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Direct Sourcing

Talent Sustainability Through Direct Sourcing

Business LeadershipDirect SourcingDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsTalent by John Yuva on

In 2023, direct sourcing is more than the sum of its parts; rather, it represents near alignment with the direction of business now and in the relative future. The labor market is still unsettled, while economic uncertainty (unfortunately) still rules the day. Businesses are in a continued war for talent, as unemployment sinks to historic lows and millions of job openings remain.

In addition, the Future of Work movement and resulting transformations actively dictate that businesses shift their hiring strategies. All of these facets together represent both a new challenge and a new opportunity for direct sourcing: helping enterprises cultivate a flexible and scalable workforce that drives true talent sustainability.

Direct Sourcing Evolves

Enterprises need sustainable talent most to remain competitive and enable future agility. Direct sourcing can help enterprises achieve talent sustainability through several means.

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Introducing a New Subscription Model

To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the future of work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

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The Next Era of Direct Sourcing: A Future of Work Exchange Research Sneak Peek

Direct Sourcing by Christopher J. Dwyer on

In just a few weeks, Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange will publish the next edition of its landmark direct sourcing series, The Next Era of Direct Sourcing. Today, we present a sneak peek of the groundbreaking new research study. Stay tuned to the Exchange for more news about the new report (and maybe another sneak peek!).

Just a few years ago, the majority of direct sourcing programs revolved around a near-simplified core of processes and strategies meant to assist the overall organization in developing flexible talent pools and talent communities. Since then, direct sourcing has become synonymous with the continued evolution of talent; businesses that desire deep organizational and workforce agility are actively harnessing the power of talent pools (and placing top candidates into the recruiting process) as a viable means of reducing talent acquisition costs, ensuring top-tier skillsets and expertise, and structuring a truly dynamic workforce.

Historically, direct sourcing delivers value by enabling (1) deeper candidate pipelines, without the need for staffing suppliers or intermediaries, 2) more active recruiting and engagement of known talent, such as “silver medalists” and past contractors, and 3) more savings, both hard (reduced staffing markups, more competitive rates, etc.) and soft (higher-quality talent, faster fill rates, stronger performance, reduced risk of bad hires, etc.). In essence, direct sourcing entails several key “phases” that comprise a larger and dedicated program:

  • Talent curation. Talent curators (often consisting of business leaders well-versed in talent acquisition and hiring) are responsible for identifying top-tier workers and “collections” of expertise and skills that can be tapped in an on-demand manner.
  • Talent pool development. Talent pool development involves grouping various types of candidates into an on-demand channel of known workers, such as retirees, alumni, silver medalists, past freelancers/contractors, and new candidates that are engaged via branded job portals.
  • Talent pool segmentation. By segmenting talent pools, businesses can better align new job or project requirements with available candidates. Talent pool segmentation most often involves the cross-section of candidates by geography/region, skillsets and expertise, compensation, certifications, etc.
  • Integration with core enterprise recruitment streams. One of the most critical pieces to direct sourcing is placing talent pool candidates into the main recruiting streams that hiring managers leverage to source new workers. Talent pools should be integrated and readily accessible in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Vendor Management Systems (VMS), and other key talent acquisition and contingent workforce management platforms.
  • Talent nurture and communication. This deeper element of direct sourcing involves frequent communication with candidates in talent pools to ensure that they are properly engaged and show interest in potential employment. Talent nurture has become a critical piece of today’s direct sourcing programs, as businesses contend with the “Great Resignation” and a higher number of disillusioned workers that prioritize communication, empathy, and other non-monetary benefits.
  • Repeatable candidate engagement through company branding and other marketing facets. One of the essential items of direct sourcing is simple on the surface: how do we engage candidates and encourage them to opt-into our talent network? Leveraging job boards and job portals that reflect the company’s overall brand (specifically its color schema and notable design elements) and culture (social responsibility, etc.) are the ideal means of driving candidates into a network from which can be curated into deep talent pools. On top of this is the art of referrals, which, when automated, can allow existing candidates to refer like-minded and similar-skilled workers to join a company’s talent community.

