Direct Sourcing Archives - Page 10 of 15 - The Future of Work Exchange

The Five Things Driving the Future of Work (Right Now)

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/23/2022

If you take a step back and say the words aloud (like I do dozens of times a day), it seems quite weird: the “Future of Work” is about the future, but it also revolves around the present, right? So, when we discuss the Future of Work, we’re essentially discussing the continuous optimization of work through current progressions and how it will evolve over the coming months and years.

And the most interesting idea around the Future of Work movement is that there are so many attributes of work, talent, technology, and business leadership that serve as real-time accelerants and harbingers of things to come.

Here are the five things the Future of Work Exchange believes are driving this moment today (and will drive tomorrow):

The “human” elements of work and talent. From pandemic-driven anxiety and the desire for more purposeful work, today’s business professionals crave more than just a paycheck. These workers truly require an emotional connect with their work in such a way that it solves both the work-life integration problem and allows them some semblance of flexibility in both their personal and professional lives.
Direct sourcing’s continued impact on talent engagement and talent acquisition. Many large-scale enterprises have begun “reactive layoffs” in anticipation for a possible recession. However, as many news outlets would note, there are more job openings right now than there are job seekers. This weird labor market translates into the need for businesses to harness the power of talent pools, talent communities, and talent clouds to essentially overcome the rigidity of engaging and acquiring talent through traditional means.
The transformation of business leadership. This item has long been a foundational element of the Future of Work movement; however, the way leaders lead has been continually evolving since Day One of the pandemic. There is, of course, the notion of conscious leadership and being in-tune with the workforce. And, on top of that, especially today, business leaders must fuse empathy and flexibility into their strategies. They must contend with the remote vs. in-office conundrum, the specter of a recession, and applying the best talent retention strategies to their talent. Transformation, in this case, isn’t a one-shot alteration.
Artificial intelligence drives decision-making. AI can be considered “vaporware” to some executive leaders, however, many of the prominent solutions in the workforce technology industry provide real-deal AI to help procurement, HR, and talent acquisition leaders understand the best-fit talent for a role, how their workforce will look given current economic trajectories, and support DE&I initiatives, as well as fuel enhanced candidate screening and candidate assessment.
The strategic application of new and innovative work models. Worker-led work structures. Digital collaboration augmented by infrequent in-person meetings. AI-fueled process management. Consumerized capabilities across core enterprise functions. An enhanced hiring manager experience. Developing a path to total talent acquisition (and then, perhaps, total workforce management?). The reimagination of worker productivity. These are all innovative ways of rethinking the boundaries of how work gets done, and, true extensions of the Future of Work movement.

Defining the VMS Technology Market: New Future of Work Exchange Research Study Now Available

Contingent Workforce Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/04/2022

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange have long been preeminent sources of analysis of the extended workforce industry and its associated technologies and solutions. With the introduction of our Technology Advisor (and Solution Advisor) series several years ago, the analyst team has been able to assist thousands of business leaders with the necessary information, insights, and intelligence as they traverse the complex solutions landscape within procurement and spend management, procure-to-pay, contingent and extended workforce management, direct sourcing, and digital staffing.

Today, we announce the publication of the much-anticipated VMS Technology Advisor, a report that assesses and evaluates 11 of the major Vendor Management System platforms that are currently helping organizations around the globe automate key extended workforce management processes, provide access to talent intelligence, and reinforce contingent workforce spend management.

The new report, which is available here, evaluates Beeline, Coupa Contingent Workforce, ELEVATE, Eqip, Pixid, Prosperix, PRO Unlimited, SAP Fieldglass, Utmost, VectorVMS, and VNDLY (a Workday Company).

The 2022 VMS Technology Advisor deep-dives into each provider’s strengths within requisition management, services procurement, SOW management, analytics and intelligence, direct sourcing, Future of Work readiness, total talent acquisition, total workforce management, global capabilities, and other key attributes inherent in today’s leading VMS platforms.

