A direct sourcing program has the potential to unlock new sources of highly skilled labor. However, reaping the full benefits of such a program requires the right approach. Here, we examine six must-have program attributes that will help you harness the true potential of direct sourcing.
The 3 Essential Components of Your Technology
Having the right technology is imperative for running an efficient direct sourcing program. You’ll want to pay particular attention to the following components:
Technology integration. You must ensure that your direct sourcing technology will play nicely with your vendor management system and the rest of your talent ecosystem. Without these integrations, a significant amount of manual effort will be required, leading to delays in filling positions and generating additional inefficiencies.
Job distribution. You want to place your job listings where talent is searching for them. All direct sourcing technologies must be able to post job openings on a company’s website and job boards. Companies that seek a broader pool of potential candidates for both permanent and contingent roles would do well to maintain cohesive branding wherever their jobs are posted.
Talent pool management. Access to a broader talent pool is not enough. Your technology must be able to categorize your current pool and help match candidates to the right jobs as they become available. Some platforms will additionally assist in helping you market your positions, and construct talent pipelines for positions that experience particularly high demand.
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The 3 Essential Attributes of Your Curation Partner
Without a strong curation partner working alongside your technology, your direct sourcing program will be at risk of failure. Curation partners provide human oversight of these important processes, ensuring that your roles are appropriately sourced. Make sure you tick these boxes:
Engagement and retention strategies. Curation partners must facilitate effective communication, address concerns and offer continuous support to your contingent talent. By nurturing relationships with your workers, they’ll help you ensure that workers have positive experiences, increasing overall satisfaction while decreasing attrition rates.
Performance monitoring and reporting. You should expect your curation partners to provide valuable reports and analytics that allow you to assess what your program is accomplishing while pinpointing areas in which you could improve. This is achieved only by consistently tracking and measuring critical metrics such as time to fill, cost savings, worker performance and program effectiveness.
Relevant industry experience. Your curation partner should perform exhaustive candidate evaluations. They must assess skills, backgrounds, alignment with company culture and other attributes according to the organization’s specifications. Partners should ideally possess practical experience in your industry — this is likely to yield more accurate results from candidate screening processes.
So, What’s Next?
Now that you know the six essential characteristics of a thriving direct sourcing program, it’s time to start taking action. Remember, using a proper VMS is crucial in this process, as it can save time and streamline your efforts. Attaining your ideal, optimal workforce is just a matter of choosing the right technology and the right curation partner!
