The success of an organization heavily relies on the talent of its workforce. In today's fast-paced business environment, however, finding the right talent for your organization can be a daunting task.
This is particularly true for IT talent. To address these challenges, it’s critical to build an effective IT staffing strategy that allows your organization to source the right talent. The contingent workforce, for many businesses, is a crucial part of that strategy.
In fact, it is estimated that by 2050, 50 percent of the US workforce will be made up of contingent workers.
In this blog, we will look at everything your business needs to know about building a successful contingent workforce IT staffing strategy.
Types of IT Staffing
IT staffing can be classified into four types: permanent staffing, contract staffing, temp-to-perm staffing, and freelance staffing.
- Permanent staffing is the traditional form of IT staffing where employees are hired for a permanent role within the organization.
- Contract staffing is where employees are hired for a specified duration, usually for a specific project or a fixed term.
- Temp-to-perm staffing is a hybrid of permanent and contract staffing, where employees are initially hired on a contract basis but can be offered a permanent position based on their performance.
- Freelance staffing is where employees are hired on a project basis, usually for a specific skill or expertise.
Contract, temps and freelancers all fall under the category of contingent workers, and are typically hired through third-party staffing agencies (or sometimes through an in-house direct sourcing model) as part of a company’s contingent workforce program.
Working with IT staffing agencies can be beneficial for organizations that need help with their IT staffing needs. Staffing agencies can provide a pool of pre-screened candidates, reduce the time and cost of recruitment, and help with the onboarding process. When choosing an agency, it is important to consider factors such as their experience, industry expertise, and reputation.
The Benefits of Hiring Contingent Workers as Part of Your IT Staffing Strategy
A contingent workforce can offer several benefits for IT staffing, including:
✔️ Flexibility: A contingent workforce offers flexibility in terms of scaling up or down your workforce based on project demands. This can help your business save costs on recruitment and training.
✔️ Cost-effectiveness: Contingent workers can be more cost-effective than permanent employees, as organizations can save on benefits, taxes, and other overhead costs.
✔️ Access to specialized skills: A contingent workforce can provide access to specialized skills that may not be available in-house, or easy to find on the jobs market. This can help your business navigate the IT talent shortage, better project workforce demands and stay competitive.
✔️ Agility: A contingent workforce can help your organization adapt to changing market conditions and make rapid workforce changes.
✔️ Reduced risk: A contingent workforce can help reduce the risk associated with permanent hires, such as employee turnover and other hidden costs.
The Challenges of Managing a Contingent Workforce
IT staffing comes with its own set of challenges, such as talent shortage, high recruitment costs, time constraints, and employee retention. To address these challenges, organizations need to be proactive in their approach to IT staffing and successful companies make a contingent workforce program a critical part of their plan.
Yet managing a contingent workforce doesn’t come without its own challenges. In fact, managing a contingent workforce program is not easy. Companies must have standardized processes, centralized data and complete buy-in from hiring managers if they are to gain complete visibility and control over their contingent workforce program
Without program visibility and control, process inefficiencies and rogue spend will move into the program undetected making it difficult for the organization to save money, improve talent quality and
Best Practices to Successful IT Staffing Contingent Workforce Management
There are a wide range of benefits for your company’s IT strategy when you utilize contingent workers, but only when you have an effective contingent workforce management program in place. Here are some best practices for managing a contingent workforce
#1 - Use a Vendor Management System
Modern vendor management systems are designed to be easy to use and can seamlessly integrate with your organization's HR system. This allows your business to centralize contingent workforce data and standardize processes across all departments and locations, giving you the visibility and control you need to implement a successful contingent workforce program.
#2 - Define Who Manages the Program
Contingent workers are neither employees nor your typical procurement category. They fall somewhere between HR and procurement, and if you don’t define who manages them it can get confusing. The best option, if possible, is to have both HR and procurement manage contingent workers. Procurement can use their expertise of managing costs, while HR can ensure contingent workers are providing quality work that helps you meet your overall workforce objectives.
#3 - Evaluate the Performance of Your Staffing Agencies
IT staffing metrics and analytics can help organizations measure the effectiveness of their IT staffing process. Common metrics used in IT staffing include time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and candidate experience. Measuring these metrics can help organizations identify areas of improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize their IT staffing process. Predictive analytics in IT staffing can help organizations forecast future hiring needs and identify potential talent gaps.
Interested in learning more about how you can enhance your IT staffing strategy with an effective contingent workforce program?
Book a demo of Conexis VMS today, and learn how our vendor management system - built on the latest technology and designed with the user in mind - can help.
Interested in learning more about Vendor Management Solutions?
Whether you are looking for a new VMS Solution, or just getting started, we are here to help. See how easy Conexis is to use by taking a quick 2 minute Self-Guided Tour. Contact Us for a Free No-Obligation Consultation to discuss your workforce challenges (and get immediate actionable insights) or Book a Personal Demo Today!
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