The Future of Flexibility

Business Leadership General Insights Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/28/2022

“Flexibility” has become the de-facto, hot-button phrase to describe how the Future of Work should operate. However, if we dig deeper, the very notion of flexibility transcends the confines of remote and hybrid work.

Take a deep breath for a moment. Think about your current role before the pandemic. Now think about it in the throes of 2020 and 2021. Now think about your role today and how you’re working. Chances are there are some very stark differences between these three moments in time.

For one, the very modes of work have shifted tremendously over the past two-plus years. Those that worked remotely found the transition was easy: just stay the course. Those that already had a hybrid schedule understood how to change their mindsets while also transforming their leadership and collaborative styles. And for those in which remote work was a new concept, there were some growing pains.

As we sit more than halfway through 2022, there are more questions than answers in regard to the concepts of flexibility in the workforce, the workplace, and the work itself. While flexibility has become a core piece of our pandemic-era business lexicon, the truth is that there is so much more to the idea of flexibility than what we’ve experienced thus far:

Flexibility also translates into agile thinking regarding the makeup of our workforce. This doesn’t just mean that businesses should increase their utilization of non-employee talent (which, of course, has become a value-driver during these uncertain times), but rather dig deep into all available talent sources and develop a truly agile workforce. Talent marketplaces, digital staffing outlets, and direct sourcing strategies can all enhance the depth of current talent communities and ensure that businesses can be flexible when needed (market conditions, business issues, etc.).
Flexibility should cascade down into attributes such as purpose, work-life integration, etc. For far too long, being a “dedicated worker” meant a gold watch at the end of a very, very long tunnel. Now, in the wake of the biggest health crisis of our lifetime, talented professionals seek more from their jobs; the realm of “purpose” and “work-life integration” both translate into workers craving meaningful work that enables them with flexible hours, flexible projects, and a flexible model that allows for unplugged time, more task-oriented collaboration (rather than open-ended coordination), and the ability to reevaluate career paths more frequently.
Flexibility means reviewing workplace structures to provide a malleable foundation rather than a rigid “return-to-office” setup. If there’s anything we learned about the coronavirus behind COVID-19, it’s that it’s become an unpredictable harbinger of disease and disruption. Fall and winter surges fill hospitals over capacity, shutter public attractions, and force governments to reevaluate social safety and public health regulations. This all means that hardline, return-to-office planning should not only be canceled, but outright replaced by a flexible foundation that is based on science, the overall productivity of the organization, and what works best for the workforce. Too many business leaders believed that this far into the pandemic was the ideal time to bring workers back to physical locations, when they should have been experimenting with new models and assessing what was best for the business and the mental wellness of its talent.
Flexibility should apply to workforce technology and process automation, as well as data science and artificial intelligence. AI and data don’t need to be at the center of every single facet of the contemporary business, but it needs to be at the forefront of how businesses shape talent acquisition and address how work is done. Enterprises must understand the flexibility inherent in today’s crucial workforce and talent tools, like VMS, MSP, direct sourcing, and digital staffing, and tap into the modules that they may have ignored in months and years past. Requisition management and financial/administrative tools are table stakes, however, leveraging “deeper” functionality such as AI-led analytics, expansive candidate matching, candidate experience tools, talent community development, total talent intelligence, and digital recruitment are all incredible doorways into making workforce technology more flexible for an evolving business.

Extended Workforce Evolution and the Modern VMS

Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/21/2022

Way back when (say, about 25+ years ago?), businesses required a veritable system-of-record that could effectively serve as an automated outlet for their many, many staffing suppliers, vendors, and agencies. The birth of the first Vendor Management System (VMS) platforms were essentially akin to “eProcurement for staffing,” with a handful of those organizations blending some basic human capital management competencies into the core of their earliest solutions.

The 2008-2009 Great Recession translated into a “perfect storm” for the contingent workforce arena: businesses sought to regain competitive footholds without the ability to rehire those laid off during the worst of the financial crisis, while those who lost their roles began to realize the incredible value of transforming their talents into what would eventually become the freelance economy.

