What is the difference between sourcing and recruiting?

• A. Sourcing involves identifying and engaging potential candidates (often passive) and building a talent pipeline; recruiting focuses on evaluating, selecting, and moving candidates through the interview and hire process.
• B. Sourcing focuses on evaluating, selecting, and moving candidates through the interview process; recruiting builds a pipeline of candidates.
• C. Sourcing creates job descriptions; recruiting handles compensation.
• D. Sourcing and recruiting are the same.

Answer: (A)

Sourcing is about finding and engaging potential candidates, especially those who aren’t actively looking, and building a talent pipeline for future openings. Recruiting covers evaluating candidates, guiding them through the interview process, and moving them toward a job offer and onboarding. Sourcing uses search techniques, databases, social networks, and outreach to create a pool, while recruiting handles screening, interviewing, assessing fit, negotiating offers, and closing the hire. The other options mix up these roles or assign tasks like creating job descriptions or handling compensation to sourcing, or claim they’re the same, which doesn’t reflect the distinct steps of finding talent versus hiring and onboarding them.