While the above attributes are the veritable core of any direct sourcing program, the truth is that the strategy as a whole has evolved since it began its meteoric rise several years ago. Although even the most intermediary of efforts drive tangible value, there is so much more at stake for direct sourcing than cutting costs and expanding the overall talent pipeline.

Direct sourcing in 2023 is more than just the sum of its parts; in fact, what it represents is a near-alignment with the direct of business now and in the relative future. The labor market is still unsettled, while economic uncertainty (unfortunately) still rules the day. Businesses are in a continued war for talent, as unemployment sinks to historic lows and millions of job openings remain.

Too, the transformations happening as part of the Future of Work movement actively dictate that businesses shift their hiring strategies. All of these facets together represent a new challenge, yet, a new opportunity for direct sourcing: help enterprises cultivate a flexible and scalable workforce that drives true talent sustainability.

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The Recession-Ready Enterprise

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

There has been great debate in recent months about a recession. Are we already in a recession? If a recession occurs, will it be light or something more impactful? Or will the economy be resilient and avoid a recession entirely? Enterprises in technology and media industries are already reacting to recession fears by laying off tens of thousands of workers. As we move further into 2023, how could a recession impact the extended workforce?

Business As Usual

There’s no doubt we’re experiencing challenging economic times. However, businesses must continue with mission-critical projects and initiatives that often require specialized expertise. The skills gap remains inherent in many enterprises, leading to continued demand for contingent workers. And as the Future of Work Exchange research indicates, 47.5% of the enterprise workforce is comprised of extended workers. That figure cannot be ignored, especially during times of economic distress.

Digitization Evolution and Workforce Mercenaries

Despite the recessionary climate, there is an enterprise evolution occurring: digitization. Whether it’s talent acquisition platforms, accounts payable solutions, or larger enterprise resource planning systems, businesses are transforming from tactical (manual) to strategic (digital) strategies across the operational landscape. And with digitization comes the extended workforce.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the future of work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

Click here to learn more.

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Diversity’s Measurable Impacts on the Contingent Workforce

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsTalent by John Yuva on

Diversity programs continue to evolve, and enterprises must ensure their efforts span the total talent spectrum. Often, diversity initiatives are primarily focused on full-time, permanent employees. However, with contingent talent now comprising more than half of organizations’ entire workforce, diversity should permeate contingent workforce management (CWM) strategies.

In fact, recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research indicates 62% of enterprises plan to infuse diversity initiatives into their CWM efforts as part of their workplace goals.

Diversity Is Critical to CWM Results

CWM and the Future of Work movement are aligned in their workforce direction. Extended workers represent a global talent pool where flexibility and a skills-based portfolio are at their core. Equally important, however, are the unique perspectives and outside viewpoints of contingent workers that cater to diverse thinking and enterprise representation.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the future of work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

Click here to learn more.

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The Talent Supply Chain Is Evolving…It’s Time to Rethink How We Approach It

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingEventsTalentTalent Acquisition by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining Prosperix‘s CEO, Sunil Bagai, and Defiant Solutions’ Bryan Pena for a spirited discussion on the evolution of the talent supply chain. Everything You Know About The Talent Supply Chain Is Wrong featured some new Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research, as well as a high-energy roundtable chat focused on how businesses can balance the power of today’s progressive labor market with the proper strategies for thriving in the months ahead.

If you missed the live event, we have you covered. Check out an on-demand edition below.

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What WorkLLama’s $50M Funding Means for the Direct Sourcing Arena

Direct SourcingSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Direct sourcing dominates many of the talent-oriented discussions in our wonderful industry today more so than ever before. Heading into the months before the pandemic began, Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research found that direct sourcing strategies and talent pool development were the top two priorities heading into 2020.

The omniscience of those findings was on point: for the first 18 months or so of the pandemic, direct sourcing exploded due to its ability to drive real workforce scalability (in a time when it was needed most) and improve the candidate and hiring manager experiences. Now that the pandemic is waning and entering an endemic state, direct sourcing is still as vital as ever to businesses that focus on candidate centricity and a talent-led approach to workforce engagement.

Last week, WorkLLama, one of the industry’s leading direct sourcing technology platforms, announced that it had secured $50 million in funding (organized and facilitated by Fairpoint Partners). Now, funding in HR tech is not a rare event, however, within the direct sourcing space, this represents so much more than an innovative solution garnering significant funding.

