Welcome to the fourth and final entry in a four-part series designed to discuss the publication of Ardent Partners’ second annual State of Contingent Workforce Management research report. The new study, titled A Guidebook to Managing Non-Traditional Talent, was developed and written by Christopher J. Dwyer as the official “handbook” for those organizations seeking guidance and direction in building effective programs for managing all types of contingent labor. To download the new report, click here, here, here, or here.

In today’s fast-paced business world, many corporate functions are forced to focus on the years ahead just as much as their current endeavors. The contingent workforce industry, especially over the past few years, has dictated that enterprises build multi-faceted, intricate programs that can effectively manage the evolution of non-traditional, non-employee talent. From a mere focus on staffing suppliers, to a shift that drew more attention to complex contingent labor (such as SOW / services), to now an amalgamation of many contract talent types, the CWM industry has been in a constant state of evolution.

The State of Contingent Workforce Management research study, now in its second year, was designed to not only assist organizations in enhancing their CWM programs in the short-term, but also to prepare themselves for the times ahead. Over the next few years, the contingent workforce management space will experience interesting shifts, including:

• A better understanding of total workforce optimization / total talent management. The notion of total workforce optimization (also known as total talent management) is a sticking point for most enterprises. For some, the concept of a centralized, standardized set of processes for managing both traditional and non-traditional talent seems to be either too difficult an approach or one that will divide internal stakeholders on its true value. However, in the years ahead, more and more companies will understand that a total talent picture, in which all available resources, regardless of source, can be applied to critical projects and initiatives, is a benefit that cannot be avoided.
• A “revolution of talent.” The role of talent within the modern enterprise cannot be understated, as found by the State of the Contingent Workforce Management report. Tomorrow’s talent is much more varied than the talent of yesterday, and enterprises will continue to be faced with an exciting array of options from which to source talent and skillsets, such as the expansion of online labor marketplaces / networks, business networks, and human cloud approaches.
• Automation and outside solutions become even more critical in the management of non-traditional talent. The new State of Contingent Workforce Management research report deep-dives into the roles of Vendor Management System solutions, Managed Service Providers, Independent Contractor Engagement Specialists and Recruitment Process Outsourcing, as well as mobile applications, talent acquisition software and services procurement. These platforms and solutions will continue to centralize spending on contract talent, provide a gateway for deep CWM intelligence and allow enterprises to strategize their talent-sourcing approaches.

The contingent workforce industry certainly has an interesting future ahead. As more and more enterprises continue to rely on non-traditional talent and integrate these workers into their global workforce strategies, those tasked with managing this category (from cost, quality and effectiveness perspectives) will have to shift to newer, more evolutionary approaches and solutions (such as total workforce optimization) to support future CWM growth. While there is no true “crystal ball” in the business world, it doesn’t hurt to leverage the facts and insights of today to paint a possible picture of tomorrow.

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Tagged in: Ardent Partners Research, Christopher Dwyer, Complex Categories, Contingent Workforce, People, Process, Strategy, Technology