To successfully build a workforce for the post-COVID-19 future, public sector organisations&rsquo; talent requirements need to be aligned with their strategic goals in order to identify the skills needed to drive growth.
<h3>Addressing public sector challenges with workforce planning</h3>
Workforce planning plays a pivotal role in delivering improved services. In addition, it facilitates a better response to some of the biggest challenges facing public sector organisations &mdash; budget cuts, legislation change and an ageing, skills-short workforce.
So how, exactly, does workforce planning address these challenges? Let&rsquo;s find out.
<h4>Budget cuts</h4>
In today&rsquo;s challenging environment, councils often need to re-align resources and in some circumstances, centralise, by expanding staff remits and utilising resources in different areas. Restricted budgets also mean councils need to procure workers that generate cost savings.
A successful MSP partnership where workforce planning forms a key part of the programme is key in ensuring the public pound delivers the best value, recognising a race to the bottom on price doesn&rsquo;t always deliver the greatest value or aide long-term affordability and sustainability.
<h4>Legislation</h4>
Changes in existing legislation or the passing of new legislation drives the need for more staff in affected areas. Two examples of which are The Care Act 2014, which has further increased demand in social workers and the Homeless Reduction Act 2017, which has highlighted a need for professionals within housing solutions. Setting up a strategic workforce plan allows local authorities to address some of these challenges.
<h4>Skills shortages and an ageing workforce</h4>
Local government has an ageing workforce across many key professions, particularly in social care. This situation is reaching a crisis point across an increasing number of councils.
The <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/ageing/articles/howwouldyousupportourageingpopulation/2019-06-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ONS</a> reports by 2046, people aged 65 and older will make up 24.7% of the population. By 2025, o<a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/Community/blogs/b/research-blog/posts/how-to-support-your-older-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ne in three of the working-age population will be 50 or over</a>. Local authorities need to plan ahead to address this problem. How? Strategic workforce planning.
<h3>Taking a long-term approach in a changing talent market</h3>
The talent market today is becoming less candidate-led. When IR35 rolls out in the private sector next year this will also help level the playing field for public sector organisations as they are able to promote purpose above take-home pay. But local authorities still need to take a more strategic, proactive approach to their long-term workforce management plans.
It&rsquo;s never been more important for local authorities to be well-prepared for the current and expected spikes in demand for key worker roles across social care, revenues and benefits support staff, and change management.
By identifying talent gaps, workforce planning creates greater opportunities for service improvement at reduced costs. More importantly, it facilitates long-term, strategic thinking. As we exit lockdown and the economy begins to recover, local authorities invested in workforce planning will reap the benefits as the competition for talent intensifies.
<h3>Building workforce planning around strategic priorities</h3>
<h4>Digitalisation</h4>
Many local authorities and councils understand digitalisation needs to happen, and fast. As public services face the challenges of increasing demand with limited budgets, finding new ways of using technology becomes paramount.
Today, there is a greater need to deliver better services while simultaneously driving greater productivity and reducing operational costs. As we are seeing across the British economy, digitalisation plays a big part in this.
But such transformation necessitates attracting new people to build, implement and run these platforms effectively &mdash; especially if councils want to ensure they deliver better public services.
Workforce planning has a clear part to play here. If local authorities are to hire and retain the talent needed to make the transition to digital services smooth, seamless and fruitful, a forward-thinking, strategic approach is not a nice-to-have, it&rsquo;s business-critical.
<h4>Commercialisation</h4>
COVID-19 presents questions about the future of funding for local authorities. With no reduction in the demand for public services, the need for local government organisations to diversify their income portfolio becomes more acute.
In order to protect valuable frontline services and ensure positive outcomes for local communities, councils are increasingly turning to commercialisation as an additional income stream to mitigate the effects of austerity.
Some local authorities, such as Bristol City Council, are selling off major assets (in this case Bristol Energy) to cover costs. Others are looking at alternative sources of commercialisation.
