Candidate sourcing checklist for Agency Owners

The candidate sourcing checklist adapted for agency owners. Body, role-specific tweaks, common pitfalls, and how to run it with Strawberry.

Candidate sourcing checklist for agency owners

This is the candidate sourcing checklist adapted for agency owners. It exists because spending too much time on admin, and the checklist below is the shape that actually survives contact with how agency owners work day to day.

What this checklist is for

Purpose: build a shortlist of candidates for a specific role without ATS sprawl. For agency owners specifically, the value is that it turns a recurring admin task into a 5-minute repeatable artifact. This isn't a generic template - the items below are tuned for agency owners and the tools they actually live in.

The candidate sourcing checklist (checklist)

  • The role brief (must-haves, nice-to-haves, exclusions)
  • The geography and timezone constraints
  • The sources (LinkedIn search, GitHub, conference speaker lists, alumni networks)
  • The qualification questions (must-pass before reaching out)
  • The reach-out template (channel-specific)

Adjustments for agency owners

agency owners typically live in . That changes how this checklist runs:

  • Pull the inputs from the apps agency owners actually use, not generic SaaS exports.
  • Anchor on recent activity in the prospect or company - it's the highest-signal field for this role.
  • Skip items that don't apply to your weekly cadence; this is a starting shape, not a contract.

The most common way to mess this up

Skipping the exclusion list - results in scoring 200 candidates and rejecting 195 manually. For agency owners, this shows up as spending the saved time on more admin instead of higher-leverage work. Build the checklist into your week, not as a one-off.

How Strawberry runs this checklist

Strawberry can search across LinkedIn, GitHub, and conference speaker lists at once, then filter against your must-haves and exclusions before showing the shortlist. For agency owners, Strawberry uses your live tabs and connected apps - so the checklist is filled with your real context, not a placeholder.

When to use this, when to skip

Use this checklist when the work recurs (weekly, per-prospect, per-meeting). Skip it when the situation is novel and judgment-heavy - the checklist is a baseline, not a substitute for thinking.

Caveats

Strawberry holds back on sending email, updating CRM records, or changing shared systems until a human approves the action. Treat the agent as a fast first-draft author, not an autopilot.

Candidate sourcing checklist

1 the role brief

Step 1

the role brief (must-haves, nice-to-haves, exclusions)

2 the geography and timezone constraints

Step 2

the geography and timezone constraints

3 the sources

Step 3

the sources (LinkedIn search, GitHub, conference speaker lists, alumni networks)

4 the qualification questions

Step 4

the qualification questions (must-pass before reaching out)

5 the reach-out template

Step 5

the reach-out template (channel-specific)

FAQ

How long does this checklist take to fill out?

For agency owners, a first pass runs in 10-20 minutes. With Strawberry doing the data pulls, it drops to 2-5 minutes per artifact.

Can I customise this for my team?

Yes - the shape above is a starting point. Strip items that don't apply, add items that match your weekly cadence.

What is the biggest mistake?

Skipping the exclusion list - results in scoring 200 candidates and rejecting 195 manually.