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Digital | Catalyst
markets move and supply chains shift,
being able to flex-up labour through
non-permanent workers can be a
source of competitive advantage.
“We’re seeing an explosion in non-
traditional ways of working, and an
increase in use of contractors and
temps,” says Jones.
“Traditionally, however, permanent
talent acquisition sat with HR and
non-permanent with procurement,
and there was not enough dialogue
between the two.” Increasingly, he
explains, organisations are looking at
a more strategic workforce-planning
approach where it’s not about
the cost of labour but how people
(regardless of worker status) can add
value. They’re also applying a more
holistic approach to outsourcing
work. “We’re seeing the emergence
of agile, unbundled solutions – on/off
alexandermannsolutions.com
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“We’re seeing an explosion in
non-traditional ways of working”
services rather than being locked into
three-year deals. There’s a more agile,
project-based approach,” says Jones.
Technology platforms
Increasingly, businesses are looking
to technology platforms to help
them manage this complex network
of talent. Consulting business EY
has built its own direct-sourcing
platform, GigNow, where contractors
upload their CV and the platform
matches them with live projects that
match their skills. Its algorithm is
able to suggest similar matches and
there are various features that help
to keep workers engaged with what’s
going on at EY to encourage them to
return for future projects.
It has saved millions of pounds in
recruitment costs and created better
visibility of the talent available,
believes Carl Smith, global leader
for GigNow. But it’s not just about
more efficient workforce planning;
it means the company can be more
strategic in how it integrates its
contractor workforce with the rest of
its employees. Too many employers
view contractors in a transactional
way, he adds, that they fill a critical
need and then their work is over.
“It’s not just about the skills
we need, we spend as much time
looking at culture fit,” he adds. “I
look at contractors as part of my
workforce, so I’m as thoughtful about
bringing them on board as I am with
[permanent] employees. We onboard
them and assimilate them into the
context of what they’re doing – they
do better if they know why they’re
being asked to do a certain task.”
Increasingly, Smith argues, we’ll
see a ‘gig-type’ approach emerge
across organisations as a way of
broadening permanent employees’
exposure to new skills (for example,
by rotating assignments or through
an overseas secondment).
It’s clear that – as we enter the
fourth industrial revolution – there
is no single response to the question
of how organisations ensure they have
the right digital skills. The winners
won’t be the ones that can attract and
hire the biggest numbers, but the ones
that create true workforce dexterity,
ready to respond to the changing
landscape ahead.