The past couple of years has reinvigorated the world of non-employee talent in such a way that the collective business market finds itself with nearly half of its total talent (nearly 47%) comprised of contingent labor. The pandemic age has not only reaffirmed the need for businesses to harness the power of VMS technology, but to also take advantage of the many ways these platforms are reinforcing the many accelerants within the Future of Work movement.

The veteran platforms in the space, such as Beeline, have managed to meld the traditional elements of VMS with pioneering innovation, such as direct sourcing (perhaps the first VMS solution to embrace this), advanced SOW and services procurement, AI-led functionality, and human capital-fueled offerings that all contribute to its “Extended Workforce Management” technological overlay (not to mention an industry-leading talent technology ecosystem).

PRO Unlimited has revolutionized the concept of “integrated workforce management” through an aggressive mix of key acquisitions (WillHire for direct sourcing, Workforce Logiq for AI-led managed services, GRI for sheer market expansion, etc.) and a commitment to becoming a “platform of choice” for all aspects of today’s extended workforce.

SAP Fieldglass, a fellow long-time solution, has also progressed its offerings in recent years to include a focus on light industrial and shift management (key functionality for an industry that has seen the largest jump in utilization of contingent labor since the pandemic began), next-generation analytics (fueled by a move to a Hyperscaler data warehouse), and enhanced candidate experience management. The platform, when combined with the power of SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, and other SAP technology, will continue to be a trailblazer.

Relative newcomer Utmost has redefined extended workforce management with its incredibly flexible functionality, deep commitment to total talent intelligence, native integration with HRIS platforms, and overall sheen of innovation that has helped it stand out from the rest of the market. Its agile technology has also enabled one of the market’s strongest offerings around candidate management and the candidate experience, as well as an appropriate focus on “how work gets done.”

A solution like Prosperix (formerly Crowdstaffing) is a truly unique and revolutionary platform that has turned the design of VMS on its head. The provider’s “VMS Network” is one of the most disruptive products on the market; Prosperix is a true end-to-end vendor management platform built on a talent marketplace with a candidate-centric model.

Coupa’s Contingent Workforce solution is an idyllic blend of spend management and VMS technology, with robust intelligence offerings (including prescriptive guidance based on a wealth of data and information) and some of the industry’s leading candidate-matching functionality. VNDLY, acquired by Workday late last year, boasts one of the best user experiences in the marketplace, along with its real-deal procurement and HR blend of offerings that are now enabled within the larger Workday suite of solutions (VNDLY’s data and intelligence architecture are also a powerful formula for total talent management).

Solutions like VectorVMS (deep partner network with a mid-market focus), Pixid (one of Europe’s most powerful VMS platforms), ELEVATE (unique omni-channel direct sourcing channel offering and incredibly customizable functionality), Eqip (blockchain-fueled functionality and innovative offerings) and FlexTrack (the only VMS built on a SFDC architecture, which opens new and refreshing doors for CWM programs) are also contributing to the extended workforce management technology revolution, as well.

The VMS technology landscape today looks markedly different than it did even a few years ago, and for good reason: the classic iterations of Vendor Management System software wouldn’t cut it in a world that is founded on flexibility and agility whilst also being more talent-led than ever before. VMS needs to be more powerful, more strategic, and, most importantly, tightly aligned with the true future of how work will be done.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange will soon release the 2022 edition of its VMS Technology Advisor report, which assesses and evaluates the top providers in the Vendor Management System market and will serve as a guide for those organizations seeking deep analysis of a complex technology landscape as they undertake workforce management solution selection.

There’s So Much More to the Future of Work

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing HR Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/14/2022

There’s so much more to the Future of Work than what we’ve experienced thus far.

Around two years ago, during the very first summer under pandemic-era living, we had all had a strong taste of what the so-called “Future of Work” had to offer: remote work became a normalized attribute of the modern business, corporate leadership was consistently changing in the face of survival, and digitization proved to be a competitive differentiator as enterprises moved operations as a direct plan of attack against transformative times.