WorkLLama’s suite of technology does not just fall under the greater “direct sourcing” banner, but rather reflects the “Direct Sourcing 2.0” model that Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange pioneered 18 months ago to reflect the next generation of innovation that has contributed to the future of the direct sourcing technology industry.

“I’ve been lucky to have been involved first-hand since direct sourcing was introduced to the market many years ago,” said Kevin Poll, WorkLLama’s SVP of Strategy and Business Development. “Fast forward to today and seeing the market demand for next-gen direct sourcing technology, it’s exciting and validates the market opportunity and the belief in our innovation and growth. Not only will we help all talent connect to meaningful work, but I’m also personally looking forward to how this investment will allow us to continue advancing the platform to help underrepresented communities.”

WorkLLama has become a leading direct sourcing platform not just because of their overall commitment to the arena, which has been apparent since they entered the enterprise market back in 2016, but rather because the company has leveraged progressive thinking to fuel a new era of direct sourcing, ATS, and end-to-end talent management functionality. The WorkLLama platform, including its unique Sofi bot, offers users with advanced functionality, artificial intelligence, access to superior talent, an enhanced candidate experience, and the enablement of repeatable and scalable direct sourcing processes all contribute to a more advanced direct sourcing program.

“WorkLLama was established in 2016 to solve long-standing challenges within the talent attraction, engagement, nurturing, and retention space,” said Saleem Khaja, COO and co-founder. “Since our inception, we’ve led with the most robust, client-centric, and configurable solution available, with a central mission to provide the highest-level consumer-like experience to talent. This funding is an important milestone in our journey to enable both organizations and talent to become even more successful.”

The massive level of funding here speaks volumes about the direct sourcing technology industry for several reasons:

  • Direct sourcing has moved beyond the “peripheral platform” spectrum within the talent technology ecosystem. Just a few years ago, direct sourcing solutions were considered peripheral technology; that is, platforms that contributed to extended workforce management and talent acquisition without the standing of Vendor Management Systems and HRIS solutions. Today, that has changed. WorkLLama’s funding is a direct reflection of the criticality of these platforms in driving better candidate outcomes and optimizing talent engagement and recruitment.
  • Artificial intelligence is now table-stakes for any technology in the workforce solutions market. One of WorkLLama’s leading-edge innovations is the application of AI and machine learning throughout the platform, which shines in its candidate nurture functionality and particularly its Sofi conversational bot. Sofi harnesses the power of AI to automate and facilitate candidate communication and engagement; the WorkLLama platform also leverages AI to catalyze digital recruitment and referral management, two attributes of direct sourcing that are crucial for programmatic success.
  • The candidate experience and the hiring manager experience are paramount. One of the more interesting developments in the direct sourcing technology arena is the commitment to and focus on “experience-led” aspects of talent acquisition. With a volatile labor market, the candidate experience is, of course, critical (something that WorkLLama achieves through its deep nurture and engagement functionality). What has also become important, however, is the hiring manager experience by arming these professionals (and other talent acquisition leaders) with robust offerings that can facilitate skills assessment, develop deep talent communities, and streamline talent engagement and hiring.

“CEO, CHRO, and CPO leaders face unprecedented challenges as they evaluate new workforce strategies to find and engage talent in today’s market,” said WorkLLama’s CEO and co-founder, Sudhakar Maruvada. “WorkLLama’s growth, especially in direct sourcing, shows that these leaders are invested in innovative solutions to keep up with the changing landscape of work and workers. This investment will allow us to continue to build on our key differentiators and mission of treating candidates like customers.”

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Skills-Based Is the New Workforce Frontier

Business LeadershipDirect SourcingDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRTalent AcquisitionTechnology and InnovationUncategorized by John Yuva on

We have recently talked about gamification and digital credentials as strategies for greater employee engagement, collaboration, and skills development. As enterprises re-engineer their workforce architectures toward a skills-based organization, these strategies will play a critical role in that initiative.

