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Christopher J. Dwyer

The Future of Work is More Than Flexibility

Business LeadershipTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

For the past eighteen months, we’ve heard one refrain more than most: “The Future of Work is flexibility.” While the underlying and foundational elements of the so-called “next normal” are indeed rooted in flexibility, we’re overlooking so much when limiting the Future of Work movement to a rise in agile and flexible talent, agile and flexible processes, and an agile and flexible business culture.

Let’s forget for a moment that the very concept of “remote work” has dominated nearly every business discussion over the past year-and-a-half; while Future of Work Exchange research finds that nearly 41% of workers are now operating in a remote or hybrid model (compared with 23% during pre-pandemic times), these conversations don’t change the fact that, moving forward, this will become (if it isn’t already) a standard way of working.

The deeper discussions around and within the Future of Work revolve around innovation, not just flexibility or agility. Flexibility itself is just one strategy to apply to how work gets done; innovation, on the other hand, is how work is optimized. The Future of Work revolves around the many slivers of innovation that help businesses: 1) tap into the skills they need in an on-demand fashion, 2) harness the power of new and emerging technology platforms, 3) transform the very way they think about business leadership and business development, and, 4) reimagine the very ways the workforce contributes to and addresses how work is done.

As such, the following outlets of innovation are truly what will drive the Future of Work into 2022 and beyond:

  • The “talent experience” is ushering in a new era of the modern-day worker and its ultimate impact on business. The main reason that we’re still facing “The Great Resignation”? It’s not just compensation (although that will always a focus for the workforce). Workers now demand several attributes for their next gig, including a positive workplace, an inclusive culture, clear career paths, chances to reskill and/or upskill, and potential leadership opportunities. This “Age of the Worker” is founded on employee engagement, the talent experience (which encompasses both FTEs and non-employees), personal alignment with a potential company’s brand, and the proper work-life balance.
  • The complete transformation of business leadership. The most unheralded aspect of the Future of Work has always been how business executives have been slowly reimagining the ways they manage their people, processes, and technology. The “process” and “technology” pieces are in a consistent state of flux; enterprise executives are continuing to pontificate the relationship between the two and how next-generation automation (particularly artificial intelligence, bots, RPA, etc.) can reboot the tactical and transaction-based facets of the greater businesses. The greatest evolution, however, has been happening over the past year-plus: integrating empathy and wellbeing into core leadership values and strategies. Empathy, as stated here on FOWX previously, is the only way forward for today’s business leaders.
  • Reimagining the expansive role of the total workforce. Flexibility is often rooted within the “extended workforce,” which is another phrase for defining the growing impact of agile talent and contingent labor. However, it’s the power driven by the total workforce and the management structures behind this that will spark the next great work optimization strategies. Businesses require total talent intelligence that will give hiring managers and other executives the necessary viewpoints into 1) current skills across the organization, 2) how these skills are linked to critical projects and initiatives, 3) how the organization leverages predictive workforce analytics to forecasting future skills gaps, and, 4) how other business units (particularly product development, sales, IT, etc.) should comprise the makeup of skills within their unique teams.
  • Business imperatives reflecting the fluidity of societal, economic, and labor market trends. Make no mistake: the contemporary enterprise must be laser-focused on driving better and desirable business outcomes. However, the line between “business” and “human” continues to blur, its ramifications cascading into the very fabric of organizational operations. Business leaders must be in tune with the societal focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion by baking it into talent engagement, talent management, and workforce planning. Economic factors should be included in workforce and financial forecasting. And, labor market trends should be a guiding light towards how businesses should engage new candidates and how they reimagine traditional means of workforce management. The Future of Work dictates that businesses take into account both internal and external forces in how they ultimately get work done.

Make no mistake about it: the Future of Work and flexibility will be forever linked, especially as we crawl our way out of the most uncertain period of both our personal and professional lives. However, when we get to the very core of the Future of Work movement, innovation must be its nexus for businesses to truly optimize how work is done.

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Unlimited to the Core: PRO Unlimited Bolsters Direct Sourcing Technology With WillHire Acquisition

Direct SourcingSolution ProvidersTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Just a few years ago, many business leaders were aware of the benefits of direct sourcing but had not yet fully embraced its value. In 2019, direct sourcing as an extension of non-employee workforce management caught steam when enterprises realized that they could drive both hard and soft benefits through direct relationships with known and vetted candidates; by bringing these workers into curated pools and internal talent communities, enterprises had a cost-effective and on-demand way of injecting new, top-tier talent into their projects and initiatives.

Going into 2020, direct sourcing and talent pools were, respectively, the top two priorities for businesses entering a new decade. Although the early months of the pandemic may have put a damper on many talent acquisition and contingent workforce program initiatives, the truth is that direct sourcing (and its many unique attributes) emerged as an ideal means of both keeping top-tier candidates engaged and positioning the greater organization with workforce agility. And today, direct sourcing has become one of the preeminent means of driving higher talent quality and supporting true workforce scalability. Nearly 55% of businesses across the globe, according to Future of Work Exchange research, have a proper direct sourcing initiative in place today (compared to only half this figure just two years ago).

