How to find contractors through direct sourcing

Direct sourcing in contingent workforce management

Wondering how to source quality contractors at scale to meet demand??

In today’s talent landscape, this question is more important than ever. With skill shortages affecting industries globally, organisations are increasingly exploring non-traditional talent channels, including contingent direct sourcing, to remain competitive.

We’re seeing a growing reliance on the contingent workforce—freelancers, contractors, and gig workers—who offer specialist expertise, lower overheads, and operational agility. These professionals enable businesses to respond swiftly to changing market demands and scale operations without long-term commitments.

Recognising the strategic value of direct sourcing, Pontoon continues to expand its offerings to help clients build high-quality contractor pipelines. Our approach not only improves access to in demand talent but also enhances speed-to-hire, reduces costs, and strengthens hiring manager satisfaction through deeper requisition insights and tailored candidate engagement.

Accessing contractors through multichannel sourcing

Pontoon’s team partners with clients to transform their hiring strategies, which are often siloed into traditional permanent versus temporary recruitment. We help organisations recognise that direct sourcing can be successfully applied to contractor hiring, and we support the operational shift required to make it work.

A robust contingent sourcing solution can be powered by multiple worker engagement channels—not only newly sourced talent, but also alumni, silver medallists, referrals, and redeployed workers. At Pontoon, we leverage all of these routes, selecting the channels best suited to deliver high-quality candidates. For example, we continuously source new contingent workers for our energy client in the US, delivering annual savings of nearly $1M. Our efforts also improved the submit-to-offer conversion rate significantly—15% of directly sourced candidates received offers, compared to 8% from agencies.

These non traditional channels are rich with potential. These pools include individuals who have previously worked with the client, such as former employees, consultants, interns, and retirees. When rehired, they can be onboarded more quickly and often demonstrate higher retention statistics. Based on positive past experiences, these candidates are genuinely motivated to return. For one client, we observed a year-on-year increase of three months in average worker tenure, underscoring the long-term value of engaging known talent.

Tapping known talent pools for access to underutilised talent

Deloitte reported that 55% of workers are likely to switch their employment status at some stage throughout their careers, fluidly moving between permanent roles, contract opportunities, and gig work. To future-proof your workforce, Pontoon builds talent communities of proactively vetted, known candidates who have already expressed interest in working and can be engaged as soon as a contingent role becomes available. These communities also include referrals from key stakeholders, such as hiring managers and current employees.

Alumni redeployment is another valuable strategy, especially as talent mobility may offer a solution to ongoing workforce shortages. Returning workers are an attractive option—they bring fresh perspectives while already being familiar with the organisation’s culture and processes. For one of our financial services clients, we designed a returning worker programme that significantly accelerated speed-to-hire. The solution enabled faster onboarding, immediate productivity, and tangible results. On average, professional contractors returning through our scheme saved over $17K annually.

Given the variety of sourcing channels available, the key is to create seamless workflows that allow direct sourcing to complement MSP delivery effectively. At Pontoon, experience guides us to follow a structured process to ensure our teams operate in unison, delivering the best possible outcomes for hiring managers.

Foundations for a flourishing contingent direct sourcing strategy

The first key step in our approach is to engage in meaningful conversations with clients about where and how the contingent direct sourcing component can add value to their organisation. The benefits extend well beyond cost savings, encompassing the ability to close talent gaps, broaden access to readily available quality talent, support redeployment, improve retention, and more.

Client buy-in is essential to drive adoption. A critical element requiring client support is the translation of the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) into a Contingent Value Proposition (CVP), as we leverage our clients’ brands to attract contingent workers and build talent communities. Another vital factor is access to data on known workers or silver medalists from other areas of the business.

Achieving successful outcomes depends on securing the support and cooperation of all stakeholders. Executive sponsorship is particularly important to ensure programme success. Understanding organisational gaps is key to identifying best practices and establishing the most efficient processes.

Direct sourcing delivers the greatest value when focused on repeatable skill sets or targeted geographies. The key is to work in close partnership with the client. By analysing the workforce, we can identify areas where deploying our sourcing team—rather than relying solely on the supply chain—saves both time and money.

Industry leading sourcing professionals are essential to an effective direct sourcing function. At Pontoon, our experts are strategically located across our Centers of Excellence, enabling us to accelerate sourcing and provide a competitive advantage in any location at scale.

Final thoughts

The benefits of a successful contingent direct sourcing programme are extensive.

Each sourcing channel offers distinct advantages, yet all contribute to improvements in speed-to-hire, cost savings, expanded talent pools, and enhanced candidate retention. Although some parts of the industry still approach contingent direct sourcing with caution, the truth is that it can no longer be overlooked—it provides effective solutions to some of today’s most pressing talent challenges.

If you're wondering how to source high-quality contractors, we’re here to help. Let Pontoon support you in defining the most effective direct sourcing strategy for your organisation.