Managing a Blended Contingent Workforce

Managing such a diverse workforce can present new challenges, but with the right strategies in place, it can lead to enhanced flexibility, agility, and improved cost-effectiveness.  

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, managed service provider (MSP) solutions ensure that organisations are ready to tackle this challenge, remain relevant and gain a competitive advantage in the market. To do this, organisations are increasingly relying on a blended contingent workforce to meet their operational needs as it brings together contingent workers, including temporary, freelancers, contractors, and consultants.

Why would you consider employing a blended contingent workforce? 

Compliance

One of the biggest drivers for organisations to employ the services of an expert MSP provider is to ensure they do not fall foul of the new and existing employment laws and regulations. Globally recognised brands have been fined huge sums of money for breaking employment laws, and these fines could have been easily avoided had they have had the support of a company such as Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group, who have extensive experience and expertise in employment law and other contemporary employment issues. 

Agility

Access to a contingent workforce gives a business the flexibility to scale up, or down, depending on the resources required to respond to business demands.

Examples include companies dialling up their workforce in response to periods of increased demand, or ahead of a significant new product launch that may see an increased programme of activity but will not require permanent full-time employees to manage. 

Specialised skills and innovation

Contingent workforces are not just about volume and capacity challenges. Hiring contingent workers with niche expertise can help to address specific project requirements and expand the scope of what is delivered to clients from both a creative and technical standpoint.

Introducing fresh eyes and alternative perspectives into project teams can help to drive creativity, innovation and new ways of working that may not have previously been considered.

Optimise costs

Depending on the scale and scope of your projects, it can sometimes be more cost-effective to contract tasks to contingent workers rather than adding permanent staff. This is due to the overhead costs being far lower without having to account for sick pay, holiday allowances, employee benefits and learning and development (L&D) training that is necessary for full-time staff.

What does an organisation need to do to get the best value from a blended contingent workforce? 

• Foster a culture of inclusivity and respect, treating all workers equally and valuing their contributions. 
• Regularly communicate organisational updates and milestones to keep the workforce engaged and informed. 
• Encourage feedback and open dialogue to address any concerns or challenges the contingent workforce faces. 
• Establish performance metrics and evaluation criteria that align with project goals and organisational objectives. 
• Recognise and reward exceptional performance, regardless of employment status, to reinforce a culture of excellence and inclusivity. 

Working with an MSP (Managed Service Provider) 

An MSP can support your organisational strategy in many ways to ensure that the recruitment of a contingent workforce is conducted and managed smoothly and does not distract from the focus of an organisation’s core objectives. This goes far beyond simply recruiting and will involve setting expectations, helping to clearly outline job responsibilities, project deliverables and performance expectations for contingent workers.  

Facilitating seamless integration is another key consideration that requires an effective onboarding process to provide the necessary information, resources and tools and effective communication channels. Expectations also need to be established and monitored through the implementation of performance metrics and evaluation criteria, project goals and organisational objectives. 

The ability to manage a diverse workforce in such an environment is hugely challenging, but with the right MSP strategy in place, it can deliver enhanced flexibility, agility, and improved cost-effectiveness – vital at a time of rampant cost inflation.

Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group is recognised across industries for its ability to keep pace with the shifting talent market. Its 360-degree Talent Solutions framework optimises bespoke talent solutions for clients whose needs might include: 

• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) - Streamlined, cost-effective talent acquisition through the partial or complete transfer of the recruitment processes to Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group.
• Managed Service Provider (MSP) – Cost-optimisation, enhanced management and compliance of the contingent workforce and supplier relationships.

Working with Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group helps organisations to navigate the complex contingent workforce landscape, with a view to minimising risks, optimising costs, and thus creating competitive advantage.