Since then, we’ve collectively learned to “live” with a life-changing virus whilst embracing the major changes in the way we address how work is done. While some businesses have instituted “return-to-office” plans, many others have settled on models that work well for both productivity and the satisfaction of flexibility for the workforce.

More so, businesses are operating in environments that are increasingly more digital and more human, two vastly different elements that are shaping the Future of Work for organizations across the world. The Future of Work Exchange has covered these aspects since its inception, however, there is so much more to this movement than what we’ve experienced thus far over these past two-plus years:

The (continued) transformation of talent acquisition and the power of “open talent.” The extended workforce continues to grow. Freelancers and contractors, sparked by The Great Resignation, are “resettling” into new and different (and most importantly, flexible) roles that better suit their needs and purpose. The technology behind how we find and engage talent has been centered on innovation more now than ever before. We haven’t even begun to truly think about how functionality like blockchain can change the Future of Work game; just look at an organization like the Velocity Network Foundation, which blends digital wallets, blockchain-fueled credentialing, and a truly foundational, evolving “rulebook” that guides candidates/talent and businesses.
The real-deal application of artificial intelligence within the confines of “work.” Just because an organization currently leverages a flavor of AI does not mean that this translates into a true application of the technology. AI can become even more of a Future of Work gamechanger when organizations apply deeper elements of its powerful reach, including driving efficiency in hiring, powering predictive and prescriptive insights, and enabling stronger DE&I efforts in recruitment. Platforms like HiredScore, Glider.ai, Eightfold.ai, and ModernHire are taking AI in talent acquisition and talent management to a new and exciting era in today’s frenetic labor market.
The rise of conscious leadership. The realm of conscious leadership follows a similar path to the one paved by empathy, in that nearly every facet of human contact between an executive and his or her colleagues and staff is rooted in a meaningful, genuine purpose. A leader’s core approaches involve them becoming more aware of their actions, more aware of how kind and, yes, conscious, those actions and insights may be perceived by the organization’s workforce.
Strategies that began as extensions of extended workforce management that will become table stakes for the world of talent and work…particularly direct sourcing. Direct sourcing experienced its biggest spike in both prominence and utilization since the beginning of 2020 and there are no signs that businesses will slow how they leverage talent pools and talent communities to inject top-tier talent into their organizational projects and initiatives. Direct sourcing technology is evolving, too, in such a way that “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” which follows AI-fueled, digital recruitment-led functionality (as well as next-generation talent curation), will become the prominent form of direct sourcing as businesses progress their utilization of these critical platforms. Providers such as WorkLLama, LiveHire, Prosperix, Opptly, High5, PRO Unlimited (Direct Source PRO, which has recently integrated WillHire into its solution), and AMS are all contributing to the Direct Sourcing 2.0 revolution.

The Impact of Direct Sourcing (and Direct Sourcing 2.0) Beyond 2022

Direct Sourcing by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/13/2022

In the throes of year of Year Three of a pandemic, historic inflation, and an uncertain economy, the labor market is the very definition of “volatile.” Today, there is a powerful undercurrent happening in the business world that promises to permanently transform the way work is done: the growth, power, and impact of the extended workforce. Enterprises are on the cusp of a permanent change in how works gets done, accelerated by a pandemic that has pushed direct sourcing to the top of HR, talent acquisition, and procurement executives’ priority list.

The sudden shift to remote and hybrid work models forced businesses to pivot their work optimization strategies while simultaneously managing ongoing operations amidst a wildly uncertain present (not to mention, the most severe public health crisis in a century). Two major workforce priorities came to light directly as a result of 2020’s challenging times: the “reimagining” of workforce management (84%, according to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research) and the greater need for contingent labor (82%).

The era of social distancing, citywide curfews, and global lockdowns have had a profound effect on how businesses find, engage, and manage their workforce. In-person interviewing, scheduled recruiter meetings, collaboration between HR and hiring managers and other “taken-for-granted” procedures became nearly-impossible to perform due to new coronavirus restrictions. In direct response to the biggest public health crisis of the last century, business leaders developed new and innovative approaches to recruiting and hiring.