MSP and VMS provider PRO Unlimited has long demonstrated its direct sourcing efficacy, with its DirectSource PRO offering one of the market’s strongest solutions for direct sourcing. While the provider’s end-to-end power is industry-leading, achieving the “platform” vision that CEO Kevin Akeroyd laid out last year would not be possible without both organic growth and aggressive market activity to bolster the solution’s already-impressive range of innovative functionality.

“Direct sourcing is no longer a “hype cycle” topic, it is a mission-critical priority for enterprises and one that is finally being invested heavily in and adopted. The historical problem has been the utter fragmentation and immaturity of solutions,” said Kevin Akeroyd, CEO of PRO Unlimited. “Large global brands have needed MSP services, curation Services, direct sourcing SaaS, VMS SaaS, analytics SaaS, market rate data, and payroll just to get off the ground. So, they’ve gone out and hired seven small vendors that each do their own little piece, and that large brand spends the next several years doing nothing but managing people/process/systems integration and vendor management instead of driving business outcomes, winning the war for talent, and driving hundreds of millions of savings out of their organizations every year. DirectSource PRO has solved that; it’s the one holistic platform that does everything, at scale, globally, and provides that single platform and system of record for direct sourcing…Hence the adoption of over 40 Fortune 1000 clients adopting it just in the last five months (with that number expected to be over 80 by the end of the year).”

Yesterday, PRO Unlimited announced that it had acquired WillHire, one of the industry’s leading direct sourcing technology offerings. The acquisition allows PRO to reinforce the strength of its DirectSource PRO solution and tap into additional functionality; this acquisition also enables PRO to leverage WillHire’s comprehensive end-to-end campaign management technology for recruitment marketing, as well as its “marketing automation-like” self-scheduling and communication with talent. Other highlights of this acquisition include:

  • PRO Unlimited, WillHire, and Eightfold are a winning trifecta for direct sourcing. PRO’s direct sourcing technology was already a leading solution due its innovative stack and partnership with Eightfold. The addition of WillHire not only bolsters the total power of the DirectSource PRO offering from a pure functionality perspective, but also complements the DE&I and candidate assessment data that is funneled through the Eightfold partnership.
  • WillHire brings an added layer of repeatable “Direct Sourcing 2.0” technology to PRO’s existing functionality. One of WillHire’s core strengths (as written about in Ardent’s 2021 Digital Staffing Platforms Technology Advisor) is its ability to enable “Direct Sourcing 2.0” capabilities, such as recruitment marketing, automated referral management, and deeper candidate matching algorithms. This acquisition will surely increase the overall power and impact of Direct Source PRO.
  • WillHire’s relationships and integrations with major job boards and career sites will deepen the overall talent reach of DirectSource PRO. The very crux of direct sourcing is building a repository of known, vetted, and top-shelf talent; WillHire’s existing integrations with leading industry job boards translates into a more robust swath of high-quality candidates. This will fortify DirectSource PRO’s talent engagement reach.

“Adding WillHire enables us to add large-scale digital talent board/network/FMS integrations, deeper AI/MBL matching, candidate/worker recruitment marketing and ongoing engagement, and skills assessment to the platform,” Akeroyd added. “And, as importantly, it is robust across ALL job types – including shift workers, light industrial, not just white collar, so it allows us to enable direct sourcing for an enterprise’s ENTIRE contingent worker population.”

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Key Providers for 2021: GRI

Solution Providers by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

The Managed Service Provider (MSP) model has long been a powerful solution in the workforce management industry, its longevity owed to decades of success in transforming how companies think about their talent, how they structure contingent workforce management (CWM) initiatives, and how they ultimately drive value from their extended workforce.

Today’s MSP offerings have evolved mightily in recent years to provide their clients with a slew of services designed to facilitate end-to-end management of SOW/services procurement, direct sourcing, payrolling, talent acquisition, and more. In fact, many leading MSP solutions are reimagining their services suites to reflect the dynamic changes occurring in the greater world of work and talent.

GRI is one of those solutions.

Why They Were Selected:

Many of the globe’s market-leading managed services offerings have a similar slew of products that are only slighted differentiated based on such attributes like service model delivery and sector-specific aspects. One key differentiator of those MSPs that stand out from the pack is the ability to provide its customers with not just traditional value, but true workforce and business agility through a focus on talent, technology, and transformative thinking.

Geometric Results, Inc. (GRI) has long been a household name in the MSP space, and for good reason: its Envision Analytics is a self-service portal that blends powerful business intelligence with real-time talent data. Predictive analytics, neural machine learning models, and hundreds of data sources position Envision Analytics as one of the contingent workforce industry’s deepest, most robust reporting-led offerings.

In addition, its “Managed Direct Sourcing” approach allows customers to build flexible direct sourcing programs and strategies that traverse beyond simple talent pools; GRI’s MDS product is one of the market’s most forward-thinking direct sourcing offerings and positions clients’ direct sourcing programs with a 360-degree brilliance of agility through a strong convergence of industry expertise, human-led processes, and Best-in-Class automation.

