Measuring Source of Hire and Channel Effectiveness

August 12, 2025

What Is Source of Hire? Source of Hire (SoH) tracks where each hire originated.

This could be job boards, referrals, career site, direct sourcing, agencies, campus events, internal moves, social media, recruiting events, or traditional media.

Knowing Source of Hire helps allocate recruiting resources wisely. If 30 of 100 hires came from referrals, that’s a signal to invest more in referral programs.

How to Track Source of Hire

Ask Candidates
Include “How did you hear about this job?” in applications or phone screens. It’s simple but can be imprecise.

ATS Source Tagging
Use tracking codes (UTMs) in job links. ATS logs the source—LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.—if integrated properly.

New Hire Surveys
Ask during onboarding: “What influenced your decision to apply?” This captures brand or referral impact.

Recruiter Logs
Sourcers should tag candidates in ATS with origin—GitHub, networking, etc. Accurate logging adds depth.

Analytics Tools
Use Google Analytics on your careers page. Track traffic sources and apply rates to assess channel quality.

Offer Tracking
Track hires by source, not just applicants. Ensure source data stays with candidate records through to hire.

Analysing Source Quality

Don’t just count hires—measure quality of hire:

Applicant-to-interview ratio

Interview-to-offer ratio

Offer acceptance rate

Performance and retention by source

Referrals often yield high acceptance and strong performance. Job boards may bring volume but low conversion. Prioritize sources that deliver quality.

Best Practices

Budget Allocation
Invest in productive sources. Drop underperforming job boards. Boost referral incentives or hire more sourcers if direct sourcing works well.

Optimize Channels
If career site traffic is high but apply rates are low, improve the site. If LinkedIn yields few hires, refine job posts or outreach.

Plan Strategy by Role
Use historical data. For senior engineers, focus on sourcing and referrals. For entry-level roles, post on high-volume boards and host events.

Innovate Channels
If a source dries up, try new ones. Replace low-performing job boards with niche communities or events.

Internal vs External
Track internal hires too. Low internal fill rates may signal weak career paths. High internal mobility reflects strong talent management.

Sharing the Data

Show SoH data to leaders:
“Last year: 30% referrals, 25% Indeed, 20% LinkedIn, 15% sourcing, 10% other.”
This sparks strategic discussions—should we boost referrals or diversify channels?

One company saw most engineering hires from a university alumni network. They deepened ties—sponsoring projects and hosting talks—creating a steady talent pipeline. Another example is how an organisation 50 hires: 40% referrals, 30% job boards, 24% sourcing, 6% career fairs. They boosted referrals and re-evaluated career fair spending.