This business model requires an innovative and entrepreneurial workforce to develop and drive income-generating solutions, ensuring effective and efficient service delivery. Workforce planning identifies the critical talent categories and skills gaps required to execute these objectives as well as setting out the steps needed to recruit skilled workers.
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Contact us to find out more</a>

Workforce planning in the public sector: dealing with today, planning for tomorrow

With a rapidly changing workplace environment, it&rsquo;s increasingly important to understand how to manage your workforce for the future to attract and retain the best talent.&nbsp;
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/the-future-of-workforce-management/1">Download our guide to workforce management here.&nbsp;</a>
Globalisation. Economic uncertainty. Technological innovation. Demographic shifts. Growing skills shortage. Changing attitudes and motivations. All of these factors have contributed to changing the shape of the workforce which can no longer be defined by conventional notions of 9-to-5. &nbsp;
What is workforce management?&nbsp;
Workforce management encompasses all the activities needed to maintain a productive workforce, including forecasting labour requirements and creating and managing staff schedules. &nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
Modern workforce management software is devised to optimise the workforce. It also enables businesses to make informed decisions based on past requirements, whilst considering the options available to make flexible informed decisions about how to get work done in the future. &nbsp;
&nbsp; Challenges for workforce management &nbsp;
Today the workforce is a blend of traditional full-time employees, part-time employees, contingent workers, independent contractors, project consultants, freelancers, service providers and outsourced staff. The current ratio of traditional employees to non-traditional is around 70:30, which emphasises the new reality for business. &nbsp;
The nature of work has changed and so has the workforce itself. &nbsp;
Employees are now working flexible hours, working from home or taking meetings outside of office hours. Employees are demanding more flexibility and control over their daily schedule as they aim to improve work-life balance. &nbsp;
For employers to be able to keep up with these changing trends and give their employees more freedom to choose when and where they work, there is the need to have suitable processes in place to successfully manage the ever-changing workforce. &nbsp;
Optimising the workforce&nbsp;
Improving your workforce is a never-ending goal for all businesses. A common theme is aiming to enhance the employee experience, which should result in improved efficiency. As the workplace has changed dramatically, workforce management software has adapted to meet the new demands, supporting the new demands for flexibility. &nbsp;
Cloud computing, mobile technology and big data have combined to create advances in workforce management solutions. These improvements have changed the way users hire, schedule and support staff. &nbsp;
Organisations that intend to maintain a competitive advantage through a high-performing workforce need to adapt to this changing environment and find solutions to help them to capitalise on these shifting dynamics. &nbsp;
Why is it important?&nbsp;
The quality of your workforce has a direct impact on your business, with a better, more engaged workforce likely to translate to increased productivity. &nbsp;
Companies are putting an increased focus on their employees by engaging them and making them feel more valued within the organisation. Modern workforce management systems need to further enhance employees&rsquo; experiences and support greater flexibility. &nbsp;
With the way we work constantly evolving, businesses need to be proactive to keep with these changing trends. According to the <a href="https://solutionsreview.com/talent-management/">Gartner </a>research, by 2023, at least 95% of sales of new workforce management applications will be deployed in the cloud. &nbsp;
The market for management software is going through a period of transformation. To understand the challenges for workforce management, how best to optimise your workforce and prepare yourself for the future, <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/the-future-of-workforce-management/1">download our free guide here.&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Workforce management: understanding the future 

The skills crisis the UK is currently facing needs no introduction: never before have there been so few candidates available across so many sectors. The reasons behind today&rsquo;s talent drought are complex. An exodus of EU workers post-Brexit, and the fact that many professionals retrained or switched sectors to find work during the pandemic, and insufficient talent pipelines have all helped to contribute to the current crisis.
However, many businesses are also struggling to source staff because they are fishing for talent in the same small pond as their competitors.
We&rsquo;re playing a zero-sum game: there are simply not enough quality candidates to go around and, unless we think creatively, accessing sufficient skills will become increasingly challenging. There is an acute need to broaden our horizons to find resources in this environment.
In order to do things in a better way, organisations must explore the potential of untapped <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0A64FC831B814E948B940D1F1AAED1E6&amp;_z=z">talent pools</a>&nbsp;and relax traditional selection criteria to open themselves up to a wealth of previously unexplored talent.
