Addressing Unconscious Bias in Your Direct Sourcing Program

A total talent strategy focused on workforce optimization is designed to include a specific percentage of independent professionals with high-value skills. Success relies on creating a direct sourcing program that curates an independent talent pool of vetted workers. Hiring managers can tap this pool to fill project and team roles with proven workers who have in-demand skills. The business benefits of the direct sourcing program range from cost savings to competitive advantage.

The business benefits of a direct sourcing program, however, can be hampered or negated by unconscious bias. Leaders, hiring managers, and team members may have preconceived notions about independent contractors—and be completely unaware that they have such notions. Unconscious bias can prompt decisions about roles and projects that undercut the advantages of an optimized workforce.

Examples of Unconscious Bias that May Impact Your Direct Sourcing Program

The challenge of unconscious bias is that the assumptions aren’t apparent, even to the person making them. Leaders, managers, and employees can voice strong support of your direct sourcing program without knowing that they have perspectives that could keep the program from maximizing results.

Examples of such assumptions about independent talent include:

• They are transitory and only work project to project
• They cannot be included in long-term strategies
• They should only be given support or secondary roles on the team

Assumptions like these can lead to independents being unintentionally treated like temporary team members or excluded from some meetings and social activities. Despite working under NDAs, they may not be “read in” to sensitive information that would help them produce results. Or their assigned roles may not take the best advantage of their skills.

How to Counter Unconscious Bias in Your Direct Sourcing Program

While you won’t be able to eliminate unconscious bias in your direct sourcing program, you can prepare for it.  Doing so can help you make significant progress toward establishing an optimized workforce. Here are three ways to counter the effects of unconscious bias:

Identify possibilities

In the course of creating your direct sourcing program, make note of potential unconscious bias that may exist.

Educate and train

Include training about unconscious bias in the education initiatives for your direct sourcing program.

Make it okay to call out unconscious bias

Teach managers how to identify unexamined assumptions in themselves and others and how to call it out appropriately.

Implementing your direct sourcing program may trigger unconscious biases that haven’t surfaced before. Preparing for this as an element of the program rollout will help hiring managers examine their assumptions, make corrections if needed, and participate fully in creating your optimized workforce.