In Their Own Words:

GRI works exclusively for our customers and transcends the industry standards. The client comes first and our role as an exclusive advocate is absolute and unbiased.  We are the only MSP that is (1) singularly focused (2) vendor-neutral, (3) free of all channel conflict, and (4) not controlled by a staffing company.

GRI focuses solely on delivering innovative, Best-in-Class workforce solutions as an independent MSP provider. And in an industry that largely lacks transparency, and is steeped with channel-conflict, no other workforce solutions company can back up this claim!

We offer a direct sourcing solution that is native to our MSP. It creates meaningful cost savings and reduced time-to-fill beyond the typical program while improving worker quality. It works well because we are motivated and incentivized by its success; no other MSP can confidently stake that claim.    

We actually innovate — it’s not just an overused and largely misunderstood word at GRI. The ‘box’ doesn’t direct us, and therefore it’s much easier for us to think outside of it. And to think instead about technologies, talent acquisition models and processes as well as the collective ecosystem that will most benefit our clients.

The Outlook:

GRI is positioned as an MSP that will thrive in the years ahead due to its commitments to flexibility, innovation, and the Future of Work. Its unique Managed Direct Sourcing offering balances the necessary human elements with a deep technology stack and platform ecosystem, while its Envision Analytics tool is one of the industry’s finest talent intelligence solutions.

As the world of talent and work continues to evolve and adapt and require talent- and intelligence-led offerings, GRI will continue to establish itself as a preeminent source of workforce management innovation.

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The Symbiotic Link Between Digitization, Talent, and the Future of Work

Business LeadershipTalentTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The very concept of “digital transformation” is limited in its scope: move to a digital infrastructure that creates value and optimizes enterprise processes. While a digital transformation effort is much better than leveraging age-old manual strategies, there is a fundamental flaw in how today’s businesses are approaching this increasing digitization and parlaying its benefits into the ultimate success of the greater enterprise.

Digital transformation depends on the evolving talent ecosystem, and businesses must embrace this symbiotic link to truly optimize how work is done.

For the past decade, I’ve defined the Future of Work in both simplistic and more intricate manners; the simple definition is “how enterprises optimize how work gets done through the advancements in talent acquisition, the advent of new technology and innovation, and the transformation of business leadership/business thinking.” The more complex version follows a cascading revolution of reimagining the very elements of work, including talent, diversity, workplace structure, technology and innovation, collaboration, etc.

It’s much more complicated than simply automating facets of the business. And it’s so much more than shooting for the “digital enterprise” goal. We’re at an inflection point when it comes to work, talent, and technology: embrace the linkage between these elements, or, lose the agility and flexibility afforded by the power of this convergence.

Businesses learned a harsh lesson in 2020: those that could not adapt to the major shifts in work optimization were the ones that could not survive months of extreme disruption. While we are now nine months into 2021 (wow…time flies, doesn’t it?), another new year is on the horizon, and businesses must prepare for perhaps the most critical year of their history given the direction of the economy and the labor market. The shift towards “flexibility as the Future of Work” means that enterprises must execute in a more dynamic manner. The companies that thrived and continue to thrive are the organizations that understand and embrace 1) how they want to get work done, 2) the talent and technology needed to get that work done across both the short- and long-term, and 3) the proper balance between human and automation. In addition:

  • It’s not just about remote work, but rather the way remote workers collaborate, improve their productivity, and share intelligence. Digitization isn’t just for the office. With upwards of 44% of all workers telecommuting today (according to new Future of Work Exchange research), these critical professionals require the proper tools, technology, and software to be productive and connective with the greater organization. So much of the focus on hybrid work models has been on trust, communication, and productivity, when it should rightfully be on priming these workers for success.
  • Businesses must tap into the full ecosystem of talent-led technology, including AI-led candidate assessment, digital staffing, talent marketplaces, etc., to drive a better alignment between work and skillsets. Using one outlet of talent technology won’t cut it moving forward. With so many job openings and “The Great Resignation” hopefully receding as we move into 2022, businesses are nonetheless faced with continued pressure to deepen human capital and future-proof skillsets within their total workforce. The only way to solve this incredible challenge is to invest in reskilling and upskilling, validate skills through AI-fused assessment tools, augment the total workforce by tapping into on-demand talent marketplaces, and developing a long-term digital staffing roadmap that ensures all talent gaps can be addressed from both internal and external channels of expertise.
  • And, speaking of skillsets: “talent sustainability” is developed through data science, next-gen analytics, artificial intelligence, and data oceans that provide executives with real-time snapshots of their total talent. Talent sustainability is a keystone of the Future of Work moving further, as businesses require the ability to plug-and-play talent across a hypothetical future whilst maintaining, developing, and retaining the necessary skillsets to thrive. This is only possible through a thorough mix of talent management, skills assessments, next-gen solutions (like AI), and a commitment to harnessing data science to uncover core expertise gaps in both the general workforce and the leadership behind it.
  • Digital recruitment depends on automated marketing, seamless referral campaigns, and full linkage of talent acquisition systems. “Digital recruitment” differs from “digital staffing” in that the former relies on more elegance and strategic capabilities rather than an external channel or talent network. As such, businesses must develop a positive and seamless “hiring manager experience” that allows these leaders to build pipelines of talent through automated referral campaigns, digital marketing initiatives that promote the company culture and brand, and full linkage of these efforts into greater talent acquisition strategies (and associated talent engagement, ATS, VMS, etc. platforms).
  • Direct sourcing must move from “strategy” to “embedded architecture.” A straightforward notion: move direct sourcing from being a bolted-on workforce management strategy to one that is embedded in the digital architecture of the greater organization. Talent pools should be segmented and available on-demand in enterprise recruitment streams, while talent pipelines should be contributed to and accessed by any hiring manager across the organization for total visibility and proactive planning. Talent nurture should be a natural series of seamless processes that are automatically designed to facilitate open communication with candidates to foster engagement and continually reflect the strength of the enterprise brand.

And, finally, a fundamental shift in the role of digitization: technology should not be the total linchpin to organizational success, but rather a realm of interconnected functionality, data, and intelligence that reinforces true business agility and workforce flexibility. Problem-solving has long been the gateway for businesses to invest in, adopt, and leverage next-generation technology; the Future of Work dictates that businesses execute more forward-thinking strategies in the vein of innovation. The symbiotic link between digitization, talent, and the Future of Work is what will allow business to be more proactive as they build a dynamic infrastructure that is built on elements of new technology platforms, real-time data and intelligence, and an overarching desire to develop a truly agile workplace culture.

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What’s Ahead for Businesses as Vaccine Mandates Loom?

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Late last year, the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines was hailed a medical miracle and scientific triumph that proved the world could begin looking towards a coronavirus-free future. Over the holiday season, first-responders and medical workers received their initial jabs while millions of others patiently waited to book appointments at pop-up centers, repurposed sports stadiums and arenas, pharmacies, and medical facilities. (On a personal note, my wife and I received both of our Moderna doses at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. It was quite an emotional trip on account of receiving an historic vaccine just steps from six Lombardi Trophies.)

The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines offered a glimpse of hope, one that had been missing for the better part of eight or nine months. As inoculation rates soared throughout the late winter and early spring months, many of us believed that a transcendent summer would be ahead. Vacations were planned while business leaders anticipated reopening offices and getting back to a semblance of pre-pandemic “normalcy.” President Biden aimed for a lofty goal of 160 million adults fully-vaccinated and 70% of adults with at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccination by July 4, with actual success coming nearly a month later against those numbers.

Then the Delta variant of the coronavirus swept across the world, and in conjunction with continued vaccine hesitancy, put the United States and other nations back to daily caseloads that nearly mirrored the worst numbers of the winter surge. Executives shuffled reopening plans and enterprises braced for what could be another disruptive COVID wave.

In the midst of all of this, the Biden Administration instituted a national vaccine mandate earlier this month, a hint of frustration in its tone with how the pandemic, at this point, was that of an unvaccinated population. With tens of millions yet to get a shot, this was the only scenario the government could envision if it wanted to continue its bounce-back economic recovery and avoid another fall and winter like the 2020 seasons that nearly broke the healthcare system.

The vaccine mandate in and of itself is quite clear: companies with over 100 employees must mandate COVID vaccinations or have its employees undergo weekly testing. There are hefty fines for non-compliance, which was to be expected, with a rush of push-back from unions, state governments, and other groups across the country. However, while many of us are so laser-focused in our original thoughts regarding the mandate, there are many other questions that need to be addressed, all of which fall on the average business to manage in these uncertain weeks and months ahead:

  • Above all else, this is not the government overstepping its bounds, but rather a major effort to vaccinate a large swath of the 80 million people that have not received a shot as of yet. At this point in the pandemic, the science is clear: the unvaccinated are bearing the brunt of the worst outcomes and overloading hospitals in regional hotspots. Too, the Delta variant is known for its ability to spread faster and wider, with millions of fresh infections happening within the unvaccinated community over the second half of the summer. While the vaccines boast incredible safety and efficacy in regard to severe outcomes (hospitalizations and deaths), those who are inoculated are still able to become infected and can pass along the virus to those who may be immunocompromised or who are not eligible to receive the vaccines (such as children under 12). If these business mandates can make an incredible dent in that chunk of 80 million people, it’ll help alleviate the continued burden on the healthcare system and ensure that the upcoming fall and winter seasons are not repeats of 2020.
  • Weekly testing for large organizations can require serious financial resources…who’s on the hook? Some large businesses have instituted on-site testing for workers, with many of these instances in place for months now (some even dating back to mid-2020). Those sectors that require on-site testing and rapid results have benefited from this model, however, with a national vaccine mandate in place, there are serious questions as to the costs of weekly and more frequent testing and if it falls to the business or the worker. While this issue will become more clear in the immediate weeks ahead, it is something worth watching.
  • Exemptions are expected, however, how do businesses manage larger or more concentrated numbers of these instances? A handful of exemptions (religious or medical) in a 250-person company is manageable; a handful of exemptions within a small team within a larger organization is a problem. How do businesses ensure safety while still respecting legal vaccine exemptions? Is remote or hybrid work a solution to this unique issue? Do businesses attempt to cycle in-person days based on a worker’s vaccination status?
  • Could mandates lead to employer retaliation over OSHA violations? Whistleblowers should feel comfortable reporting mandate violations to OSHA without fear of retaliation from employers or managers. While vaccine mandates are now legal, what is not legal is discrimination against employees under the mandates. This opens another discussion regarding how leaders should be promoting vaccine mandates, how workers who feel uncomfortable receiving a shot should communicate with managers, and how violations should be treated. This is a new era for the pandemic and new ground for businesses; a global health crisis forces new ways of working, so executives must always be thinking of what issues could arise.
  • Vaccine status will soon become a prerequisite in future job descriptions. Candidates now face a world in which “vaccination status” is listed alongside required skills for open positions. Hiring managers must be conscious of worker safety, and ensuring that new candidates are vaccinated goes a long way to maintaining a healthy workplace for all members of the workforce. Expect a sharp increase in descriptions that ask for vaccination status over the coming weeks as the business world adapts to another new element of this evolving world of work.
  • There are more nuances to vaccine mandates that are still being developed…so businesses must be ready to tackle these complexities when they are finalized. The pandemic has been one fluid series of events, and the realm of vaccine mandates for the enterprise world should be no different. Leaders must harness the power of true business agility to adapt to the changes that vaccine mandates will bring and ensure that they continue to remain nimble in the face of continued evolving times.

One critical area to watch for in the coming weeks: while many see the mandates as a “hard” push by the government, the fact that employees have the option for weekly testing softens this stance incredibly. However, COVID testing isn’t perfect, especially in a Delta variant-led world. Vaccinations are forward-looking and are meant to stave off negative outcomes, while testing only captures a moment in time. If businesses experience outbreaks that cause major dips in productivity due to a testing failure (i.e., false negative tests, slow responses from labs, shortage of rapid testing supplies, etc.), it could be a crucial turning point in forcing executives to offer one and only one option as a condition of employment: vaccination.

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FOWX Notes: September 24 Edition

General Insights by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Some picked-up pieces from across the industry, which we call “FOWX Notes,” for the week ending September 24:

  • The business implications of the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate, whilst expected to be effective in boosting lagging inoculation numbers across the United States, are already (as to be expected) creating plenty of questions for executives and enterprise leaders. Who’s on the hook for COVID testing? Will businesses offer more PTO for vaccine appointments and potential side effects in the days after injection? What are the OSHA implications of non-compliance in enterprises? How do businesses manage competing vaccine exemptions (i.e., multiple workers in the same unit)? There are so many potential issues here that are about to slip to the surface and it will be interesting to see how both businesses and states handle the weeks ahead, especially as more and more businesses begin to include vaccination status in job requests and job descriptions.
  • The Gig Workers Collective has asked customers to delete the Instacart app from their devices in what could be the first of many similar moves for gig workers’ rights. The collective, representing a group of nearly 13,000 Instacart shoppers, is fighting for equitable treatment and compensation for Instacart workers. Nearly half a million contractors work for Instacart, a figure that is 2.5 times bigger than it was before the pandemic (and before on-demand food and grocery delivery became a necessity in the era of social distancing, lockdowns, and quarantines). Batch order payments and default tipping percentages are two of many demands from the collective, which had also pushed for better working conditions during the beginning of the pandemic (especially concerning PPE and paid time off). The group is also asking for occupational death benefits given the risks of working during a pandemic. As Instacart flirts with the idea of going public, groups like the GWC will fight even harder for equity, protection, and better compensation (and benefits) in the months ahead.
  • “Worker burnout is not a mental illness” is a phrase that needs to be eliminated. Nearly every industry now faces worker burnout and fatigue, even without a pandemic backdrop. What the past 18 months have done, however, is transformed businesses in such a way that some sectors (healthcare, veterinary medicine, shift-based work in light industrial and manufacturing) experience workers clocking 50-hour (or longer!) work-weeks, with professionals in remote environments having trouble balancing an “always on” mentality with a laptop frequently within vicinity of wherever they are within their homes. Business leaders are not therapists, nor should they be the ones to diagnose mental health issues. However, worker burnout has become so prevalent that it’s time we reassess its validity as a true mental health issue and how exactly managers and other enterprise leaders can give their workers they support they need.
  • Nearly 80% of businesses plan to transform their workplaces into more attractive destinations for candidates over the next year. New Future of Work Exchange research finds that the vast majority of enterprises are laser-focused on turning their offices into more alluring places to work. Given the personal, professional, and societal changes happening in the greater market, as well as the ongoing “Great Resignation” that started in the spring, businesses face a more expansive war for talent than they ever have before. While there is no cure-all to this transformation, enterprise leaders only have to truly listen to what candidates want to begin this process: flexible working environments, inclusive workplace cultures, clarity on career paths, opportunities to hone key skills, etc.
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Key Providers for 2021: Utmost

Solution Providers by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

The contingent workforce has been growing in both size and impact over the last several years, now comprising 47% of the average company’s total talent and showing no signs of slowing down. The concepts of the “agile workforce” and the “extended workforce,” two terms used frequently in our industry, represent the relative evolution of the contingent workforce in regard to its ability to foster dynamic means of getting work done.

