Save time and increase efficiency: Busting common Direct Sourcing misconceptions – Part 3

When discussing Direct Sourcing, the topic of time to fill comes up pretty consistently. Companies want to know how long each job opening will take to staff. 

The simple answer is that, on average, it takes about 28 days to hire a worker for each new position. 

But the deeper answer is more complicated than that, mainly because so much goes into the hiring process. 

It takes time to determine what type of need your company has and how they’d like to fill it. 

It takes time to write the job description, agree on all necessary credentials and fully understand what type of candidate you’re looking for.

Conducting interviews, calling references, performing background checks – all of this adds to how long it takes to find a solid candidate that will last.

This is time many organizations don’t have, which is why some are hesitant to try Direct Sourcing. They assume creating a talent acquisition program requires a significant time commitment. 

The reality is that Direct Sourcing programs allow companies to streamline their hiring efforts, which actually reduces the time and effort your team needs to spend on finding top talent. 

For part three of our three part series on common Direct Sourcing misconceptions, we debunk some time-related hiring myths. 

Myth 1 – Building a Direct Sourcing program is too time-consuming

Yes, creating a successful Direct Sourcing program takes a significant amount of time and effort, especially when you’re starting from scratch, but your company won’t be the one doing the heavy lifting. 

Unlike a VMS or MSP partnership, Direct Sourcing software implementations don’t require a large time commitment from your contingent workforce management team. Typically, your legal, marketing, and finance teams will work with us the most. 

When working with the right partner, building a Direct Sourcing program shouldn’t be a serious time investment. At TalentNet, we are able to stand up a program in less than 15 weeks, if needed. That’s because our team does the majority of the work for you. This includes securing company-wide alignment, providing best practice guidance, and assisting with finding the right Curation partner that will support your efforts.

Myth 2 – Maintaining a Direct Sourcing program is the customer’s responsibility 

This depends on the partner you choose. An effective partner will manage your program while collaborating with your team. This can look like one 30 minute meeting a week to approve all decisions, or even bi-monthly meetings, if needed. 

Once a program has been set up, companies end up saving a significant amount of time long-term. This is because Direct Sourcing platforms allow organizations to streamline the hiring process by:

While Direct Sourcing effectively streamlines your hiring strategy, it’s an ongoing process. 

Elements of the Direct Sourcing strategy that need consistent upkeep include:

  • Building strong talent communities and pools filled with qualified, engaged candidates. Once a position opens up, companies can reach into these communities to find a solid, vetted worker, which saves both time and money. 
  • Leveraging a company’s natural brand power. TalentNet’s platform allows curators to use social media and branded emails to build brand loyalty and act as part of your team. This enables companies to attract applicants who already have a level of loyalty to your company and understanding of your values, leading to higher retention rates. 
  • Using an intuitive platform powered by AI. TalentNet’s platform includes:
    • A job matching feature that automatically matches talent community registrants with jobs based on their qualifications, creating a 60 second application process.
    • Our Job Description Optimization feature, which helps curators quickly write clear, SEO-optimized job descriptions.
    • Our TalentNavigator tool, which acts as a hiring virtual partner and allows Curators to ask any candidate-related question and receive an instant short list. 

Myth 3: Once a program is set up, no more effort is needed

While Direct Sourcing effectively streamlines your hiring strategy, it’s an ongoing process. 

Elements of the Direct Sourcing strategy that need consistent upkeep include:

  • Talent mapping. This is a long-term hiring strategy that helps companies avoid costly, time-consuming emergency hiring practices. This includes mapping out your best candidates to the right roles, both currently and in the future, and changes as your company grows. 
  • Maintaining Talent Communities. Creating a community and filling it with vetted applicants isn’t enough. Curators should always be engaging with Talent Community members, ensuring candidates are willing to apply to open positions when needed. 
  • Curation analytics. Direct Sourcing decision-making should be based on the latest metrics. TalentNet’s TalentInsights tool allows companies to quickly download customized talent acquisition analytics such as application activity, time to hire and Talent Community registration.

To run a successful program, it’s important to regularly check in with your Talent Acquisition team. TalentNet’s experienced team conducts regular meetings with our clients to ensure each strategy is on track. This is especially important to keep up with market shifts and industry changes. 

A solid partnership: Working with a Direct Sourcing expert

While creating an effective Direct Sourcing strategy does take a significant time commitment, that commitment should be made by your partner, not just your staff. TalentNet’s intuitive platform, expert team, and streamlined process allows companies to reduce time to fill and increase efficiency in the hiring process. 

To learn how, request a demo here.