But how?
<h3>1) Widen talent pools by embracing diverse talent</h3>
While businesses across the UK scramble for talent in skills-scarce silos, there are entire groups of people who, for one reason or another, completely rule out certain career paths or find it difficult to access employment altogether. Archaic recruitment processes, outdated job specs, and even the channels used to communicate opportunities can all act as a barrier to applicants.
Specific sectors can unintentionally deter jobseekers depending on their gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Meanwhile, disabled talent, former military personnel, ex-offenders, individuals returning to work after a career break, older professionals, and care leavers are just some of the groups who, statistically, find it more challenging to secure a role.
Actively seeking out individuals from these underrepresented groups will not only have a positive impact on the volume of jobseekers available, but also on the breadth, depth, and quality of your talent pools.
Unnecessary role requirements, your ability to upskill and retrain applicants, use of language and imagery on your landing page, and job ad placement all need to be reviewed and reconsidered. Get it right, and your reward will be access to a whole new world of quality candidates.
An experienced <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">MSP</a>&nbsp;or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3247651558BE4168A49D96245C7137E2&amp;_z=z">RPO</a>&nbsp;provider is perfectly placed to support businesses in exploring and engaging with the whole array of diverse talent available as they reach beyond their conventional, &lsquo;go to&rsquo; candidate personas.
<h3>2) Forget go-to candidate personas</h3>
It&rsquo;s all too easy to become wedded to the idea of an &lsquo;ideal&rsquo; candidate, and then relentlessly pursue individuals who fit this mould. However, this practice always brings the risk of discounting great talent, while simultaneously limiting inclusion &ndash; and that is before the national skills crisis is taken into account.
Back in 2017, when the Very Group was known as Shop Direct, Guidant was responsible for its <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D655A4AEE6FF4166AD5DE5028D3146FB&amp;_z=z">&lsquo;All we need is you!&rsquo; recruitment campaign</a>, which was centred on candidate personas. We researched the previous peak workforce to establish four key target audiences. Three of these reflected existing worker trends: Daytime Dave, Nightshift Nick, and Weekend Wasim.
The fourth persona, Female Farah, was designed to target a potential gap in applicant demographic and increase the number of female workers by challenging stereotype perceptions of a warehouse environment &ndash; and in turn, increase diversity. It worked: applications, and applications from females specifically, increased significantly.
<h3>3) Relax non-essential criteria</h3>
Relaxing non-essential criteria is just one way that hirers can engage diverse talent and create opportunities for individuals who would otherwise face unnecessary barriers to work. For example, depending on the role, it may be suitable and practical to remove pre-employment screening for drug, education and employment checks; or a search for criminal convictions if it does not apply to the work being performed.
Similarly, many job ads still require applicants to have a &lsquo;full, clean, UK driving licence&rsquo; as standard &ndash; but this may automatically discount individuals with certain disabilities, or those who have moved from overseas.
Reviewing &ndash; and potentially removing &ndash; standard screening processes doesn&rsquo;t just widen talent pools, it also provides a more succinct screening and onboarding process for all applicants, improving <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=E13B7CA86EF04CBB9EC6DA043D02F667&amp;_z=z">the candidate experience</a>&nbsp;in the process.
Similarly, during the recruitment process, a stronger focus on transferable skills and traits can pay dividends. When people who can prove they have done the job are in short supply, why not search instead for those whose adaptability, proactivity, curiosity, or empathy suggests they could do the job?
<h3>Talent pipeline building for the future</h3>
Beyond filling gaps in the short term, talent acquisition professionals should also use the current skills crisis as an impetus to explore how their organisation will access and develop talent in the long term. It is important to ask, &lsquo;who would be interested in working for us?&rsquo; rather than &lsquo;who&rsquo;s &lsquo;perfectly&rsquo; qualified right now?&rsquo; as the need to move beyond job-ready hiring increases.
