Most sourcing briefs are job descriptions with the marketing removed. The two documents have different jobs.
Name five skills, not fifteen
A long skill list matches nobody. Five named skills give a match engine — or a human sourcer — something to score precisely against, and precision is what a brief is for.
State volume and batch explicitly
How many, and which graduating batch. These two parameters change the answer more than the job title does, and they are the two most often left out.
Separate must-have from nice-to-have honestly
Every requirement claims to do this and most do not. The test is whether you would genuinely reject an otherwise excellent candidate for missing the item. If not, it is not a must-have.
Say what the work actually is
One specific sentence about the project outperforms a paragraph of responsibilities. It helps the sourcer match, and it converts far better when the candidate reads it.
Key takeaways
- Five named skills beat fifteen — precision is the point of a brief.
- Volume and graduating batch change the answer more than the job title.
- A must-have is something you would reject an excellent candidate over. Be honest about which items qualify.
- One specific sentence about the actual work beats a responsibilities list.
Questions
How specific should location be?+
City level. Anything finer excludes candidates willing to relocate within a city, which at early-career level is most of them.
Should we include compensation in a sourcing brief?+
A range helps the sourcer filter honestly and reduces late-stage drop-off. Withholding it moves the conversation to the offer stage, where it costs more to lose.