Now also referred to colloquially as the “extended workforce,” this wide-scoping range of on-demand talent is defined by the Future of Work Exchange as the natural evolution of the contingent workforce and reflects the agility driven by contractors, freelancers, gig workers, talent pool candidates, professional services, and other forms of non-employee talent. The extended workforce is enabled by advancements in talent acquisition, such as direct sourcing, talent pools, digital and on-demand staffing, and talent marketplaces.

With extended talent comprising nearly half of the global workforce, it is now critical for businesses to drive deep “total talent intelligence” into how these workers are situated in addition to pushing HR-led best practices into the world of contingent workforce management (CWM).

Enter Utmost.

Why They Were Selected:

Utmost was originally designed as a progressive workforce management platform for Workday users, however, in a short amount of time, the company has proven that it has the global expertise, innovative tools, and next-generation functionality to be a true catalyst for extended workforce management.

Utmost’s total talent intelligence offering is considered a market-leading attribute of the platform, with a global dashboard that enables real-time visibility into the many dynamics of the extended workforce, including the makeup of non-employee talent within any given region, project/work status, compliance and risk mitigation measures, and more. Utmost’s forward-thinking way of approaching the burgeoning agile workforce has allowed its users to effectively execute traditional contingent labor operations with a solid backbone of deep talent intelligence for superior decision-making.

In Their Own Words:

Utmost Extended Workforce System is a talent-focused, next-evolution of vendor management software. We are a single, global platform built to manage and engage all classifications of workers — that’s one system, one set of integrations, one single source of truth. Our worker-centric solution allows organizations to manage and engage external resources as they do their employee human capital — with full control and visibility of individuals, skills, and spend.

Built exclusively for Workday customers, Utmost allows enterprises to track, report, source, and manage spend for all categories of the extended workforce, regardless of worker classification (i.e., contractor, project-based worker, outsourced worker, freelancer, independent contractor, etc.), whether employee or non-employee. Our investment, road map, and product strategy were built with Workday customers in mind, and we extend that experience across everyone who works for or with an organization. This allows companies to manage all talent for optimal business outcomes in a scalable way.

The Outlook:

Utmost may be a relatively young organization (founded in 2018), however, their consistent valve of innovation has thrust them firmly into the discussion of today’s top workforce management platforms. It latest feature, Front Door, is a fully-agile and end-to-end solution that optimizes the talent engagement process while guiding hiring managers to best-aligned candidate fit for the project, task, or role at hand. For Workday customers, Front Door represents an opportunity to find, engage, and source total talent through an optimized channel that serves as a single point of entry for new requests.

Utmost has a bright future ahead as it continues to offer innovative tools and technology to the workforce management solutions market. As more and more businesses bring a human capital and HR focus to the world of extended workforce management, Utmost’s wide-scoping range of functionality will help it thrive in these evolving times.

[Editor’s Note: Join Chris and the Utmost team for an exclusive webcast next month, “Five Things Every HR Executive Should Include in 2022 Planning.”]

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Key Providers for 2021: nextSource

Solution Providers by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

With non-employee talent workforce comprising 47% of the total global workforce, businesses across the globe are actively finding that they require advanced tools and next-gen solutions to effectively manage a sector of talent that is growing in both size and prominence. The Managed Service Provider (MSP) model has long been the veteran presence in the contingent workforce management (CWM) solutions market, an “old standby” that has long delivered value in terms of cost savings, workforce visibility, and better access to top-tier talent. MSPs have long been a trusted solution in the operational and strategic management of extended talent, as many businesses have outsourced the day-to-day management of contingent labor to these offerings, who, in turn, facilitate talent acquisition, services procurement (and SOW management), staffing supplier optimization, etc

However, as businesses became more advanced in how they structure their workforce, how they leveraged self-service functionality, and how they tapped into alternative talent channels, the MSP model needed to evolve alongside their customers to continue driving that effective level of wide-scoping value across all facets of workforce management. In fact, some MSPs are placing innovation within its core and cascading a progressive mindset into the fabric of its offerings.

Enter nextSource.

Why They Were Selected:

Service-based offerings are often required to do more to stand out from the progressive technology platforms in today’s complex solutions marketplace. The MSP model has long relied on traditional services (such as payrolling, staff augmentation, supplier management, etc.) to provide immediate value to the world’s biggest CWM programs. However, today’s programs are much, much more intricate now than they were even just a few years ago, considering the criticality of direct sourcing, the complexities of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), and the overall need for CWM leaders to be able to tap into on-demand, top-tier talent.

nextSource has over 20 years of experience as a leading provider of managed services, but it is their unique blend of data science and forward-thinking, intelligence-driven offerings (that sit on top of its end-to-end MSP model) that enables the solution as a key provider for Future of Work-era talent programs.

