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What is direct sourcing?

Shannon SeeryOctober 17, 2019AwarenessRecruitment Campaigns

Symphony Talent Blog - Direct SourcingYou may have heard the term "direct sourcing" but find yourself unsure of what exactly it means. On the surface, it's pretty straightforward direct sourcing is when companies search for and recruit their own talent rather than enlist third-party headhunters. Successfully recruiting and hiring top talent is integral to an organization's success. After all, securing quality hires directly impacts revenue, as well as a company's future direction.

How you source talent is critical especially in an era of low unemployment, when there's stiff competition for talent. When done strategically, directly sourcing candidates can help you hire and retain long-term employees.

The quest for talent


Regardless of economic conditions, companies need workers and not just any workers. They need talent that will boost the bottom line, become employee advocates and refer future talent. Gone are the days of placing job ads and waiting for resumes to roll in.
Today, near-endless channels from job boards to career websites and social media platforms exist, each one requiring a different set of strategies. There's a common thread, though: in order to make your efforts stick, you need an omnichannel approach that reinforces your employer brand and expresses your employer value proposition in a compelling, consistent way.

Whether it's because of budget concerns or a desire to handle quality control in house, many organizations have turned to direct sourcing in combination, or in lieu of, traditional staff vendors to recruit temporary and direct-hire talent.

It makes sense if you think about it. An outside agency may not deliver a seamless candidate experience, adequately express your work culture or impactfully reinforce your employer brand. The result can be sourced candidates who don't quite fit your organization's culture or adequately amplify your brand. In both cases, the wrong choice will catch up with you in the end.

The power of direct sourcing


By taking ownership over the candidate journey, you have the ability to reinforce your employer brand. You also have greater control over the candidates you engage, attract and ultimately hire. That's important since candidates are increasingly turning only to companies they feel are aligned with their aspirations, values and career goals. Direct sourcing coupled with a sound AI, machine learning and analytics-powered talent acquisition strategy lends flexibility, control and the kind of one-on-one interaction today's top talent expects.

But there are other potential benefits to direct sourcing, including:

  • A reduction in recruiting time
  • Lower cost to hire
  • Increased efficiency
  • Bolstered retention and loyalty
  • Decreased risk in hiring

Direct sourcing doesn't mean DIY


Unfortunately, many organizations avoid direct sourcing, thinking it's too much work. In truth, you don't need to create your own processes, systems and platforms proven talent acquisition and recruitment marketing technology already exists. What's more, it can automate key processes, enlist analytics, and provide data that helps you make informed business decisions. In the event you need to pivot your approach, that same technology can promote your employer brand as you see fit and ensure you're delivering a seamless user experience for candidates across all touchpoints.

And the best solutions? They can do all of the above using one dashboard for a single source of truth. That leaves your organization to the real task at hand: "direct" interactions with candidates specifically ones that close the deal.

The tools you need to grow and retain top talent

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