Too, the increase in utilization of non-employee labor (43.5% of the total workforce in early 2020 vs. nearly 47% of total workforce today) is a leading indicator of where the world of work is heading, and, more importantly, why direct sourcing will become a dominant form of talent acquisition well into 2023 considering that enterprises were required to rethink and “reboot” their workforce management processes. And, as the need for non-employee talent increases, direct sourcing makes ideal sense as the gateway to better staffing processes and superior talent.

Even basic direct sourcing programs can drive value through a combination of on-demand, plug-and-play talent, and hard-cost savings. But the pandemic’s impact on the workforce has dramatically accelerated market shifts. Today, talent is scarce and comes at a premium. As a result, workers are demanding greater flexibility from their employers. They are more focused on work-life balance, while also desiring greater independence.

Among many things, the “Talent Revolution” indicates a seismic shift in power towards the worker and away from the employer…meaning that businesses require a more powerful, more flexible, and more scalable version of direct sourcing. Enter “Direct Sourcing 2.0.”

Now is the time for “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” the next generation of sourcing strategies that blend innovative solutions with a renewed focus on the candidate experience and an ability to use talent pools to populate the key projects and roles that require expertise and experience. Today’s business climate has accelerated the need for a reimagined approach to candidate engagement. As the market for talent continues to tighten amidst the lingering pandemic and a surging number of resignations, businesses find themselves in a new kind of “war for talent,” one that is far more extensive and complicated than anything experienced pre-pandemic.

The Link Between Direct Sourcing and Talent Sustainability

Direct Sourcing Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/05/2022

Many HR, talent acquisition, and contingent workforce program leaders overlook particular phases of direct sourcing, especially talent curation and segmentation, since they have been conditioned to manage their processes within the confines of a traditional contingent workforce management (CWM) initiative that follows more procurement-oriented procedures (i.e., supply management, heavy cost focus, etc.). Even under a centralized CWM program, the most critical direct sourcing strategies and capabilities require more time, focus, and resources than what is typically available with non-employee workforce management.

For example, talent curation is a critical piece to the direct sourcing puzzle and is considered crucial to the entire hierarchy of the process. In a direct sourcing program, recruiting expertise (via an MSP, talent curation partner, etc.) curates talent for the business, ultimately helping its client build a deep talent cloud or community using a series of augmented approaches, including branded job portals, targeted ads and recruitment marketing campaigns, and artificial intelligence-led candidate matching. The solution that is leading the direct sourcing program can also leverage the organization’s brand power to attract potential candidates, as well.

While some enterprises maintain deep pools of talent that are more “general” in scope, these may not be effective from an agile workforce perspective. Organizations typically overlook talent pool segmentation and maintain a single repository of talent pool candidates; this failure to segment is a missed opportunity to build a nimbler approach to finding candidates based on geography, skillset, role, etc. Talent pool segmentation enables enterprises to better “organize” their candidates for easier, faster, and better alignment with future requirements, as well.

A typical first step in talent community segmentation is to conduct due diligence around candidate skillsets, past work history, compensation, proficiency, and overall enterprise hiring alignment. Segmentation is what allows a business to be more dynamic in how it addresses its talent needs. It also answers many current sourcing challenges while fostering relationships with candidates with emerging and new skillsets or expertise.

By spending more time in the initial phases of direct sourcing (and, subsequently, executing consistent maintenance of internal talent communities/pools), businesses are able to build a more seamless bridge to “talent sustainability,” which the Future of Work Exchange defines as a by-product of leveraging workforce solutions (such as extended workforce technology, VMS, etc.), direct sourcing channels, and both private and public talent communities, etc. to build self-sustaining outlets of talent that 1) map to evolving skills requirements across the enterprise given product development and the progression of the greater organization, 2) reflect existing expertise and skillsets across the enterprise that can be leveraged for real-time utilization, and, 3) allow hiring managers and other talent-led executives to leverage nurture and candidate experience strategies to ensure that all networked workers are amiable and open to reengagement for new and/or continued projects and initiatives.

