Four major processes
make up our sourcing effort. Each of these feeds
into the other. A sourcing engagement may involve
multiple iterations of the four processes. These
are:
Strategy: The sourcing
strategy is the most critical aspect of the sourcing
cycle. It is important to understand the need,
analyze it and negotiate expectations with the end
client. An open channel needs to be set in case
there is a need to renegotiate. Once a good
understanding and some indication of the feasibility
are determined an initial cut strategy or game plan
is put in place to determine how the sourcing effort
will proceed. The sourcing strategy is revised as
research and execution progresses depending on
success. It is critical to get sign off from the
client on this phase.
Research: An important
component. Research provides the direction and
details for the sourcing effort to progress. The
initial effort is to find out and understand the
company’s local ecosystem in the country where the
resources are needed. The initial deliverable is
passed on to the sourcer to start the sourcing
effort. The sourcer then provides feedback and input
into the research effort. What needs to be further
researched, what areas are not working, what other
areas need to be looked into. The research and
sourcing effort work in tandem.
Sourcing: The crux of
the cycle. Using guidelines from the sourcing
strategy and direction from the research effort the
sourcing effort gets rolling. The sourcer makes
progress and updates the researcher. The strategy is
also revised if needed.
Reach Out: The
execution phase where potential candidates are
reached. The sourcing effort pinpoints who needs to
be contacted and using what channel. The quality of
the response and the response rate are fed back into
the sourcing phase which then updates the research
phase. Reach out may be employed to maximize reach
out and generate a critical mass or be very focused
to communicate with a few select prospects.
The four phases have nine activities working to
assist them to do their roles. On the strategy side
these are the needs analysis. The research side
includes: company ecosystem research. Sourcing
includes: passive sourcing, business networking
sourcing, headhunting and referral networking. Reach
out includes: global job processing, candidate
pipelines, out reach campaigns.
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