In Their Own Words:

For more than two decades, the mission of nextSource has remained unchanged: advance the ways companies connect with talent. Today’s uncertain business environment is marked by talent scarcity in the midst of high unemployment, shifting demographics, increased talent acquisition and compensation costs, and technology that enhances and eliminates jobs at all skills levels. We navigate these workforce challenges to help our clients find, manage, and keep talent.

Traditional approaches to contingent workforce management produce poor results in this new competitive environment. As a vendor-neutral provider of solutions, we partner with the industry’s best staffing agencies, providing the support needed for them to deliver the talent needed by our clients. We augment their capabilities through the establishment of nextSourcing™ talent communities that draw from sources not reached through traditional sourcing channels to increase engagement of women and minorities.  Working with our clients, we create a worker experience that is based on pay equity, revalued work, caregiving, and opportunities for challenging, career-building assignments.

Every Managed Services Provider, Employer of Record, and Agency of Record program applies our Entry Point Methodology, giving clients choice regarding their preferred level of service. And, annual Program Agility Assessments ensure that every program continuous innovates and evolves.

The Outlook:

It’s no secret that the world of work and talent has been permanently transformed. Hiring managers must leverage nuanced tools and strategies to find the best-fit, best-aligned talent, while both procurement and HR executives are forced to reimagine how they manage their total workforce in the face of foundational change. The Future of Work Exchange Report for 2021 research study found that Best-in-Class organizations are 66% more likely to leverage MSPs than all other businesses, a statistic that reinforces the continue value these models bring to the world of agile workforce management.

nextSource offers both traditional and forward-thinking solutions for its clients, with its Program Agility Assessments serving as an incredible differentiator in the application of data science and true workforce intelligence to drive educated and transformative recommendations for long-term contingent workforce management success. With its end-to-end approach balanced with dynamic offerings, nextSource is well-positioned to continue delivering progressive value in the evolving world of work and talent.

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When Does “The Great Staff Shortage” End?

Business LeadershipHRTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

This past weekend, my wife and I traveled over two hours north to meet family for an apple-picking trip (perhaps the best of the fall activities? A debate for another day.). On the way there, my two kids asked for a quick lunch. Our chicken-nugget-obsessed five-year-old insisted we hit the Wendy’s drive-through on the edges of our town.

After waiting in the drive-through lane for around 15 minutes, we ordered our lunch and again waited in line. When we finally made it to the window, I noticed something stunning: the manager of the restaurant was taking orders, filling those orders, passing the orders through the window, and also taking care of the kitchen. That’s one managerial position, with possibly a cook hidden where we could not see, handling what nine or ten employees (or more!) would cover during a typical weekend lunch rush at a popular fast-food spot.

Similar staffing shortages are happening all across industries and sectors, some facing severe coverage crisis issues that threaten to undermine revenue, customer satisfaction, and how internal operations are run. The gaps in today’s workforce are caused by a combination of several factors, including compensation standoffs, a refusal from workers to return to unsafe conditions, uncertainty about career paths, etc. The end of federally-augmented unemployment benefits have frequently been blamed for staff shortages, however, this is only one sliver of many issues that are happening right now in the world of work. The hard truth is that there is no single solution for global shortages, and, considering the complexities of specific verticals, there may be several ways that things ultimately take a better turn in the remaining months of 2021.

And to add to these challenges, there are cascading effects from certain industries that impact others: if daycare facilities have to turn away new registrations (or cut back on existing numbers of children) due to shortages in staff, then that makes it incredibly difficult for large pockets of workers to find roles in traditionally-9-to-5 businesses. Too, many restaurants, retail shops, and similar businesses in accommodations and food service find that the combination of lack of childcare and standoffs regarding wages and working conditions are leading to millions of unfilled jobs.

The pandemic’s continued case impact is also a factor, as well: hospitals and healthcare facilities are certainly strained by overfilled ICUs, but employee burnout has been a major contributor to shortages within those industries. Eighteen straight months of critical care pressure, 60- and 70-hour workweeks, and concerns over falling ill have driven healthcare staff to the brink of complete burnout. Veterinary medicine facilities may not have to deal with human COVID patients, however, the rise in pet adoption in conjunction with severe staff shortages of specially-trained technicians and other roles are leading these units to defer emergency care during overnight hours and asking veteran and trained staff to perform multiple tasks (as well as putting in the same ridiculous hours that nurses are currently supporting in human medicine).