The Great Resignation has become more volatile, and with its wide-sweeping ramifications playing critical roles in how enterprises structure their workforce in the second half of the year, it is crucial that strategies such as direct sourcing contribute to overall talent scalability. Leveraging the power of direct sourcing’s key elements (and associated technology) can assist businesses in maximizing the positive elements of the “Talent Revolution” and parlay them into means of attracting the best-fit, highest-quality talent. Talent sustainability will be the way businesses thrive in the near future…and direct sourcing is a direct link to get them there.

Digital and Human Convergence: The Art of Managed Direct Sourcing (MDS)

Direct Sourcing by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/27/2022

Sixty percent (60%) of organizations actively blend digital and human recruitment processes, according to Future of Work Exchange research, reinforcing the notion that direct sourcing must unify traditional talent acquisition methods with innovative direct sourcing technology. This is exactly the foundation of “managed direct sourcing,” which entails a multi-phased series of strategies, underpinned with technology, that drives a continuous flow of candidates who can be engaged and hired in an on-demand fashion. MDS differs from traditional direct sourcing in the sense that it is more controlled, repeatable, and, most critically, highly-scalable.

MDS is typically offered as a services-based solution through a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and augmented with direct sourcing technology offered by an ecosystem of platform partners. An MDS offering will typically drive talent curation and other key program elements, while the direct sourcing platform partner will enable a series of repeatable processes including referral campaigns, nurture strategies, messaging and collaboration, and diversity engagement. What sets MDS apart from traditional direct sourcing is its symbiotic relationship between full-lifecycle, human-led services and agile digitization.

What enables MDS to stand out from traditional direct sourcing programs is its “beating heart,” comprised of a technology stack that can build on the human-led strategy and transform hiring processes to be repeatable and scalable, while establishing new prospect channels for hiring managers. As described earlier in this report, the major differences between MDS and traditional direct sourcing are the factors that frequently impact how the whole of the business finds, engages, and sources its top-tier talent. Businesses with direct sourcing automation are able to execute on “deeper” elements of this talent-led program. With less dependence on traditional, resource-heavy sourcing and recruiting approaches, a “digital-led” direct sourcing program that relies on deep CWM expertise can drive superior talent outcomes.Businesses that have tapped into direct sourcing automation are able to improve their programs with scalable processes that can drive superior talent engagement, help nurture top talent, and boost the overall candidate experience:

Direct sourcing automation is an ideal tool to improve candidate matching and talent engagement. A technology-led model requires less dependency on internal staff, drives greater “talent funnel” generation, while also improving the identification of and engagement with high-value candidates. For example, human curation is an excellent strategy for businesses that requires a high-touch approach towards talent pooling. However, the impact of direct sourcing automation adds additional value by improving the overall targeting of candidates by enhancing the alignment of enterprise requirements and available skillsets, and, most importantly, by enabling direct sourcing processes and strategies to be streamlined and standardized across the enterprise. Best-in-Class direct sourcing solutions also offer robust candidate referral functionality that can drive additional talent engagement without the organization spending significantly more time and resources. These capabilities are generally available and optimized within a solution’s mobile application
Direct sourcing platforms enable repeatable, collaborative processes with key candidates. The most overlooked aspects of direct sourcing are within its “secondary” phases, particularly talent nurture strategies and candidate communications. While MSP leaders in a managed direct sourcing program will guide businesses to craft/use the messaging they will need to engage candidates after they have been curated and locked into talent pools, the direct sourcing platform can transform these processes into repeatable campaigns that involve both email and SMS/text message communications, ensuring that all candidates feel valued and “in touch” with what is happening within the greater
organization. This is a key element in fostering an environment of connectivity, openness, and inclusivity. These attributes are becoming more critical for today’s evolving workforce and they allow independent workers to better align their skillsets with specific projects and pick-and-choose how they want to work.
Direct sourcing solutions enable users to tap into the power of their brand and culture to attract the best candidates. Compensation is not the only aspect that today’s workers (either traditional or contract) value in a potential employer. Aspects such as culture, diversity and inclusion, and the overall corporate social responsibility of a businesses are crucial factors that can determine whether a candidate wants to be engaged with a potential project or employer. Direct sourcing solutions offer functionality that can help users build “job portals” that leverage the enterprise’s brand, colors, and other unique, marketing-specific attributes. Candidates that align with a company’s brand are more likely to opt-in to receive news about job postings, new roles, upcoming projects, etc. This can be an incredibly powerful lever for managed direct sourcing because it taps into the power of an enterprise’s culture to attract star workers and candidates. This can also foster greater loyalty between contingent workers and their employers, something that is often missed by legacy talent acquisition models.
Direct sourcing automation enables holistic reporting that can cascade into other talent acquisition strategies. The intelligence gleaned from direct sourcing platforms and MSP-driven direct sourcing programs can be harnessed for greater workforce planning, particularly when forecasting future utilization of both contingent and full-time talent.