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/public%20and%20social%20sector/our%20insights/what%20the%20future%20of%20work%20will%20mean%20for%20jobs%20skills%20and%20wages/mgi-jobs-lost-jobs-gained-executive-summary-december-6-2017.pdf">A recent McKinsey survey</a> of approximately 300 global executives found a majority of respondents said they&rsquo;ll need to retrain or replace more than a quarter of their workforce by 2023. Separate <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-08-19-gartner-hr-research-finds-employees-are-only-applying-54-percent-of-newly-learned-skills">research</a> by Gartner, meanwhile, found that a third of the skills that were sought by employers in 2017 aren&rsquo;t required now. With this in mind, talent leaders would be wise to consider hiring for core competencies such as resilience and innovation &ndash; and then upskilling their people accordingly &ndash; in order to be prepared for future shortages.
As Henry Ford famously said, &ldquo;If you always do what you&rsquo;ve always done, you&rsquo;ll always get what you&rsquo;ve always got.&rdquo; With a finite number of quality candidates in the talent pool, chasing the same individuals as your competitors is unlikely to be an effective way to secure much-needed skills.
However, by taking a fresh look at what you really need from your people &ndash; and widening talent pools as a result &ndash; you will be able to access a rich source of previously untapped talent.
<div>&nbsp;</div>
.

Widening traditional criteria to open up talent pools

People are the most important asset in any business. Look after them, and they&rsquo;ll thrive and propel the organisation from strength to strength. Neglect them, and you&rsquo;ll potentially face an exodus of disgruntled employees &mdash; and a tarnished employer brand. Talent management &mdash; a catch-all term to describe the methods and processes that businesses employ to attract, identify, develop, engage, and retain top talent &mdash; is the go-to people strategy for human resources departments across the globe. By touching on all key HR areas, from hiring to onboarding to performance appraisals, it aims to leverage strategic human resource planning and improve business value.
However, too many businesses are merely paying lip service to the most important element of talent management: people. By focusing solely on the financials, organisations will end up fighting an uphill struggle in the fiercely competitive talent market.
To be truly effective, talent management needs to be aligned with a business&rsquo; top-level strategic objectives and should be approached in a holistic, people-focused manner.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD):
&ldquo;By managing talent strategically, organisations can build a high-performance workplace, encourage a &lsquo;learning&rsquo; organisation, add value to their employer brand, and improve diversity management. For these reasons, HR professionals consider talent management to be among their key priorities.&rdquo;
A happier workforce is a more productive workforce, which means more bottom-line profit for a business. So why are so many businesses floundering? In talent-short markets, businesses cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Without investing in people, long-term success will remain elusive.
<h3>Why are so many businesses struggling to attract the right talent?</h3>
<a href="https://www.shrm.org/about/press-room/skills-shortage-tightens-job-market--83-hr-professionals-report-difficulty-recruiting-shrm-research">83% of businesses have had trouble recruiting suitable talent in the last twelve months.</a> According to Paycor, the single biggest expense in business is payroll. To bring down costs, many leaders get lulled into the notion that employees are just another expense &mdash; instead of the assets they are. While fewer employees may bring down labour costs and increase profit in the short-term, doing so will also reduce human capital ROI. If people are not motivated or enticed to stay put, the business stands to lose out on money, employee potential and brand reputation. Some leaders may argue that they cannot afford the tools and technology it requires to optimise their business&rsquo; talent acquisition processes. While this will inevitably cause the business to lose some of its competitive edge, it&rsquo;s not the only reason hiring managers are struggling to find the right talent. Other reasons for low attraction include:
<ul>
<li>Fierce competition for candidates</li>
<li>Skills shortages across multiple sectors</li>
<li>Uninspiring or misleading job adverts</li>
<li>A weak Employer Value Proposition (EVP)</li>
<li>An undesirable employer brand</li>
</ul>
While some of these factors are the result of general macroeconomic trends, others are down to businesses not being smart enough with their talent management.