Why is skills-based the next workforce frontier? Simply put, traditional, antiquated job description-defined roles are ineffective in today’s volatile business landscape. Enterprises require agility and flexibility to respond appropriately to operational and market changes. A skills-based workforce architecture supports that requirement by aligning employee skills with project-focused initiatives. Deploying employees with specific skill sets to solve problems and ensure business continuity is a Future of Work vision.

Purpose of Work Redefined

With a nimble and responsive workforce, enterprises can leverage their talent using a more holistic approach while generating a greater sense of work purpose for employees. According to an article in Training magazine, “Skills-based organizations have a more agile and employee-centric approach to work where employees are valued for their skills rather than their job title, level, or educational qualifications.”

“It is a new operating model of work where employees are matched to tasks and projects based on skills, capabilities, and interests. Focusing on skill sets instead of job experience can help organizations optimize their talent pool.”

However, the success of this workforce model depends heavily on the ability to define work within the enterprise. What is the work that can ultimately provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace? Where in the organization does the most critical work reside? What skillsets and capabilities are most valued to accomplish the work required? How does the enterprise capture, structure, and utilize skillset data?

The critical answers to these questions are all part of the foundation of a skills-based structure.

Core Tenets of a Skills-Based Organization

The foundational elements of the skills-based organization revolve around the concepts of rethinking the parallels between talent and work; thus, the very future of the skills-based organization depends on forward-thinking strategies, ideas, and, of course, technology, according to Chris Dwyer, senior vice president of research at Ardent Partners and the managing director of the Future of Work Exchange.

Consider the Future of Work Exchange’s six key elements of skills-based organizations and how they impact the greater business (and its staffing, recruitment, and hiring efforts).

Candidate Centricity

A candidate-centric talent strategy ensures that businesses place the utmost emphasis on the candidate experience and the candidate journey, thus positioning them to attract and engage top-tier skillsets and expertise. Employee development opportunities are essential in retainment and career progression initiatives.

A Shift to Skills-based Hiring

Job-based hiring has long been the foundation of talent acquisition. However, for skills-based organizations, prioritizing expertise as the core of hiring enables a deeper range of total talent. An important part of this strategy is diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring process as well. DE&I should be communicated by leadership as an enterprise priority.

A Foundation of AI and Data

Deeper, AI-furled technology allows businesses to execute more effective candidate matching, identify critical skills gaps, and provide leaders with predictive insights into the organization’s future talent. Rather than reactively responding to operational and market changes, AI and data enable a proactive approach to talent identification and deployment.

Expansion of Skills

Hard skills are crucial, but “soft” skills are critical for productive and engaged workers. SBOs expand their candidate searches to prioritize behavioral skills just as much as traditional expertise. The need for strategic problem-solving and collaboration across business units is an inherent characteristic of a skills-based enterprise.

Enhanced Experiences

Skills-based organizations not only prioritize the candidate journey but also the hiring manager experience to ensure that consistent, scalable methods are leveraged to catalyze a frictionless talent acquisition experience.

Omni-Channel Talent Acquisition

Skills-based organizations leverage “omni-channel talent acquisition,” in which hiring strategies revolve around a variety of talent sources, including direct sourcing, talent marketplaces, digital staffing, etc. Cultivating those pipelines with diverse candidates, while also using source prioritization for specific requirements will streamline the talent acquisition process.

A skills-based organization is a major transformation from the traditional approach of job-defined roles and responsibilities. Core to a successful skills-based workforce model is comprehensive talent assessments of existing skillsets, integration of workforce technologies, and structured processes for identifying projects and deploying needed skillsets. And of course, there’s change management that is necessary to make the transformation sustainable, a topic we’ll tackle in a later article.

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The Top Talent Challenges of 2023 (So Far)

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingTalentTalent Acquisition by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The business arena is shrouded in disruption and uncertainty, given the volatility of the labor market, supply chain risks, and economic challenges that are plaguing a variety of industries across the globe. With talent as the modern enterprise’s top competitive differentiator, it is no wonder that these external factors are placing pressure on talent-specific operations within the average organization, particularly workforce oversight, extended and contingent workforce management, skills analysis, talent engagement, talent acquisition, services procurement, etc.

In another exclusive Future of Work Exchange infographic, we highlight some brand new Ardent Partners research and unveil the top talent-oriented challenges for businesses (thus far) in 2023.

