“Self-sourcing” is not simply a new name to describe the old informal practice of managers directly engaging known consultants, freelancers, IT experts, and other independent workers (what we call the “independent workforce”1). Self-sourcing is really a new model for direct sourcing of workers that is not only being driven by continuing business adoption of “flexible workforce” and skilled-talent supply constraints, but, perhaps more importantly is being enabled—made possible—by emerging, innovative technology solutions.
While it is becoming clearer that technology solutions can enable this promising new way to access and consume often untapped talent, it is a fact that standard, accepted self-sourcing technology solution models have not yet been established, and a range of different technology solution providers are going to market with different approaches to create self-sourcing technology solutions. Unsurprisingly, navigating this emerging and evolving set of approaches is far from straightforward.
This white paper has been developed to assist contingent workforce management (CWM) practitioners—and others— to sort out and understand this new, evolving and often confusing self-sourcing technology solution space.