We talk to Katie Bussey, Sr. about how Talent Fusion is revolutionizing talent acquisition through direct sourcing and the power of branded talent communities. Discover how engaging candidates and leveraging technology create a proactive talent pool, enhancing candidate experience and driving referrals. In this episode, we look at direct sourcing, talent acquisition, contingent workers, MSP, technology, remote work, and branded talent communities. Key Takeaways Direct sourcing leverages a company's brand to attract top talent, especially non-traditional contingent workers. The talent acquisition industry has evolved with advancements in technology and a shift towards remote work. Adopting new technology can be challenging due to complex tech stacks; companies work to optimize these stacks. Direct sourcing complements the traditional MSP model by providing additional talent access and enhancing talent strategies. Engagement and interaction within branded talent communities are crucial to keeping candidates interested and driving referrals. Talent Fusion partners with WorkLama to create fully branded communities, offering a personalized candidate experience and building loyalty programs for careers. Connect with Katie Bussey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-bussey-7959577/ Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network The Site | Substack | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | Facebook | TikTok Share your brand across the WRKdefined Podcast Network Chapters 00:00 Who is Katie Bussey? 03:02 Overview of Talent Fusion and Direct Sourcing 08:00 Explanation of Contingent and Gig Workers 10:48 Changes in the Talent Acquisition Industry 13:25 Impact of the Pandemic on Remote Work 15:01 Challenges in Adopting New Technology 17:38 The relationship between MSPs and VMSs 19:21 The power of branded talent communities 21:17 Engaging and retaining talent in communities 23:00 Building fully interactive branded talent communities 26:07 Seeding the community with the right talent 28:24 Using data to understand talent needs 31:24 Different levels of Talent Fusion's solution 33:30 The importance of talent acquisition's buy-in 37:12 The challenge of touching every candidate on the career page 40:07 The importance of engagement and interaction in talent communities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices