How Direct Sourcing Is Addressing the Ongoing Talent Shortage

Nearly every sector in the global market has reported a talent shortage. As a countermeasure, most businesses turn to recruitment agencies to staff their companies. But, as the market shifts to flexible work solutions, employers are changing how they hire to accommodate independent talent. An increasingly popular workforce strategy is direct sourcing, also referred to as self-sourcing. This is when you identify, engage, and onboard talent without involving a recruitment firm. Besides advertising for positions, you can build a talent pipeline from silver medalists, past employees, and freelancers. Here’s how direct sourcing is improving the workforce situation.

Talent Retention

Contingent workers are always finding new opportunities. If a contractor provides value, you want to re-engage them whenever you have a need. These professionals appreciate a business that understands their needs and is easy to reach. Direct sourcing offers straightforward engagements through systems that allow talent freedom and flexibility. This way, workers are more productive and open to future assignments. 

Direct Sourcing Shapes an Employer’s Brand

Businesses with a strong employer brand have a better shot at landing top talent.  Through direct sourcing, you control where and how you advertise for positions, and ongoing nurturing keeps you front of mind when candidates are considering their next career move. 

Affordable Talent

When employing a self-sourcing approach to talent engagement, you avoid the mark-ups applied by staffing agencies.  However, you will incur the costs associated with advertising, evaluating, and onboarding the needed talent.  When direct sourcing is provided by an independent third party, the mark-up applied to the worker’s pay rate is typically lower than that for a staffing agency recruited position.

Faster Hiring

Sourcing from an existing talent pool enables you to fill positions as soon as they arise. Candidates in the talent pool have been pre-screened, and some are being re-engaged.  The result: less screening is needed, reducing the time to start.

You’re Not Alone

Although you make key recruitment decisions, direct sourcing doesn’t have to mean DIY. Rather than developing a system from scratch, you can tap into the resources of an established firm that specializes in customized direct sourcing solutions. Are you looking to hire? Contact us with your recruitment challenges; we’ll show you how to fix them with direct sourcing.