<h3>With cross-sector skills shortages at acute levels, implementing an effective talent management strategy is more important than ever</h3>
Globally, <a href="https://www.pepelwerk.com/how-to-identify-skills-gaps-in-the-workplace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">75% of HR professionals</a> who are having difficulty recruiting believe there is a skills shortage in candidates for job openings &mdash; particularly for technical skills. As an example, in the United States, the demand for healthcare practitioners exceeds supply by 44%. According to economic forecasts, this skills gap is only set to increase. Last year, the World Economic Forum reported that &ldquo;skills gaps across all industries are poised to grow in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.&rdquo; To complicate matters further, low unemployment is currently a fact of life in various established and growing markets: from the US to South Korea. In the UK, the unemployment rate is at a 45-year low, while the US unemployment levels sit at a lowly 3.5%. For employers, the reality of a skills-short, candidate-short market is inescapable. With automation on the rise and traditional manufacturing jobs declining, the skills gap is only set to widen in the 2020s. In such a climate, companies need to be smarter than ever about their talent management strategy.
Talent management is more than a numbers game. For long-term success, the focus has to be on retaining and developing people
We&rsquo;ve all heard the mantra &ldquo;people are more important than ever.&rdquo; All too often, however, businesses focus too much of their time on a particular kind of person: namely, potential candidates. With suitable talent few and far between, such a strategy carries no guarantee of success. Instead of piling the majority of their HR budget into candidate attraction, smart businesses are realising that meeting the needs of existing employees and facilitating their development is a far more reliable way to consolidate a robust talent pipeline and increase ROI. Developing internal people has long been overlooked, but this cannot continue for much longer. According to the World Economic Forum, the widening skills gap means that more than half (54%) of all employees &ldquo;will require significant reskilling by 2022.&rdquo; In a fiercely competitive talent market, the onus will have to shift from hiring to investing in effective L&amp;D programmes for employees. Doing so will enable businesses to hold onto high-performing, engaged employees, as well as those with high potential. And by formulating an authentic, engaging Employer Value Proposition around these L&amp;D or upskilling opportunities, the employer brand will be enhanced, too.
<h3>Integrating talent management into the wider organisation is crucial</h3>
This is all well and good, but who owns talent management? As a key business strategy, the responsibility for talent management should not fall squarely on the shoulders of HR &mdash; though its increasing importance should enhance HR leaders&rsquo; standing and give them a greater voice within their organisations With 21st-century candidate experience and employee experience encompassing a wide range of face-to-face and digital touchpoints, however, every member of the organisations bears a responsibility to attract and retain talent. Talent management, then, has to be fully integrated into the wider organisation for it to work. This involves creating processes that enable quick and efficient information sharing on candidates, employee performance, and potential, as well as company updates. Talent management should be comprehensive and total. The concept of total talent management also enables organisations to break down barriers between the permanent and non-permanent workforce through an all-encompassing outsourced workforce solution.
<h3>Investing in a talent management system will optimise HR performance and improve decision-making</h3>
Though SMEs and startups may be put off investing in HR technology they deem to be expensive and unnecessary, finding the right tool for a business can quickly enhance its people strategy. Total management software is one such technology that gives everyone involved in the employee lifecycle a helping hand. From integrated HR tools to all-in-one HR systems, this technology will save time, speed up workflows, and collect vital data. Having real-time data on employees (also known as talent analytics) can enable HR departments to develop long-term succession planning &mdash; identifying who to promote, who to upskill, and who to let go. It can also inform talent acquisition decision-making by offering better insights into candidates.&nbsp;
<h3>How workforce solutions providers can help businesses struggling to formulate and implement effective talent management</h3>
Historically, the needs of non-permanent talent was an afterthought for employers. In the modern economy, this cannot continue. As workforces become increasingly blended and complex, and with contingent talent becoming increasingly influential within organisations, HR and procurement experts face a difficult job in ensuring that they keep these valuable workers onside. In such an environment, falling back on the expertise of your<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/"> MSP&nbsp;</a> provider might be the best solution.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
The benefits of effective talent management are numerous. Developing a strategic, ongoing talent management system can help businesses: ✔ Attract and retain top talent ✔ Increase employee engagement and performance ✔ Upskill your workforce ✔ Improve client satisfaction ✔ Boost your bottom line ✔ Reduce the global skills gap As the race for people with technical skill sets intensifies, effective talent management will prove crucial in the coming years. By fostering a better understanding of the talent within an organisation, strategic talent management enables businesses to identify areas of vulnerability and strength. These people-centric insights can then directly inform decision-making across a range of HR functions, from recruitment to employee wellness programmes. When deployed in a holistic, strategic manner that values people as critical business assets, effective talent management can help consolidate company culture as a foundation of business strategy &mdash; aligning an organisation with its core mission, vision and values. In this sense, talent management is not just a business strategy; it&rsquo;s the business strategy.

