As we round up the year that was 2021, we’re seeing what workforce success really looks like. And there’s a heavy leaning towards contingent workers.
In times of economic uncertainty – which COVID has guaranteed over the past two years – the need for corporate agility and market responsiveness is more acute than ever. At every point of the supply chain, in almost every industry, contingent workers are contributing to better commercial outcomes. And they’re cementing competitive advantage for those companies best able to leverage their strategic value.
Today I’m going to cover how you can achieve the same workforce success via your current and future contingent talent.
Rethink Your Recruitment Strategy
Are you operating your recruitment strategy with a robust Employer Value Proposition (EVP)?
NOTE: you can’t answer ‘yes’ to this question, if it excludes contingent workers.
Hiring permanent talent and contingent talent, requires the unique messaging and insight derived from your EVP. Being able to attract and hire the right talent, is a key success measure of the EVP. And it doesn’t discriminate by tenure.
Sure, there will be some attraction factors that better suit permanent vs non-permanent workers. And this can be explored in your messaging. But to build real workforce success in your hiring processes, you must include contingent workers in your EVP deployment.
(You can even go a step further, and develop your CVP (Contractor Value Proposition) – particularly if contingent talent are a key component of your long-term workforce strategy.)
Workforce Success in 2022: Pivot
Yep, we said it. ‘Pivot’. No doubt the ‘buzz’ word of recent times, never more has this concept been more relevant, than for the corporate workforce strategy of today.
Shifting your business model to one that is agile and responsive, and subsequently realigning your people strategy, is becoming critically important. Why? Because the talent market is demanding it.
More and more workers are opting to work contingent than permanent. This shift is a huge opportunity for you to boost productivity and efficiency of operations. And workforce success.
Gartner analysis shows that organizations will continue to expand their use of contingent workers to maintain more flexibility in workforce management post-COVID-19, and will consider introducing other job models they have seen during the pandemic, such as talent sharing and 80% pay for 80% work.
Benefits for Contingent Workers: Up Your Game
Contingent workers, like your employees, are hugely driven by benefits. And not only of the monetary kind. So, taking a common-sense approach and extending – where compliant – your employee and EVP benefits to contingent workers is a valuable best first step.
You may think these workers aren’t going to be in the business long enough to value the advantages offered to employees. But you’re wrong.
In our experience working with clients across the globe, we’ve learned that benefits (outside of pay rates) greatly valued by contingent workers, include:
- Flexible working conditions: both on-site and WFH options as well as the ability to self-structure the working week, pending the nature of the work or contract
- Health and wellness initiatives: consider options such as mental health services; assistance with gym memberships; vouchers for remedial massage; including contingent talent in your dedicated wellness program; healthcare in the US is becoming a common value-add for contingent workers
- Workforce mobility: offering options for redeployment in your company once the contingent talent’s contract is finalised
- Family Friendly policies: a ‘family first’ culture is a huge attraction factor for permanent and contingent talent: flexibility and understanding will make your EVP more attractive than your talent competitors
- Career development: competitive pay rates are the initial benefits, attracting contingent talent to your business. Skills development and providing opportunities to progress in seniority are great motivators for contingent workers.
The workforce success you achieve in 2022 is going to be heavily linked to your ability to integrate contingent workers into your business. Nonstandard work models, including greater flexibility and tenure-limited workers are one of many impacts from the pandemic. And one that you can use to your advantage.
If you’d like to discuss attracting contingent workers to your business, you can reach me here.
