Sourcing Github for Technical Talent

GitHub, the world's leading software development platform, is a vibrant community where developers collaborate and share their code. It offers an extensive network of developers and repositories, making it a treasure trove for technical recruiters and sourcers. By harnessing the power of specific search queries, recruiters can tap into this vast network to discover talented individuals, resumes, organizations, and personal pages. GitHub not only aids in identifying potential candidates but also enhances recruiters' effectiveness by providing valuable insights into the skills and requirements of the roles they aim to fill. In this article, we'll explore powerful search queries and strategies to leverage the full potential of GitHub as a valuable sourcing tool.

To effectively utilize GitHub for sourcing, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the specific role or skills you are targeting. GitHub is not the place for traditional "title" recruiters/sourcers. Instead, it is more beneficial to search for the projects and technologies that the desired candidates are actively working on.

GitHub's multi-layered structure and its accessibility through search engines provide numerous opportunities for tailored searches. The more tech-savvy you are, the better you can navigate and uncover the desired results. In the following sections, we will outline various ways to construct effective queries and help you get started. Feel free to adapt and expand these search terms as needed to refine your search on GitHub.

Github Profiles

Profiles: [ site:github.com "joined on" "public activity" -tab.activity ]

Profiles with location: [ site:github.com "san francisco" "joined on" "public activity" -tab.activity ]

Profiles with above + key terms: [ site:github.com (ios | android) "joined on" "public activity" -tab.activity ]

Profiles with above + followers | starred count: [ site:github.com ("50..250 followers" | "100..500 starred") (ios | android) "joined on" -tab.activity ]

You can also expand your search by removing [ -tab.activity ] in any of the strings examples above. Or target the activity page with [ tab.activity ]

Additionally, you can include “email *” in your search string to return profiles that contain an email address in them, however email addresses are obfuscated and the returned results may include some noise if the term email is used elsewhere in the users profile.

Narrow results by when a user joined: By year “joined on * 2009″ or by month “joined on mar *”

Github/Uploaded Resumes

Github Resumes: [ site:resume.github.com ]

Github Organizations

Organizations: [ site:github.com "joined on" "repositories * members" -tab.members ]

Organization locations: [ site:github.com "san francisco" "tab.members" ]

Organization members: [ site:github.com inurl:tab.members ]

Organizations + member count: [ site:github.com "50..500 members" "tab.members" ]

Organizations + public repositories: [ site:github.com "1..100 public repos" "50..500 members" -tab.members ]

Organizations + repositories OR members: [ site:github.com (50..500 "public repos" | "members") "tab.members" ]

Github Blogs/Personal Pages

[ site:github.com (intitle:musings|blog) -inurl:https ]

[ site:github.com (intitle:musings|blog | inurl:musings|blog) -inurl:https ]

Leveraging GitHub as a sourcing tool can be a game-changer for technical recruiters and sourcers. By utilizing the power of specific search queries, recruiters can uncover hidden talent, gain insights into candidates' skills, and align their recruitment strategies with the requirements of the roles they aim to fill. GitHub provides a wealth of resources and information that can enhance recruiters' effectiveness and ultimately lead to successful talent acquisition. Embrace the potential of GitHub and unlock a world of opportunities for your recruitment efforts.

Elliot Hayes