Cleaning source labels before you trust hire attribution

Source mix charts fail when “LinkedIn,” “linkedin,” “LI organic,” and “Recruiter InMail” all count as different channels. Hire attribution then looks precise and is quietly wrong.

Start with a single mapping table:

• Canonical name (what finance recognises)
• Raw values from the ATS
• Owner who may add new aliases

Run that map over ninety days of applications and over hires. Application-heavy boards often look strong until you filter to accepted offers. That is the conversation talent and marketing should share.

Do not delete historical raw values. Keep them in a side column so audits remain possible when someone asks why last year’s agency spend looks different after a rename.