A total talent strategy needs a different mindset

The world of work is constantly changing from advanced technology in the workplace to the expansion of the workforce to include all types of flexible talent. The COVID-19 crisis accelerated existing trends and caused organisations to reevaluate many aspects of work. What changes could be in store for the workplace, the workforce, and the nature of work?

Oncore’s new podcast ‘Flexing Up – the future of work’ draws on the latest perspectives on all of these changes and the need for businesses to be more strategic about leveraging their on-demand workforce. The second episode focuses on enabling and managing the rapidly changing nature of work. Our new episode is hosted by Craig Watson and features Louise Anderson, a Talent Solutions specialist and Director at BGA Connect with a background in MSP with Randstad in the UK. 

A total different total talent strategy

Louise discusses the exciting opportunity for redeployment and internal mobility and the need for a different mindset when engaging in a Total Talent Strategy. The duo discuss the exciting talent models worldwide and maximising and optimising the opportunity in Australia to mix MSP. 

Louise believes in the real opportunity in redeployment and internal mobility for contingent workers. With the GIG economy continually growing, why aren’t we using the leverage of GIG workers enough? GIG workers are increasing, with up to 90% of people being open to a GIG work placement.

Louise and Craig ask the question more flexibly, and capturing those skills, is there something in place or in the market that you’re seeing that can help in that way?

Louise examines, “we actually went over that degree, and we did a piece of research around this around where skills are captured. And actually, what we found was that there was no single place where skills were captured. They were across multiple different platforms, CV, LinkedIn, etc. And so I think there, there’s definitely a move towards how do we integrate?”

Craig believes that the “contingent talent community has so many legs.” In a post-COVID workplace, there’s a role for recruiters and recruitment companies to be creative, and to help co-design those solutions with their customers.

Although there may be consequences of going into recession, Louise believes that there is still an increase in demand of flexibility from customers, you still have individuals who prefer,  the safety net of a permanent employment role.

So that’s where, Louise notes, back in the UK, about the employee consultant model, that worked within organisations at that time to kind of provide this “halfway house” in terms of a solution. These have been seen to come in the form of providing financial services clients, retail clients with a contingent worker.

One main point of contention for a lot of enterprise businesses are in the short, mid term fix or solution mode. Craig believes, “everything in life is cyclical, from an economy through to everything and right and, and when we go, when we start heading into times are a bit tougher, even though there’s a higher reliance on contingent workforce, they tend to be treated worse, because, you know, clients are making these really rash, knee jerk decisions, and not really taking any sort of experience into consideration.”

Talent Management has a real opportunity to shine in 2022, so how do you manage your contingent workforce?

Stay tuned to the Flexing Up podcast – our content series aims to touch on ideas about contingent and on-demand workforce strategies and how we can enable and manage the rapidly changing nature of work.

Listen to the full podcast recording on Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify.