This spring, I had the opportunity to join Team Lighthouse at ProcureCon Contingent Staffing in Austin, Texas! We had the chance to meet and learn from procurement leaders and solutions providers from across the industry, and definitely came back inspired by some of the conversations we had.
Across everyone we spoke with, there were a few common topics that kept coming up. Here are a few of the lessons we learned and brought back to our team.
Technology Continues to Move the Needle in Recruiting
There is no doubt that there will always be a need for a contingent workforce in the tech world. Technology helps businesses of all sizes recruit from more talent sources, reduce or eliminate manual processes, identify and engage top talent, and ensure compliance – all of which helps them hire faster. The technology solutions available to support businesses are numerous and growing faster every year. For procurement teams we talked to who are overseeing contingent staffing, the question becomes: how do we identify the tools we need and build a tech stack that works for us?
For example, one thing we hear clearly from technology hiring managers is that they do not want to comb through every resume. That initial assessment is time-consuming and often gets automated by technical solutions. It’s not always realistic to review every resume given time constraints to hire. But are there times where the technology is trusted with too much of the evaluation?
Finding that right combination of technology and personality was very important to procurement professionals at ProcureCon, people who are seeking efficiency and predictability. With that right combination of technology and human touch, you can effectively find highly qualified talent that also supports the culture of the team.
At Lighthouse, we combine the use of advanced recruiting technology and the personal touch of senior-level technical recruiting and sourcing to qualify candidates. That way, we can vet technology professionals on both their technical expertise and how they would fit our clients’ team.
Navigating the Procurement Landscape: VMS, MSP, and More
Between technology solutions and staffing partners, companies attending ProcureCon Contingent Staffing had no shortage of options to explore! Contingent staffing is a complex landscape and there are several ways organizations can approach building and management of that contingent workforce.
Most of the companies we spoke with utilized a vendor management system (VMS) to unify the work of all their contingent staffing partners into one cloud-based platform. Several of them also enlist a managed services provider (MSP) to oversee that vendor management process, or were considering that solution as a possibility.
Part of why I love working at Lighthouse is being able to approach VMS relationships having seen both sides, as a buyer of contingent staffing in past roles, and now as a supplier in my current job! It was great to have conversations with procurement leaders about their current approach to managing their contingent workforces and adding some outside perspective to support them.
Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives Through Contingent Staffing
Many conversations at ProcureCon focused on how contingent staffing providers can help ensure equitable hiring practices and support any of their ongoing DE&I initiatives. It comes back to finding a true partner, not just a recruiting solution.
Unconscious bias can impact both humans and technology solutions in the way they work to identify talent for contingent positions. Ensure your hiring practices are fair and impartial by challenging assumptions, must-haves, and requirements where a candidate for a job might not check all the boxes expected. Professionals who have a non-traditional background or unique experience that could be transferable in a certain role often get overlooked by hiring teams who don’t challenge their biases and by hiring processes that are dominated by technology or artificial intelligence.
By opening up to new conversations, new insights, and new talent pools, hiring teams can drive positive changes in their business.
Becoming a Partner of Choice
The theme of partnership has really been prevalent throughout all these conversations. Hiring the right talent at the right time really requires a strong relationship between hiring managers, procurement teams, and staffing providers!
Procurement will always be the driving force behind cost reduction and efficiency in any organization. A good technology staffing partner understands both the supplier and buyer perspective. They are able to serve as that partner to both the hiring manager and the procurement team by engaging in data-driven conversations surrounding talent costs and retention.
Want to learn more about how Lighthouse can support your contingent workforce as a partner of choice? We’re here to help! Learn more about how our technology staffing team helps you find the tech professionals you need, when you need them.
