Sourcing vs. recruiting

Sourcing and recruiting are related but distinct. Sourcing is the front-end task of finding and identifying people who might fit a role — searching profiles, talent pools, and networks. Recruiting is the broader process built around that: reaching out, screening, interviewing, coordinating with hiring managers, and closing an offer.

In smaller teams the same person often does both. In larger organizations, sourcers (sometimes called researchers) focus specifically on building qualified candidate lists, while recruiters own the relationship and process once a candidate is identified. A headhunter typically does both end to end for a specific search.

Understanding the split matters because it clarifies which problem a tool actually solves — a sourcing tool finds people; it doesn't run your interview process.