Best Practices for Partnering with an Embedded Talent Provider

This week, we’re giving you a list of handy tips and tricks for working with an embedded talent provider. Read on to learn more!

What is an embedded talent provider? ??

We covered this in our last newsletter but in case you missed it, here’s a quick rundown:

An embedded talent provider is the middle ground between an in-house recruitment team and outsourcing to an agency. For a fixed monthly fee, an embedded talent provider will work closely with your organisation to fill vacancies, build your employer brand, and contribute to your long-term vision.

Typically cheaper, quicker to deploy, and more flexible than traditional recruitment options, embedded talent providers provide a high-quality, on-demand service that gives you the best of both worlds.

So, if you think an embedded talent provider might be for you, what are some of the best practices that you should follow when looking to partner up?

1) Do your research

This might seem like a no-brainer but we thought it was worth including anyway! There are scores of fantastic talent providers out there — but there are also plenty of not-so-fantastic ones too.

Make sure you shop around, read reviews, and talk to others who have worked with embedded talent providers. Measure twice, cut once and all that.

The other thing to bear in mind is that not all talent providers will be operating in the same niche. If you're a SaaS business, for example, you would want a talent provider who can demonstrate competence in your industry and skill set(s).

Note: Finding the right 'fit' is just as important as finding a provider who has years of experience and good reviews to their name.

Which moves us right along to our second tip…

2) Consider culture fit

“Culture fit” is a bit of a jargon-y term but it does have its uses. Since an embedded talent provider will be just that, embedded, it’s important that they not only know your industry but that they also fit in with your company culture and values.

You need to find someone who understands where you’re coming from, what your goals are, and is aligned on how you can reach them together.

You might find someone with years of experience in your niche but if they don’t gel with your culture they might bring you the wrong types of candidates or try to take your business in directions that don’t feel right.

Again, finding the?right?talent provider is just as important as finding a good talent provider.

3) Think about onboarding

One of the big bonuses of working with an embedded talent provider over hiring in-house is that you don’t need to run through a full onboarding process with them. This makes getting started with a talent provider both quicker and easier than hiring new staff.

However, your new talent provider will need some form of onboarding. They’ll need details about your company, what you’re looking for, the kinds of clients you’d like to find, your long-term goals and vision, etc.

Consider preparing some materials before you hire an embedded talent provider that answer any and all questions that they might have.

If you have this in place before you hire a new talent provider, you can get them working with you as soon as possible and hopefully make the new arrangement as seamless as possible from day one.

4) Define your needs in advance

This links into the previous point but it’s a good idea to have a firm grasp on exactly what you’re looking for in an embedded talent provider before you start looking for one.

In the first case, knowing exactly what you want will help you to find the right provider for you and your hiring goals. In the second case, if you know what you want, you are in a far better position to communicate that to your new embedded partner. This will help them to get up and running nice and quickly and hopefully start making an impact right from the start.

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It’s important to note here that one of the biggest benefits of working with an embedded talent provider is that it is a partnership — you can work together to define your vision and take your company forward. But having a solid handle on what you’re looking for in advance will help this process no end.?

It’s crucial you treat your new partner as if they were a normal hire — they are going to be working in-house with you and representing your brand in the talent market. Their results are your results, so get them set up for success as best you can!