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Stop Hiring Sourcers Like Recruiters - Here's the $2M Framework That Actually Builds Championship Teams with Ben Solomon Live on Shally's Alley
Ben Solomon has built something rare in recruiting: a sourcing team that works. After 18 years at Objective Partners, he's cracked the code on hiring, training, and scaling sourcing teams in both agency and RPO environments. This isn't theory from a consultant who job-hops every two years. This is battle-tested wisdom from someone who's hired dozens of sourcers and watched them succeed or fail.
In this episode we discuss the counterintuitive hiring strategies that prioritize curiosity over technical skills, why liberal arts majors often outperform computer science graduates in sourcing roles, and Ben's specific interview questions that reveal research capabilities without testing Boolean knowledge. You'll hear about the "Merlin test" that exposes attention to detail, why museum and library experience trumps CRM knowledge, and how to build confidence in sourcers who need to switch between multiple clients daily.
Key Takeaways
➡ Liberal arts majors (history, English, sociology, anthropology) consistently outperform in sourcing roles due to research and synthesis skills
➡ Museum, archive, and library experience is a stronger predictor of sourcing success than technical background
➡ The "Merlin test": Asking candidates to count people named Merlin in a database reveals if they catch that "Melinda" appears in results
➡ Ben's team of 17-18 people directly correlates to his 17-18 years of experience (one person per year of growth)
➡ Sourcers need hyperfocus ability but also rapid context-switching without taking changes personally
➡ AI recruiting spam has increased from zero to 4-5 text messages per week in just two years
➡ The biggest mistake: Ignoring hiring instincts when desperate to fill positions always backfires
➡ Sourcer-recruiter relationship management is more complex than most leaders anticipate
➡ Google Docs beats fancy PKM tools: "docs.new" creates instant documentation and knowledge capture
➡ Agency sourcers need confidence muscle: "I can take any job description and find kick-ass candidates"
Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Atlanta Weather Report
02:07 – Ben's 17-Year Journey at Objective Partners
05:14 – What to Look for When Hiring Sourcers
13:32 – Knowledge Management & Organization Tools
19:25 – Interview Questions for Research Skills
25:38 – Leadership vs Individual Contributor Traits
31:00 – Training Philosophy: Fundamentals vs Shiny Objects
35:10 – AI Enhancement vs Distraction in Sourcing
46:13 – Centralized vs Dedicated Sourcing Models
50:50 – Corporate to Agency Transition Advice
54:02 – Guest Recommendations & Final Thoughts
Sound Bites
"You have to be able to really focus on one thing for an extended period of time, but also be able to shift focus. Really focus without getting bored or burnt out." - Ben Solomon
"What happens if AI doesn't turn out the way everybody thinks it's going to? What if we're in an AI bubble and there's a collapse?" - Ben Solomon
"We're all on the same team. We're all aiming for the same thing. There's a division of labor for a reason." - Ben Solomon
Guest InfoName: Ben Solomon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsolomon/
Expertise: Sourcing team leader with 18+ years at Objective Partners, specializing in building and scaling sourcing functions across agency and RPO environments.
View all episodes
By WRKdefined Podcast NetworkBen Solomon has built something rare in recruiting: a sourcing team that works. After 18 years at Objective Partners, he's cracked the code on hiring, training, and scaling sourcing teams in both agency and RPO environments. This isn't theory from a consultant who job-hops every two years. This is battle-tested wisdom from someone who's hired dozens of sourcers and watched them succeed or fail.
In this episode we discuss the counterintuitive hiring strategies that prioritize curiosity over technical skills, why liberal arts majors often outperform computer science graduates in sourcing roles, and Ben's specific interview questions that reveal research capabilities without testing Boolean knowledge. You'll hear about the "Merlin test" that exposes attention to detail, why museum and library experience trumps CRM knowledge, and how to build confidence in sourcers who need to switch between multiple clients daily.
Key Takeaways
➡ Liberal arts majors (history, English, sociology, anthropology) consistently outperform in sourcing roles due to research and synthesis skills
➡ Museum, archive, and library experience is a stronger predictor of sourcing success than technical background
➡ The "Merlin test": Asking candidates to count people named Merlin in a database reveals if they catch that "Melinda" appears in results
➡ Ben's team of 17-18 people directly correlates to his 17-18 years of experience (one person per year of growth)
➡ Sourcers need hyperfocus ability but also rapid context-switching without taking changes personally
➡ AI recruiting spam has increased from zero to 4-5 text messages per week in just two years
➡ The biggest mistake: Ignoring hiring instincts when desperate to fill positions always backfires
➡ Sourcer-recruiter relationship management is more complex than most leaders anticipate
➡ Google Docs beats fancy PKM tools: "docs.new" creates instant documentation and knowledge capture
➡ Agency sourcers need confidence muscle: "I can take any job description and find kick-ass candidates"
Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Atlanta Weather Report
02:07 – Ben's 17-Year Journey at Objective Partners
05:14 – What to Look for When Hiring Sourcers
13:32 – Knowledge Management & Organization Tools
19:25 – Interview Questions for Research Skills
25:38 – Leadership vs Individual Contributor Traits
31:00 – Training Philosophy: Fundamentals vs Shiny Objects
35:10 – AI Enhancement vs Distraction in Sourcing
46:13 – Centralized vs Dedicated Sourcing Models
50:50 – Corporate to Agency Transition Advice
54:02 – Guest Recommendations & Final Thoughts
Sound Bites
"You have to be able to really focus on one thing for an extended period of time, but also be able to shift focus. Really focus without getting bored or burnt out." - Ben Solomon
"What happens if AI doesn't turn out the way everybody thinks it's going to? What if we're in an AI bubble and there's a collapse?" - Ben Solomon
"We're all on the same team. We're all aiming for the same thing. There's a division of labor for a reason." - Ben Solomon
Guest InfoName: Ben Solomon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsolomon/
Expertise: Sourcing team leader with 18+ years at Objective Partners, specializing in building and scaling sourcing functions across agency and RPO environments.