Sourcing Strategies That Are Not LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool but it’s not the only one out there, as much as they might let us believe it is at times. Worst yet, it’s becoming noisy, crowded, and full of candidates who are already overwhelmed by recruiter messages.

If you're serious about finding high-quality, hard-to-reach talent, especially in tech, you need to look beyond the usual feed.

At Peritus Partners, we’ve helped client’s source world-class developers, designers and engineers by tapping into alternative ecosystems where people actually do the work, not just talk about it.

Here are five sourcing strategies that don’t involve doom scrolling through LinkedIn.

Communities: Where Real Conversations Happen

Online communities are where talent gathers to learn, share, and connect often without the pressure of self-promotion. Think industry-specific Discords, Reddit threads, niche forums, or private Slack groups.

These spaces are goldmines for finding engaged, passionate professionals. The catch? You need to show up with value, not a sales pitch. That means building trust, understanding the culture, and engaging before you pitch a role.

Used well, community sourcing helps you find candidates who are motivated, not just visible.

Slack: Not Just for Internal Chat

Public Slack groups are an underrated sourcing channel. Many industry or regional tech communities run Slack workspaces where members openly share projects, ask for feedback, and network.

Look for invite links on community websites or GitHub repositories. Once you're in, channels like #jobs, #freelance, or #introductions are great places to connect. Just be mindful that these are peer spaces, not job boards. Keep outreach personalised and relevant.

Tip: Use tools like Slofile to discover open Slack communities across different industries.

GitHub: Where the Work Speaks for Itself

For engineers, GitHub isn’t a profile, it’s a portfolio.

It gives you real visibility into how someone writes code, collaborates with others, and what technologies they actually use. Instead of relying on a polished CV, you can see their work in action, whether it's a full-stack side project, open-source contribution, or issue they've helped resolve.

If you're looking to reach out, most active contributors include ways to connect, either via linked websites, X handles, or even publicly available email addresses in their commit metadata. While not every profile will have contact details exposed, many developers leave enough breadcrumbs for a thoughtful, relevant message to reach them.

It’s a space that rewards recruiters who are technically curious, respectful, and able to speak the language of the person they’re approaching.

(Read our blog How to Find GitHub User Email Addresses for a straightforward way to uncover GitHub user email addresses using commit history.)

Stack Overflow: Find People Who Solve Problems

Stack Overflow is another space where developers don’t just say they have skills, they prove it, by helping others solve real-world coding issues.

You can search for top contributors in specific tags (e.g. React, Kubernetes, Python), view their answers, and understand their technical strengths. Many profiles link to GitHub or personal websites where you can learn more or find contact info.

This is especially useful when hiring for roles that require clear, structured thinking and collaborative problem-solving.

Google: Yes, Seriously

Google remains one of the most powerful sourcing tools if you know how to use it.

With advanced search operators like site:github.com or filetype:pdf, you can uncover personal portfolios, resumes, technical blogs, and niche profiles that never show up on traditional platforms.

Try searches like:

vbnet

CopyEdit

"JavaScript developer" site:about.me

"software engineer" filetype:pdf

site:github.com "machine learning" location

Used creatively, Google can surface hidden talent, especially from underrepresented groups or non-traditional backgrounds.

Great Talent Isn’t Always Where You Expect It

Sourcing isn’t about volume it’s about relevance. And the most relevant, high-quality candidates aren’t always on LinkedIn, updating their profiles and waiting for your message.

They’re writing code, building tools, solving problems, and contributing to communities. That’s where you’ll find them and that’s where the best sourcing strategies begin.

Want Help Finding Hard-to-Reach Talent?

Peritus Partners help companies go beyond LinkedIn, tapping into networks, communities, and platforms where the best talent lives and works. Whether you're hiring engineers, designers, or product leads, we’ll help you find the right people, not just the most visible ones.

Get in touch here > Contact Us | Peritus Partners