Need More People to Get Your Category Moving Again? Here’s What to Do.

The contingent workforce has never been more important, and procurement teams need to know why. Learn about the state of outsourcing talent in today’s blog.

No matter which category you’re managing – from truck drivers and logistics in the UK, cyber security experts in Australia, or hospitality workers in the US – contingent labour will undoubtedly be on your mind. 

And why wouldn’t it be? The workforce has changed. The way we go to work has changed. And contingent hiring strategy has to evolve to meet the needs of a new world of work. We must explore new ways of engaging and supporting contingent talent to ensure organisations across the globe are ready to thrive in a post-pandemic world.

As large parts of the world come out of what we hope is our final round of lockdown, it’s beginning to feel like a new beginning. After nearly two years of disruption to every daily norm, it’s easy to see why people and businesses are wary about making future plans. But the hard truth is that change isn’t going anywhere, and though hopefully, the challenges of the pandemic will begin to fade, there will always be disruption to overcome.

When the pandemic hit, many organisations pressed pause on their hiring plans. And though we did see a flurry of contingent engagements after the first set of lockdowns, many businesses were reticent about making lasting changes in talent strategy or rethinking their workforce mix.

It’s time to rapidly rethink strategy by putting the spotlight back on the contingent workforce and the solutions that support it. Here’s how to approach it, and what you need to know now.

Flexibility has never been more important

Multiple lockdowns and differing restrictions in every state have shown organisations that they have to be ready for anything, at any time. Contingent talent gives leaders the flexibility to be agile and scale up and down quickly. 47% of the most successful organisations (Vanguards) surveyed in the recent KellyOCG Workforce Agility Report said they had employed more contingent workers than usual since the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, 91% of Vanguards globally planned to review the optimal mix of contingent vs permanent talent across all business areas.

Your contingent workforce is no longer simply a part of your talent mix – it’s increasingly essential to responding to the changes we live through. This means that your business must find easier and more efficient ways to access contingent talent while increasing visibility across the whole of their workforce to leverage flexible resources smartly. Talent management platforms and technology are an important part of the conversation when it comes to levelling up your contingent strategy, but it’s vital to find a technology and services provider that understands and complements your goals and can deliver support.

Contingent hiring solutions must become simpler

When you think about an external solution to enhance your contingent workforce and hiring strategy, an MSP (managed service provider) program is probably the first thing on your mind. But how simple is an MSP program to put in place? Do you need to get agreement from stakeholders across every part of an organisation before going to market through a complex RFP process? Will there be a complicated build, change management, and implementation process? How long will it take for us to realise the benefits? Will we still face the same challenges of yesterday, or will they now look completely different?

This is a frustrating situation for many HR and procurement leaders.  Around the world, leaders and service providers are exploring innovative ways to simplify access to great contingent talent and improve the tools that help organisations to manage this vital workforce. We have to accelerate contingent talent solutions to ensure we are future-ready.

Pandemic-induced growth

The pandemic hasn’t impacted all organisations across the world in the same way. While many have faced huge challenges, others have experienced explosive growth. Rapid growth is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming, and many businesses worry that they can’t add to their teams fast enough to meet rising demand.

For businesses that are moving at speed, contingent talent  inevitably provides the flexibility to scale fast and that’s an incredibly valuable resource. It’s important for all leaders who are overseeing rapid growth to get involved in their organisations approach to contingent talent and ensure the right processes in place to streamline and support the attraction of contingent talent.

Accessing great contingent talent isn’t always easy

You may have identified contingent talent as an area of your workforce that you want to grow, but what happens if you can’t find the right people? Travel restrictions have meant the talent market has stayed pretty static for nearly two years with no outside influx of new skills and experience. Throw in unprecedented levels of resignation (‘the great resignation’) and rising demand for contingent workers and it becomes much tougher to  attract the talent you need. The right technology, the right MSP provider, and the right suppliers are crucial in unlocking access to  contingent talent in  such a competitive marketplace.  

In 2022, you can’t simply sit around and wait for talent to come to you. You have to be proactive and innovative in how you attract and engage contingent workers.  But, as more people search  for more purpose and variety in their post-pandemic careers, contingent work becomes much more attractive for talented candidates.

Is your organisation ready? What’s your take on the future of contingent hiring in your region’s market? And are you changing your approach in a post-pandemic world? Share your thoughts in the comments below.