6 of March, 2025

Do you know what you’re missing out on by not properly leveraging external recruitment sources? Hiring external candidates could be the key to finding the talent that your company needs.

In this article, we will show you how to get the most out of these sources. You will discover the most effective strategies and how you can improve your staff selection processes with the help of Sesame HR. Are you ready to explore this world of possibilities?

What are external recruitment sources?

The external recruitment sources are those that allow attracting talent from outside the organization. They are fundamental to capture new skills and perspectives, and to fill vacancies when there are no suitable or available internal candidates.

The most popular job channels include:

Job advertisements on job portals, social networks, and media.
Job fairs and networking events.
Recruitment at universities.
Recruitment agencies.

Next, we will look at the most effective strategies when carrying out your external recruitment.

Effective external recruitment strategies and examples

An effective external recruitment strategy should be comprehensive and make use of various sources and channels. We bring you several examples so you can choose the mix that interests you most.

Referral programs

Firstly, you should know about the referral programs that you can develop in your company. Broadly speaking, it consists of employees proposing the candidate’s name.

We save most of the process, as ideally the referred person will send us their CV either through their “sponsor” or through the channel we indicate.

Employee portal: recruitment software

Another fairly economical external recruitment source is the company’s employee portal. In this regard, having a good recruitment software like Sesame HR is fundamental when publishing our job offers and managing them.

Firstly, ATS software like Sesame HR allows you to automate job offers. A job portal is created where the company vacancies are published, and when a candidate applies their information is directly loaded into the recruitment software.

Also, we have real-time access to vacancy and candidate information. Throughout the staff recruitment process, human resources managers or company management will be connected to analyze the evolution of the process.

This way, it is easier to choose the right candidate at any given moment according to needs.

Own job banks

Another advantage of using HR software like Sesame HR is that it allows us to generate a database of candidates with the aspirants who participate in it.

This way, we can set up a job bank with candidates who, while not selected at first, have an interesting profile for us.

Thus, when a hiring need arises instead of starting the recruitment process, we just have to pick up the phone and call them.

External job banks

The alternative to own job banks is the job banks of educational entities, such as universities or professional training centers.

This is a fairly economical option, although you will have to thoroughly analyze the candidates proposed by said center. There is also the possibility of going to job banks of social entities, whose members usually have more experience.

Public employment services

Whether at a state (SEPE), regional, or even local level, we can turn to public employment services in search of talent.

One of the great advantages of this external recruitment source is that we can benefit from labor insertion programs.

For example, the organization can access subsidies for hiring workers belonging to different groups: over 55 years old, under 30, women, long-term unemployed…

Social networks

Social networks are also an interesting source of recruitment. On the one hand, they allow us to share job offers that we publish on our job portal, making it easier for interested parties to register in the process.

On the other hand, they allow us to boost the employer branding, our image as an employer brand.

In addition, they have the plus of being able to use videos or photos to show daily life in the office and corporate culture.

Job fairs and events

The job fairs are one of the most surprising external recruitment sources that exist. They allow us to reach profiles that we might not otherwise have access to, and they bring talent together with potential employers.

They are another resource to work on our brand image, and we can analyze the profile instantly and get to know the candidate firsthand.

It is easier to know if they fit into the corporate culture, the vacancies to be filled, and decide if we invite them to an interview. You should never lose sight of these job events.

Advantages of external recruitment sources

The external recruitment sources offer numerous advantages for your company. Let’s look at some of the most prominent:

Larger reach of candidates. You can access a much broader set of candidates. This increases the chances of finding the ideal candidate for the position.
Objectivity in the process. Candidates are evaluated based on clear criteria related to the competencies required for the position. This reduces the risk of unconscious biases that may occur internally.
New perspectives. External candidates can provide a fresh vision and approach to your organization.
Previous experience. The candidate already has the necessary experience and knowledge to perform the position effectively from day one.

In conclusion, using external recruitment sources provides multiple benefits that can make a big difference in the success of your talent acquisition strategy.

With the help of a powerful staff management software like Sesame HR, you can make the most of these advantages.

Improve your external recruitment sources with Sesame HR

Now that you know the main external recruitment sources and its advantages, it’s time to improve your talent acquisition strategy with the help of Sesame HR.

Centralize and automate your job ads. With Sesame AI, you can post ads with a few clicks. Plus, you can schedule postings.
Manage applications efficiently. Sesame HR allows you to centralize all applications, CVs, and cover letters in one place.
Track your favorite candidates. The platform allows you to record comments and ratings on each applicant to have all the information in one place.

You’ve seen it, investing time in hiring your external recruitment sources can make a big difference in the quality of your new hires.

Tools like Sesame HR will help you manage the process from start to finish. Request a 14-day demo of our HR software and find out for yourself!

Professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in various areas of Human Resources (Recruitment, Training, Occupational Risk Prevention, and Personnel Management). Experience in the Management Department: Broad understanding of the company and HR.

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cristinamartin

HR Content Specialist

How to take advantage of external recruitment sources in your company.