Active Sourcing
Active sourcing means you or a recruiter proactively search for and contact candidates—via LinkedIn, industry networks, or referrals—rather than waiting for applications to arrive. It becomes essential when your industry faces tight labour markets (tech, nursing, trades) or you need very specific Pensum arrangements or language skills. Your main obligation is data protection under revDSG: candidates you contact must be informed how you obtained their contact details and have the right to know what data you hold.
Active sourcing is the practice of directly identifying and approaching potential candidates before they apply to a job posting. Instead of publishing a vacancy and waiting, you search professional networks, contact people in your field, or ask employees for referrals.
In Switzerland's regulated labour market, active sourcing is most common in sectors with structural shortages—healthcare, IT, skilled trades, and executive roles. It also solves niche hiring needs: finding a German-speaking controller for a 60% Pensum in Valais, or a specialist with very specific technical skills.
When Active Sourcing Matters
You'll rely on active sourcing when passive applications don't yield enough qualified candidates. This happens regularly in competitive regions (Geneva, Zurich) and in sectors where talent is scarce relative to demand.
It also matters when your role requirements are unusually specific: a particular Pensum percentage, bilingual ability (French–German or Italian–English), or deep expertise in a niche. Waiting for self-nominations in these cases wastes weeks or months.
- Labour shortages in healthcare, construction, IT, and skilled trades
- Roles requiring rare language combinations or certifications
- Executive and specialist hiring where passive candidates rarely exist
- Growing or seasonal teams that need fast recruitment cycles
- Replacing an employee who is leaving soon (notice periods in Switzerland can be long)
- Confidential hiring before a public announcement
Your Legal Obligations
The revised Federal Data Protection Act (revDSG) applies to how you source and store candidate data. When you contact someone you found on LinkedIn or through a professional network, that person must know who you are, why you're contacting them, and how you got their information.
You must also be transparent about how long you'll keep their data and what you'll do with it. If they ask, you must tell them what personal information you hold. These rules apply whether you recruit directly or use a recruiting agency.
- Inform candidates how you found their contact details (e.g., 'sourced from LinkedIn' or 'referred by employee')
- Be clear about your company, the role, and why you're reaching out
- Honour data access requests within 30 days (revDSG Article 22)
- Do not scrape or bulk-collect data from public profiles without a lawful purpose
- If using a recruiter, ensure they sign a data processing agreement
- Delete candidate data you don't hire within a reasonable timeframe (typically 12 months)
The Most Common Mistake
Most Swiss employers contact candidates on LinkedIn or through referral networks without first explaining how they sourced them. A vague 'we found your profile' email is not transparent under revDSG and can feel intrusive to the candidate.
The fix is simple: in your first contact, mention the source explicitly ('We saw your background on LinkedIn' or 'Your former colleague recommended you'), your company name, the role, and a link to your privacy policy. This builds trust and keeps you compliant.
- Assuming 'public profile = permission to contact' is legally risky
- Sending generic, impersonal outreach that feels like spam
- Not explaining data use or retention in your first message
- Storing candidate details without a clear hiring purpose
- Mixing active sourcing with newsletter signup or other unrelated list
- Contacting candidates on personal email when work email is available
Frequently asked questions
- Can I contact someone on LinkedIn without their prior consent?
- Yes, under revDSG, as long as you identify yourself and your company clearly in your first message and explain why you're reaching out. Include a link to your privacy policy. Consent is not required before contact, but you must be transparent. If they ask you to stop, you must respect that.
- How long can I keep a candidate's CV and contact details if I don't hire them?
- Swiss data protection law does not set a fixed period, but 12 months is a reasonable retention window if you intend to contact them again for a future role. If you're not likely to re-approach them, delete their data sooner. Document your retention policy and apply it consistently.
- Should I use a recruiter or recruiting software for active sourcing?
- Either approach works, but you must ensure they comply with revDSG. If using an external recruiter or software, sign a data processing agreement that clarifies who owns candidate data, how long it's kept, and who can contact candidates. zenRecruiting.ai can help you manage this transparently.
General information for Swiss employers, not legal advice. Have a lawyer confirm anything with legal consequences.