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Live Sourcing Exercise

Recruiting

What it tests

Whether the candidate can construct effective search strings on the spot, navigate sourcing tools in real time, and explain their thinking as they work.

Format

  1. 1Candidate is given a laptop with access to LinkedIn Recruiter (or a demo environment) and a job description
  2. 2Builds a boolean search string live while narrating their thought process
  3. 3Runs the search and selects their top 3 profiles from the results, explaining each pick
  4. 4Discusses what they'd do next: outreach approach, follow-up cadence, alternate channels if LinkedIn yields too few results

What to look for

  • Boolean search competency: correct operator use, title variation awareness, exclusion logic
  • Speed-to-signal: how quickly do they move from search to qualified profile?
  • Think-aloud quality: can they explain tradeoffs in real time without getting flustered?
  • Awareness of sourcing beyond LinkedIn: GitHub, conference speaker lists, communities, referrals

Adaptation guide

Run this with any active open role. The live format is more revealing than a take-home because it shows natural working style under mild pressure. Avoid correcting candidates mid-exercise — observe and debrief after. Pair with a written outreach exercise to round out the assessment.

Full description

Format:

  1. Candidate is given a laptop with access to LinkedIn Recruiter (or a demo environment) and a job description
  2. Builds a boolean search string live while narrating their thought process
  3. Runs the search and selects their top 3 profiles from the results, explaining each pick
  4. Discusses what they'd do next: outreach approach, follow-up cadence, alternate channels if LinkedIn yields too few results

Time: 30 minutes

What to look for:

  • Boolean search competency: correct operator use, title variation awareness, exclusion logic
  • Speed-to-signal: how quickly do they move from search to qualified profile?
  • Think-aloud quality: can they explain tradeoffs in real time without getting flustered?
  • Awareness of sourcing beyond LinkedIn: GitHub, conference speaker lists, communities, referrals

Adaptation: Run this with any active open role. The live format is more revealing than a take-home because it shows natural working style under mild pressure. Avoid correcting candidates mid-exercise — observe and debrief after. Pair with a written outreach exercise to round out the assessment.