HOW WE FIND THE BEST TEAMMATES: Our Top Sourcing Tools
In the cozy chaos of our IT universe, sourcing isn’t just about finding candidates — it’s a full-on PvP battle where the one with the best gear wins. At Trading Space, we’ve leveled up our sourcing game, building an arsenal that helps us scout the top players on the market. And now, we’re sharing our ultimate sourcing build (no paywalls, no sign-ups required! 🙂).
Let’s start with the basics!
- CONTACT FINDING: How to track down a candidate and actually reach them
We use SalesQL, Lusha, and ContactOut — powerful plugins that dig up email addresses, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profiles. They work like magic: just input a candidate’s name, and boom — contact details found. Plus, these tools integrate directly into LinkedIn, so you can check available contacts in real-time. Perfect for cold sourcing and personalized outreach.And then there’s Engage AI, our personal shield for LinkedIn communication. It’s in our top two not just for its good looks but for real game-changing advantages. It adapts message tone (formal, friendly, expert), tracks candidate activity (likes, profile updates), and — most importantly — tells us the best time to slide into their DMs without landing in the ignore list. That’s why we love it!
- EMAIL CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION: Crashing into inboxes
We’re big fans of Snov.io — an all-in-one tool for email sourcing and automated outreach. It finds candidate emails, verifies them (so we don’t send messages into the void), and builds automated personalized email sequences. Short of flying, this tool does it all! Plus, it even has a built-in CRM for managing candidates.
Another go-to tool is Woodpecker, a solid resource for automated email campaigns.
It’s great for beginners and pros alike — Woodpecker helps create email sequences that adjust based on candidate responses. It works with Gmail, Outlook, and even SMTP. And it tracks key metrics: open rates, link clicks, replies. Honestly, we mentally thank the devs behind this tool at least once a week — you guys rock!
- Next up: Essential hubs for finding ARTISTS, CREATIVES & DESIGNERS
Our top picks won’t surprise you, but they’re worth mentioning! Behance, ArtStation, and Dribbble are gold mines for discovering designers and 3D artists. We scout future Spacers using keywords and tags (UI/UX, concept artist, 3D modeling, etc.), reviewing portfolios before reaching out. Behance even lets us see game-dev-related projects instantly. Handy? Absolutely!
- WHERE ELSE DO WE SOURCE CANDIDATES?
On Wandify and Seekout, of course! These platforms specialize in sourcing niche candidates.Seekout is an AI-powered platform with deep search capabilities, scanning GitHub, Stack Overflow, and more. Meanwhile, Wandify helps find passive candidates who aren’t on LinkedIn. Not registered yet? Don’t worry, we’ll find you anyway!
- WHAT ABOUT AI? Spoiler: ChatGPT isn’t the only player!
We use PeopleGPT — an AI-powered sourcing tool that works with natural language. You can type, “Find a game designer with FPS and UE5 experience,” and it quickly filters massive databases, surfacing the best-fit profiles.
- DATA COLLECTION & SCRAPING: Speedrunning candidate searches
Here, we rely on Magical and Scrupp!
Magical copies and formats candidate data without unnecessary hassle. Scrupp does bulk contact parsing — perfect for a large-scale information gathering.
But wait, there’s more! We weren’t joking when we said we’ve leveled up sourcing to insane heights. This is just the tip of the iceberg!
- TEXT OPTIMIZATION: How we adapt, simplify & personalize messages
We believe in versatility, which is why we use TextCortex — an AI assistant that rewrites messages for different audiences, adjusting tone (formal, informal, expert) and making emails more engaging.
Another favorite? Hemingway App — it sharpens readability by simplifying complex sentences and cutting unnecessary fluff.And let’s not forget Briskine — our go-to for email templates. This tool helps us instantly insert and personalize email drafts, saving loads of time!
- INTERVIEWS: It’s not just candidates who prepare!
Our MVPs are Otter.ai and Noty.ai, essential tools for recording and transcribing interviews. They automatically generate text transcripts and even allow note-taking during the conversation. Plus, Noty.ai creates instant meeting summaries — big win!Oh, and remember our AI duo — ChatGPT and Claude? They also help us craft interview questions and analyze responses.
- MEETING AUTOMATION: Never miss an interview again
For seamless scheduling, we swear by Calendly, Appointlet, and Tidycal. These tools automatically suggest available time slots to candidates, sync effortlessly with Google Calendar, and eliminate endless back-and-forths like “What time works for you?”
- FINISHING TOUCHES: Extra tools for peak efficiency
We trust our grammar but always double-check with AI Grammar Checker — because an extra check never hurts!And last but not least, Highlight This — a tool that highlights key terms when searching for candidates. Small but mighty!
That’s a wrap! 🎉
We’ve packed this guide with all the sourcing wisdom our team has to offer, proving that sourcing is like a long Minecraft run — you’re digging for that golden ore. Sure, you can mine with a shovel, but why not upgrade your gear and grab a metal detector?
The point? There’s always a tool that can simplify time-consuming tasks. And with this build, you can source top-tier candidates, automate workflows, and save a ton of time. GG!