So, when does the deadlock break? When do businesses get back to a steady state of employment? When do these staff shortages end? Well, there is no easy answer, as there are myriad issues that must be addressed, such as:

  • Worker safety and health concerns. “Hot Vax Summer” turned into a “Delta Variant Summer” pretty quickly and will continue into the fall months, considering that kids are back in school, many states and countries are relaxing guidelines, and one-in-four Americans still haven’t received a single vaccine dose. Workers are hesitant to return to conditions that endanger their health; in addition, public-facing employees do not want to contend with customers that flout mask mandates and put others at risk. This is a perfect public health storm that cascades into the business realm…and if this issue isn’t addressed, these jobs are going to stay open.
  • Pay disparities. Much like the real estate market traverses between the power of the “seller” versus the power of the “buyer,” employers and workers are in a standoff over wage disparities. Much to the chagrin of businesses, it’s a job candidate’s market at the moment, which many hourly workers fighting for higher living wages and better working conditions. This is essentially what is happening in retail, food service, and similar sectors that survive on the hourly, shift-based workforce. Who “blinks” here? When does one side cave to the other? Well, it’s more than just increasing hourly pay, because workers desire other, non-compensatory benefits, such as…
  • The flexibility factor. Many industries were thrust into remote and virtual work environments out of necessity and haven’t looked back. Others are beginning to implement rigid workplace structures that are reminiscent of pre-pandemic times and workers want nothing of the sort. Working parents desire flexibility to handle childcare issues and school after-care, while other workers want to be able to mix in remote days with in-office/in-person days. These are items that are just as, if not more, important than wage issues.
  • The childcare domino effect. If daycare facilities are facing staff shortages and shrink their headcount, that means significant numbers of working parents have to choose between a job and a stay-at-home mom/dad position. The childcare domino effect is a very, very critical piece of the staff shortages occurring today. Pumping more federal dollars into this sector could be helpful (which is why the Biden Administration is allocating so much of its American Families Plan to shoring up these issues), but there is always a fundamental challenge for countless other industries if childcare staffing continues its incredible shortage.
  • Evolving candidate career paths. The pandemic caused many, many professionals to reevaluate their positions and question their career choices. Millions of workers realized that engagement was a key piece of their careers and will accept nothing less in future positions. Those that are still straddling the sidelines and searching for new opportunities are looking at workplace culture, leadership opportunities, reskilling and upskilling opportunities, and flexibility as equally as important as compensation for open positions. It’s not just a one-size-fits-all game anymore for the labor market; higher wages aren’t going to cut it for talent that wants so much more of their next role.

Much like “The Great Resignation” is still a recurring theme in the world of work, “The Great Staff Shortage” is going to continue making headlines over the next several months. Whether or not there is a true breaking point will be the difference in a 2022 that sees both businesses and its workers on steady ground and engaged with each other, or, a continuation of the continued workforce challenges of the past nine months.

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Key Providers for 2021: Talmix

Solution Providers by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Background:

The global talent acquisition and HR markets have collectively experienced a near-700% increase in the adoption of digital and on-demand staffing solutions over the past five years, a direct response to the evolution of talent engagement, shifts in how businesses view their contingent workforce, and the overall transformation of how work is addressed and done.

For today’s businesses that crave true workforce agility and aim to engage top-tier talent in an on-demand manner, talent marketplace and digital staffing solutions have emerged as go-to platforms. However, while these solutions offer deep networks of vetted talent, businesses also require functionality that can ensure alignment with key projects, roles, and positions while developing true collaboration between independent talent and enterprise hiring managers.

Enter Talmix.

Why They Were Selected:

Talmix offers one of the deepest channels of strategic talent across the globe and is primed for fast growth in the years ahead due to its robust candidate-matching functionality (fueled by true artificial intelligence), robust analytics and reporting, and commitment to direct sourcing. The solution’s “Talent Passport” offering is a unique module that automatically updates each candidate’s core skillsets (including soft skills) based on the evolution of career paths, projects completed, and answers to dynamic screening questions.

The Talmix solution is one of few platforms that provides a deep service-layer offering on top of a robust technology system and global marketplace of top-tier, in-demand skillsets and expertise.

In Their Own Words:

It’s five years since Talmix launched and our purpose is unchanged – we want to unlock the power of the extended workforce. We have built a talent marketplace and global talent network focused on Business Talent. Companies use Talmix to create an extended workforce which can address skills and operational requirements, and get critical work done.

Our platform automates the heavy lifting for both the client and the talent, so they benefit from a first-class experience in terms of using the platform, and because this is high-end business talent and high-value projects, we don’t forget the service layer to enhance that experience.  Being global provides more flexibility to our clients and talent – the opportunity to have the best talent working on projects, regardless of location.

As more companies turn to the extended workforce, we want to make sure that our platform continues to develop and support those companies with the fastest and most precise way to reach that workforce. For example, this week we’re launching tagging capabilities, meaning more data points on the Talent Passport for talent, and easier ways of defining projects for client.

And our name tells it all –  we believe that with the right mix of talent, anything is possible.

The Outlook:

The Talmix solution enables a deeper understanding of worker demographics, micro-experiences, soft skills, feedback, work style preferences, and other key worker attributes, which are dynamically updated as candidates complete new jobs and projects. This innovative approach towards talent marketplace functionality, especially in a business world that is evolving seemingly overnight, can be incredibly crucial for those HR and talent acquisition executives that require a specific level of expertise for mission-critical projects and initiatives.

And, with its direct sourcing and talent pool functionality, Talmix will be positioned to help global businesses engage, build, and develop a truly agile workforce in the face of massive transformation within the greater world of work.

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