Procurement’s View of Direct Sourcing

Direct Sourcing by John Yuva on 06/13/2022

The role of procurement is ever-evolving. Chief Procurement Officers are executing strategies in a world wrought with immense volatility and unpredictability. While the scale of disruption is unlike anything witnessed in a century, procurement serves as the rudder for many enterprises, helping navigate this uncharted territory.

It is a position that CPOs are accustomed to — think back to The Great Recession from the not-too-distant past. Times of change and uncertainty are when procurement takes center stage. Amid current supply shortages and extended lead times, procurement’s sphere of influence has expanded to talent acquisition and the Future of Work.

What kind of scene did procurement walk into? It’s well-documented how the pandemic forever-altered workplace dynamics when tens of millions of workers shifted from on-premise to remote working. And as the pandemic abated, The Great Resignation took hold with millions leaving their jobs or the workforce entirely. It’s also important to mention that the workforce itself is transitioning from what was mostly full-time employees to nearly 50% contingent workers. The Future of Work Exchange (FOWX) cited in its recent article, Where Does the Extended Workforce Go From Here?, that “FOWX research pegs contingent labor at 47% of the average company’s total workforce, a statistic that is only expected to grow in the months and years ahead.”

Enterprises are now waging a war for talent amidst a highly competitive recruiting environment where traditional recruitment methods alone are no longer viable. It requires a several-pronged approach and internal ownership using direct sourcing to plan, execute, and manage a talent pipeline for the future success of the organization. It’s nearly table stakes to operate with agility and resiliency. The competitive differentiator is attracting talent that brings new outlooks and outcomes to your global market and envisions markets and lines of business yet to be explored. Procurement should be right at home in this environment, adjusting to the intricacies of talent acquisition and the concept of direct sourcing for recruitment.

According to Ardent Partners’ The Direct Sourcing Toolkit, “talent pool creation and development” was the leading priority for talent and workforce management in 2020. And, in 2021, Ardent and FOWX research pointed to talent and skills access as a core priority heading into 2022. The question remains, then: How can procurement approach talent acquisition and a direct sourcing strategy?

First and foremost, it requires collaboration with HR to understand the talent needs of the enterprise. Where are there gaps in specific departments? Are there major initiatives with vacancies in key roles? Does the organization need additional support for promotional or seasonal purposes?

Procurement complements HR in this effort because of its cross-functional relationships and deep understanding of operations and ongoing product development. Leverage those relationships to glean insight into talent issues and where the organization could use support. It may be necessary to form a talent committee with representation from various business units. Communicate the new direction for talent recruiting and the shift to direct sourcing. Since the enterprise is curating and managing its own talent pipeline, leaders should be encouraged to recommend prospective candidates — both passive and active — from their own networks.

As the talent pool(s) builds with new and on-demand candidates, such as alumni, silver medalists, and former freelancers and contractors, they can be segmented based on their skillsets and competencies for various types of roles. Procurement can collaborate with IT to ensure recruitment and talent management applications and platforms [e.g., applicant tracking systems (ATS) and vendor management systems (VMS)] integrate well with the larger enterprise network.

