Our vendor management experts were ecstatic to be back at ProcureCon for the second year in a row. ProcureCon Contingent Staffing, held last month, remains a key event for the contingent staffing industry. It’s an event where leaders in talent acquisition, contingent workforce sourcing, and procurement meet to learn and develop successful contingent management strategies.
During our time at the event, we had a chance to meet with clients and partners to discuss what’s just around the corner for contingent work. It was an excellent opportunity to stay up to date with industry trends and be at the forefront of the contingent labor management space.
Many topics and insights were discussed during our days at the conference, but here are our three main takeaways:
1) We Must Make the Most Out of Face-to-Face Networking Opportunities
While virtual communication has become more common in recent years, there’s still no substitute for meeting in person and having those valuable, in-depth conversations.
One of the biggest benefits of attending ProcureCon was the opportunity to network with partners and clients face-to-face. We find that these interactions often lead to more creative brainstorming and deeper discussions about business needs. While we still do business reviews and client visits, these in-person interactions are becoming less common, making them even more valuable. There’s just something about walking the halls of an event filled with like-minded people discussing what’s coming in the industry—these are opportunities that cannot be replicated virtually.
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2) Organizations Must Be Open to Adopting New Sourcing Strategies
One topic that’s certainly receiving greater attention than ever is direct sourcing. Rather than relying on staffing companies, companies are looking for ways to represent themselves. Direct sourcing allows clients to have more control over the recruiting process and helps them to better fulfill their needs with the right talent. The impact of direct sourcing is evident when looking at how technology is changing to accommodate such a strategy, with more and more solutions adding functionality that facilitates the process.
The term curation often came up when discussing direct sourcing, with some referring to it as the new method of recruiting. The difference between a recruiter and a curator is that recruiters primarily focus on finding talent outside the organization, while curators look primarily at the organization’s own talent pool of external candidates seeking gig work. Curators carefully manage a repository of directly sourced candidates, which brings benefits such as shorter time-to-fill and reduced costs.
MORE ON DIRECT SOURCING | ‘Direct Sourcing: A Cost-Saving Strategy to Improve Finances in a Contingent Workforce Program’
3) Organizations Are Increasingly Reliant on Integration Between Their Technologies
More industries are starting to adopt contingent talent into their strategies. This necessitates technology that can integrate with other applications, creating more highly personalized solutions. Scheduling applications are one example.
Scheduling applications were a hot topic during the event. The technology is becoming more popular, especially in the healthcare industry, as it gives healthcare organizations more control and greater efficiency when working with travel nurses or contingent talent. Attendees showed interest in understanding how management software like a Vendor Management System (VMS) can integrate with scheduling solutions. Organizations are primarily interested in the possibility of building a seamless solution that combines multiple technologies.
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What’s Next
Overall, our experience at ProcureCon was positive and productive. Events like ProcureCon inspire us to continue innovating and evolving our solutions. We were able to connect with key contacts and validate our product roadmap. We’re excited to continue building partnerships and exploring new opportunities to contribute to the industry.
Missed us at ProcureCon 2023? Contact us to learn how VectorVMS can help support your contingent workforce program.
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Meet the Expert
Kevin Moldestad – VMS Global Sales Director
Over the last 20 years, Kevin has been a senior executive at a number of industry-leading management companies focused on the non-employee workforce. As VMS Global Sales Director at VectorVMS, Kevin provides best practice management strategies and leverages data to meet operational goals for continued success. Kevin has also been a speaker at national staffing industry conferences and is active at local and regional networking events. He is considered a subject matter expert in non-employee workforce management. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
