I’ve heard this whispered, debated, and declared as “fact” for over 10 years now.

And yet — here we are. Still sourcing. Still discovering untapped talent. Still getting replies from candidates no one else could reach.

So no, sourcing isn’t dead. It’s just growing up.

What is dying?

• 🪦 Outdated habits.
• 🪦 Spray-and-pray outreach.
• 🪦 Static Boolean Strings copied from 2012.
• 🪦 One-dimensional LinkedIn searches.

Sourcing today isn’t about running searches and hoping for the best. It’s about thinking differently, digging deeper, and blending tools with your intuition.

Here’s why sourcing isn’t dead and is more relevant than ever

1. AI Can Surface Profiles — But It Can’t Source Like You

Generative AI can give you a list. But who decides what goes into that prompt? Who knows what to tweak when the brief subtly shifts?

AI is only as good as the sourcer behind it.

Real sourcing means picking up signals others miss. It’s interpreting the role, understanding the market, triangulating intent, and crafting the message that lands. Tools can help — but they don’t replace the person doing the thinking.

2. Talent Doesn’t Live in One Place

Let’s be honest — LinkedIn is overfished. Everyone’s fishing in the same pond.

The best sourcers? We’re searching Slack communities, Reddit threads, GitHub commits, indie forums, and podcasts. We’re not looking where it’s obvious — we’re looking where it matters.

Sourcing is about digital curiosity. Sourcers have innate ‘passionate curiosity’.

3. Your Messaging Is Just as Important as Your Search

Finding someone is only half the job. Getting them to engage? That’s the craft.

Here’s the truth: people don’t respond to generic templates or ChatGPT-first drafts. They respond to authenticity, relevance, and timing. If your message sounds like a robot, it gets ignored.

Great sourcers understand nuance. They adapt tone, test subject lines, and write like humans. Because that’s who we’re reaching.

4. Roles Are Getting Messier, Not Easier

The days of “Java Developer, 5 years’ experience” are fading fast. Now it’s DevSecOps with a side of compliance. Or a Sales Engineer who can run their own demos and speak to procurement.

You can’t find these people with basic filters.

Modern sourcing requires problem-solving. Cross-functional searches. Transferable skills. Strategic mapping.

So What’s Going Extinct?

• ❌ Fishing in LinkedIn alone
• ❌ Boolean strings that aren’t dynamic
• ❌ Outreach that sounds like everyone else
• ❌ Waiting for hiring managers to panic before starting sourcing
• ❌ Doing everything manually

What Will Thrive?

• ✅ Sourcers who design multi-channel, multi-platform strategies
• ✅ Recruiters who use AI as an amplifier, not a crutch
• ✅ Talent hunters who write like marketers
• ✅ Pros who anticipate hiring needs before they’re urgent
• ✅ People who treat data as a starting point, not the endgame

Sourcing isn’t dying — it’s evolving. It’s no longer the wild west, but it’s definitely not all automated.

It’s becoming a discipline. A strategic edge. And if you’re levelling up with it? You’ll never be obsolete. I’m seeing this evolution firsthand.

I’ve got the highest number of recruiters and sourcers, in the past two years, currently enrolled in my Online Talent Sourcing Academy. And that tells me something: people are finally realising that the “post and pray” approach is no longer working.

Because here’s what’s changed: The number of AI services that can blast resumes at jobs while candidates sleep has exploded.

Posting adverts means you’re no longer in control. You’re competing with bots and hopefuls who may not even know what the job is really all about. And let’s be honest — most of them aren’t right for your role.

So, is it worth posting adverts? I would think not.

Sourcing is where the magic happens — not in posting, not in waiting. When you’re actively hunting, you’re the one who decides who to engage, how to tailor the message, and where to look beyond the obvious.

Let me show you what this looks like in practice.

I’ve trained over 5000 recruiters across 100+ countries since 2019. From agency recruiters in London to in-house sourcers in Manila, the challenges are the same:

• Candidates are suffering from LinkedIn fatigue.
• Hiring managers want results yesterday.
• We have an ocean of data (think ChatGPT) that’s as overwhelming as it is exciting.

But here’s the good news: when you know how to source, really source, you’re the calm in the chaos.

You’re the one who doesn’t panic when a role gets messy. You’re the one who can pivot, adapt, and still find the right fit — even when everyone else has given up.

So, what makes a great sourcer today?

• They’re curious. They don’t stop at one search string. They keep tweaking, testing, and iterating.
• They’re proactive. They don’t wait for the job order to go live — they’re already mapping the market, understanding where the gaps are, and building pipelines.
• They’re creative. They don’t send the same InMail template to 100 people. They craft a message that resonates.
• They’re connected. They’re in Slack communities, GitHub, Behance, Reddit, and podcasts — places others overlook.
• They’re always learning. They embrace new tools, but never at the expense of human insight.

What I love about sourcing is that it’s always a little bit messy. It’s a puzzle. A dance between what’s written in the job description and what’s possible in the market. It’s reading between the lines — and then connecting the dots in ways others can’t.

And honestly? That’s why I’m still so passionate about teaching it.

When my training delegates have that “lightbulb moment 💡,” I know I’ve changed someone’s career. It’s not just about faster placements, it’s about equipping them to be better, more confident, and less stressed in a noisy industry.

Here’s My Call to Action

If you’re tired of the spray-and-pray, if you’re feeling stuck in LinkedIn’s echo chamber, it’s time to get back to the craft of sourcing.

• 👉 Revisit your Boolean strings — make them sharper.
• 👉 Dive into communities where your candidates actually hang out.
• 👉 Test new messaging, even if it feels risky.
• 👉 And yes, embrace AI — but don’t let it do your job for you.

I’m so proud to see so many of you already on this journey. The record number of enrolments in my Online Academy this year tells me that people are ready. Ready to move beyond the basics. Ready to stop relying on outdated job boards and start thinking like talent detectives.

Because that’s what great sourcing is: curiosity, creativity, and human insight.

You can get started today by signing up for my free training here.

I am running AI Workshops online starting next week, on the 12th June, through The Recruiting Gym with Angela Cripps. Please pop me an email if you would like to join us: [email protected]

FAQs About Modern Sourcing

Q: Is sourcing still relevant with AI in the picture?
Yes. AI supports sourcing, but can’t replace the strategic thinking required to do it well.

Q: Where should I be sourcing candidates if not on LinkedIn?
Start with GitHub, Reddit, Slack, Discord, Behance, and podcasts — places where people actually hang out and show their work or thinking.

Q: What’s the #1 trait of a great sourcer?
Curiosity. It’s the difference between copying someone’s string… and creating one that actually works.

Q: Should I still post job ads?
Honestly? Not if you want control. You’ll get better results engaging people proactively than waiting for unqualified applications.