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Five Reasons Why Direct Sourcing Can Supercharge Hiring

Direct SourcingTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Future of Work Exchange has long discussed the value, impact, and power of direct sourcing. Over the past three years, direct sourcing has dominated discussions across the world of talent and work, and rightfully so: Direct sourcing represents a dynamic entry-point to talent sustainability. Considering its impact on the candidate experience (transforming how workers engage with potential employers), referral management (automated, mobile-optimized referrals), and talent community development (boosting talent curation and progressing into a new stratosphere of on-demand talent pools), direct sourcing is a robust strategy to developing real workforce scalability…and talent sustainability.

Today, we are excited to present an exclusive infographic, Five Reasons Why Direct Sourcing Can Supercharge Hiring.

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The Recession-Ready Enterprise

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

There has been great debate in recent months about a recession. Are we already in a recession? If a recession occurs, will it be light or something more impactful? Or will the economy be resilient and avoid a recession entirely? Enterprises in technology and media industries are already reacting to recession fears by laying off tens of thousands of workers. As we move through the first quarter of 2023, how could a recession impact the extended workforce?

Business As Usual

There’s no doubt we’re experiencing challenging economic times. However, businesses must continue with mission-critical projects and initiatives that often require specialized expertise. The skills gap remains inherent in many enterprises, leading to continued demand for contingent workers. And as the Future of Work Exchange research indicates, 47.5% of the enterprise workforce is comprised of extended workers. That figure cannot be ignored, especially during times of economic distress.

Digitization Evolution and Workforce Mercenaries

Despite the recessionary climate, there is an enterprise evolution occurring: digitization. Whether it’s talent acquisition platforms, accounts payable solutions, or larger enterprise resource planning systems, businesses are transforming from tactical (manual) to strategic (digital) strategies across the operational landscape. And with digitization comes the extended workforce.

As more enterprises pursue digitization, mission-critical hyper-specific skillsets and expertise are not only preferred but required. Transforming into the digital era means companies are implementing new technologies that leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and other Industry 4.0 automation. Enterprise integration of these technologies requires specific skill sets and competencies that are often outside the capabilities of existing permanent employees.

Hiring full-time employees for digitization projects and initiatives does not make fiscal sense (particularly during a recession) unless the role is a data analyst or scientist critical to interpreting daily analytical outputs. Otherwise, contingent workers specializing in digital transformation integration and implementation are the ideal choices — aligning contractual agreements with workforce budgets. Hyper-skilled talent is the future for enterprises expanding their product and service offerings through automation.

Supply chain and procurement are fields that employ hyper-skilled talent. Enterprises will hire a chief procurement officer to transform the procurement department through digitization and eliminate manual processes. A timeline may last two years, but once the project is complete, the individual seeks out other organizations with transformation as a critical initiative. These types of workforce mercenaries are much more abundant today than a decade ago. Their sole purpose is the execution of strategically detailed operational initiatives to elevate the enterprise competitively before taking on a new assignment elsewhere.

Sourcing such talent is already available to many organizations through workforce platforms and processes.

The Recession-Ready Enterprise

Direct sourcing and talent marketplaces are now table stakes for enterprise competitiveness. The use of these channels is necessary to source extended workers and hyper-skilled talent with current, specialized competencies. Recent Future of Work Exchange research found that 82% of businesses utilized more extended talent in 2022 than in 2021. During a recession, organizations can specify specific hours for extended workers who are already accustomed to flexible schedules or defined project timelines.

The workforce mercenary is likely to find an abundance of opportunities in a recession with 73% of businesses planning to divert external talent to mission-critical type initiatives and projects over the next six months. This is a clear sign that organizations are taking a more proactive stance against a possible recession than in the past. It appears quite possible that talent acquisition strategies will also shift during a recessionary period as the extended workforce closes critical skill gaps.

Enterprises with the ability to scale their extended workforce before, during, and after a recession are best positioned to weather an economic downturn. Seek workforce mercenaries for those transformational initiatives, while leveraging external talent for skills gap challenges. It’s a critical balance, but one that separates the modern enterprise from those still operating at a tactical level.

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