platform loyalty – You notice clues others miss
🌍 Contextual thinking over copy-paste Boolean – You adapt for geography, culture, and nuance

Mindset isn’t some fluffy soft skill.
It’s how the best sourcers stay one step ahead.

Sourcing in 2025: Adapt or Be Automated 🤖

Let’s talk AI, shall we? AI will replace a lot of recruiters – but only the ones who already work like robots 🤖 Right now, if your process is rigid, your outreach is templated, and your searches are platform-dependent, you’re on borrowed time ⌛

But if you:

🧠 Think critically
💬 Prompt creatively
🕵️ Source intentionally
♻️ Adapt constantly

You’ll thrive. 🔥

As I often say in my workshops:

“Generative AI won’t replace you. But a recruiter who uses it more effectively than you, just might.”

Final Thoughts: You Are the Tool (And That’s a Compliment 😂🤣)

It’s funny, isn’t it? In this age of automation, the most powerful sourcing tool is still… you.

Your brain. Your curiosity. Your ability to join dots, no plugin was ever trained to see 🧠🕸️

So yes, use tools. But don’t depend on them.
Train your mindset. Build your muscle. Back yourself. 💪

Because sourcing isn’t about what you click – it’s about how you think. 💭

TL;DR: The New Rules of Sourcing in 2025 ✅

• Sourcing is a mindset, not a tool
• Comfort kills curiosity – stretch your skills
• LinkedIn is useful, but not enough
• Talent mapping > talent panic
• AI won’t replace curious humans
• You are your best sourcing tool

FAQs ❓

What does “sourcing is a mindset” really mean?
It means approaching recruiting with curiosity, adaptability, and strategy, not relying solely on tools.

Can you source effectively without LinkedIn Recruiter?
Absolutely. With a strong sourcing mindset, you can use Google, GitHub, event lists, and more.

Why is talent mapping important?
It gives you proactive pipelines, market insights, and a competitive edge – before the reqs even arrive.

What tools do I actually need for sourcing?
A browser, Google, a notepad, and your brain. Tools help, but mindset matters more.

How does AI fit into the future of sourcing?
AI enhances sourcers who think critically and prompt creatively. But it won’t replace those who don’t.

CTA: Want to Strengthen Your Sourcing Mindset? 🚀

🧠 Check out my Online Academy
📅 Or book a tailored AI + sourcing workshop for your team

🔗Connect with me on LinkedIn to receive my weekly Newsletter for more content like this!

You’ll learn how to find people, not just profiles, and build confidence that lasts longer than any LinkedIn license.