While we may not go so far as to call it a “war,” there is very strong competition for talent across all industry sectors. Part of the driving force behind the optimized workforce—a blend of full-time and independent talent—is the need to access high-value and trusted skill sets on an ongoing, but not full-time, basis.
The bedrock of the optimized workforce is a direct sourcing program. When the dust settles from the skills assessment and management knows what’s needed, the question becomes, “where do we find the right people?” To be competitive, a business must maintain connections with independent talent they know can perform. Finding and engaging this talent can seem like a big challenge, especially in the beginning stages of the program. Actually, though, you may already have a rich resource for needed skills very close by.
Leverage Known Talent
“Known talent” is the term used to describe workers already known to a company. Most enterprises already have a good amount of known talent associated with the organization, such as:
- Former contingent workers
- Alumni candidates, especially the “silver medalists” (full-time applicants who were shortlisted but not hired)
- Current or former interns
- Retirees from the company
- Employee referrals
All provide potential paths to needed talent. The direct sourcing team can connect with these valuable candidates through targeted marketing campaigns and include them in the talent network, ready and available for future needs.
The business benefits of curating known talent in your direct sourcing program can be compelling:
- Onboarding time can be shortened because some or all needed paperwork may already be submitted.
- When the talent already understands your culture and knows established processes and procedures, they can be productive from day one.
- Turnover in your direct sourcing program can be reduced as you retain connections to proven talent.
- You can reduce the overall cost of your independent workforce due to lower upfront costs and reduced churn.
- Knowledge and experience residing in your contingent labor workforce can be retained within the enterprise.
Where to Start
While a media campaign or use of a trusted online marketplace can help surface known talent, the best place to start is within the enterprise. There can be pockets of great talent within departments and business units, where hiring managers have repeatedly engaged the same contractors. Launch an internal campaign requesting managers to submit information about the known talent they have worked with. You may find that you already have a rich source of valuable skills that just need to be organized to realize their full value.
A direct sourcing program is the bedrock of an optimized workforce, and known talent is the bedrock of a direct sourcing program. Start establishing your valuable source of skills today!