Many enterprises utilize external partners to meet their contingent workforce management objectives. Monitoring various talent channels is resource-intensive and requires a dedicated team. Procurement can lead the search and selection of a Managed Service Provider (MSP), for example, which has access to supplier networks for talent needs across the enterprise and supply chain. Expertise with supplier selection and relationship management pays dividends when procurement leads this effort — cost awareness, contract management, and relationship building with the MSP. It also ensures procurement’s continued involvement with the direct sourcing program and the opportunity to influence its future direction.

Technology is critical to a direct sourcing program. An ATS and VMS are core to attracting and managing a contingent workforce. However, Industry 4.0 solutions (e.g., artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics) are now being utilized with direct sourcing initiatives to fine-tune potential candidate placement and predict talent needs. These technologies are integrated into many manufacturing operations, so it’s no surprise that talent management is now benefiting from a human perspective as well. Here again, procurement is well-versed in the use and potential of AI and predictive analytics. Where are there opportunities to further leverage AI to achieve talent management objectives? How far can predictive analytics provide mitigation against critical talent shortages or succession dilemmas? Imagine using a digital twin to simulate the workforce needs in the next decade?

Procurement has a vital role in today’s talent management initiatives. Leading direct sourcing programs alongside HR is not only good for business, but a necessity in today’s frenetic labor market.

The Link Between Diversity and Direct Sourcing

Direct Sourcing Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/01/2022

Today, diversity is no longer a “check-a-box” factor for many enterprises around the world; rather, it has become a cultural movement within business that emphasizes the depth of talent pools, talent communities, and talent networks without bias or barriers. The truth regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is that direct sourcing programs (and extended workforce/contingent workforce programs) that are diverse tend to be more successful. If businesses can embed a spirit of inclusion within their direct sourcing processes and act in accordance with this mindset, they can broaden the existing talent landscape and improve upon it with new ideas and opportunity.

And, while established diversity programs previously existed in many enterprises, the events and civil unrest of the past two years have driven many businesses to develop and communicate more purpose-driven goals which are linked to societal, economic, technological, and sustainable shifts. To achieve these goals, a large number of businesses are trying to harness the power of a diverse workforce.

The Future of Work Exchange has long progressed the notion of “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” in which traditional direct sourcing phases and operations are “supercharged” to transform this strategy into a repeatable and scalable (not to mention more digitized) series of processes that can drive true talent sustainability:

As the overall labor market evolves in the wake of rising worker resignations, smart businesses will prioritize the need for deeper assessment and validation of skillsets and place a greater emphasis on the candidate and hiring manager experience. The starting point for most will be to build on their existing direct sourcing capabilities and work to develop Direct Sourcing 2.0 capabilities.

Simply put: much like the greater Future of Work movement, there is so much more to this than just automation and technology. Direct Sourcing 2.0 isn’t just a scalable strategy that is driven by next-generation software, but a program that relies on both technology and humanity to be successful in the face of an evolving labor market.

Layering DE&I into direct sourcing is about changing behaviors and removing hiring barriers and unconscious bias from talent engagement and talent acquisition. Utilizing technology to help guide and enforce a new mindset can be extremely valuable and create awareness that the deepest talent pools are diverse talent pools. Using direct sourcing to hire diverse talent gives HR teams a direct ability to link purpose with DE&I efforts. For example, businesses can opt to tap into professional networks that were already designed for diverse workers from various backgrounds, cultures, and genders and link these to talent curation efforts. Direct sourcing initiatives can also benefit from “diversity automation” that is enabled from direct sourcing platforms that have partnerships and integrations with diverse job boards and networks. They can also offer anonymizing functionality that can hide specific information about different candidates.

Diversity, as stated above, is more than just an objective; it is a facet of the new world of work that sparks new ideas, catalyzes innovation, and enables a business with the necessary skillsets and expertise to thrive in changing times. Direct sourcing, then, can be an effective gateway in developing a more diverse workforce.