Why talent management is such an important business strategy

Why reservists are valuable assets for any organization

There have been significant changes in the world of work over the last few years, in part reacting to unprecedented events that include the pandemic, cost of living crises, political and economic uncertainties, and massive skills shortages. &nbsp;
Where individuals are reassessing their priorities in terms of finances and work/life balance, companies are looking to be able to respond to change in as agile a way as possible &ndash; maximizing efficiency in terms of both cost and time.&nbsp;
At Guidant Global, we're finding that with present skills shortages, any size of company has use of an external workforce. In a survey of 2,700 executives in 27 countries by Oxford Economics, over 80% of executives stated that they are increasingly using contingent employees, including intermittent and seasonal employees, consultants, freelancers, and part-timers.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re also finding that this non-employee workforce isn&rsquo;t always managed as efficiently as it could be, due to said cost and time constraints. &nbsp;
Traditionally, small to medium-sized businesses have focused much more closely on their permanent workforce management. They now need to pay equal attention to their external workforce if they are to ensure they aren&rsquo;t wasting money and time on recruitment that could be spent on development and growth. &nbsp;
It&rsquo;s time to use technology and outsourced workforce management to work smarter, not harder. &nbsp;
Contingent workforce management experts Guidant Global and technology leaders SAP Fieldglass have created <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/-pace-msp/">@Pace </a>in order to do exactly that. By bringing together industry leading VMS technology and contingent workforce management, and by providing this at a cost and implementation timescale suitable for businesses of all sizes, SMEs can harness enterprise level technology for their business. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Integrated technology provides visibility of the gaps in their workforce as well as current or previous workers that might be able to fill that gap. This enables businesses to plan how they might use workers already known to them to fill a role they know they will need to fill in plenty of time, instead of having to recruit from scratch.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Being able to redeploy existing external workers back into another department; maintaining and keeping all of that intellectual property and loyalty to the business is absolutely critical,&rdquo; states Mary Nichol, Director of Sales, Guidant Global. &nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;It could just be a matter of tweaking one or two skill sets to keep an existing worker instead of having to spend the time and money finding a new one. This is the beauty of having access to all of that data through a technology and workforce management solution such as @Pace.&rdquo; &nbsp;
Unlock your non-employee workforce&rsquo;s full potential through a unique collaboration of recruitment industry leaders.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re ready to rethink your non-employee workforce management, find out more about @Pace in the video below or at the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/-pace-msp/">@Pace webpage</a>. &nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l51YU9zHsQo?si=s-QOlnYlPk0YNCv-" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Why now is the time for SMEs to embrace technology and expertise in managing their external workforce  

The world of work is negatively impacted by employers bypassing underrepresented groups, despite a massive skills shortage. <a href="https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/labour-market-outlook/">42% of employers have hard-to-fill vacancies</a>, with the most prevalent within education and healthcare. Employers have responded by upskilling existing employees, increasing wages, and offering incentives but these underrepresented groups potentially offer a new pool of talent, ready to fill gaps. Ex offenders are one such group. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unlock-opportunity-employer-information-pack-and-case-studies/employing-prisoners-and-ex-offenders">Only 17% of ex-offenders are in work</a> within 12 months of leaving prison and if this number could be increased, not only could the UK cut reoffending by at least 9%, but labour shortages could also be reduced. Employers are starting to see the possibilities of offering employment for ex-offenders as we work our way through 2023. <a href="https://hrnews.co.uk/almost-two-thirds-of-employers-set-to-hire-ex-offenders-in-2023/">Despite one in three UK businesses in the private sector</a> not currently employing any ex-offenders, nearly two thirds of them would or are planning to employ one in 2023. This is according to a new study commissioned by Sodexo, the facilities management and food services group which runs six UK prisons on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Scottish Prison Service. Only just over one in five UK businesses say that they would not. When businesses were asked about concerns, leading answers included concern about re-offending, the safety of the rest of their workforce, and if ex-offenders could be trusted to behave appropriately at work. However, giving ex-offenders a second chance at a career can be in everyone&rsquo;s interests. The economic and social cost of reoffending in England and Wales alone is around <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-03-09/137323#:~:text=The%20economic%20and%20social%20cost,ambitious%20plans%20to%20reduce%20reoffending.">&pound;18 billion per year</a> and on a personal level for employers, <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/ex-offenders-less-likely-to-quit-their-jobs-no-more-likely-to-be-fired-than-other-employees/">studies have shown</a> that employees with criminal records were less likely to quit a job, and in general, were no more likely to be fired than employees without records. Promoting employment for ex-offenders to UK businesses Ban the box Most of us have had to tick or not tick a box at the very first stage of the job application process to declare criminal convictions. BITC&rsquo;s Ban the Box campaign calls on UK employers to give people with criminal records an equal and fair chance to compete for jobs by removing this tick box from application forms to avoid stereotyping. It encourages employers to instead ask about criminal convictions later in the recruitment process. Should employers take this step, they will be saving themselves from their own preconceptions and potentially finding an employee perfect for a role that just needs to be given a second chance. Government initiatives to encourage employment for ex-offenders New Futures Network is the specialist part of His Majesty's Prison and Probation service that brokers partnerships between prisons and employers. These partnerships help employers fill skills gaps and provide work for serving prisoners and prison leavers. They aim to create 91 Employment Advisory Boards (EABs), to connect employers with resettlement prisons, driving engagement with events and workshops. Joining Prison Employment Advisory Boards to promote the power of work I am extremely proud to work for an organisation that is committed to driving social value in the communities we serve. In my role as EAB Chair of His Majesty's Prison (HMP) and Young Offenders Institute (YOI) Chelmsford, I drive campaigns to get Chelmsford&rsquo;s prison leavers into stable jobs so they can break the cycle of crime. Prison Employment Advisory Boards play a vital role in our society and economy because prison leavers with a job are much less likely to reoffend. They are crucial in tackling the cost of reoffending, cutting crime and boosting public protection, as ex-offenders in steady jobs within 6 months of leaving prison are nine percentage points less likely to commit further crime. I&rsquo;m looking forward to the challenge and to acting as a link between Chelmsford prison and employers in the region.&rdquo; Looking to get involved in employing ex-offenders in your business? Sign up to attend HMP Chelmsford's Employment Summit on 27th September 2023. You will be able to explore existing opportunities for men upon release, meet with employers, providers and current prisoners, and discover how you can fit into our journey supporting men into sustainable employment to reduce reoffending. <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=KEeHxuZx_kGp4S6MNndq2CYdgBglxGpBh78TF_-mCsxUQzlVME5NRTVINkxaVVdMR0NJQkhYMU9EOS4u">Register now.</a>

Why more UK businesses are offering employment for ex-offenders in 2023

Despite the challenges of the last year, employee engagement has seen some positive trends - with improved work/life balance and flexible working top of the list. The risk as we emerge into a &lsquo;new normal&rsquo; is that employees will look elsewhere if they feel these gains aren&rsquo;t kept. But with staff turnover costing businesses time and money, retaining top talent is more critical than it&rsquo;s ever been.
In March 2021, we joined forces with <a href="https://www.talint.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TALiNT Partners</a> to host a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=49D89C5FAC61436B9B335EDBE69D9BD9&amp;_z=z">virtual discussion with HR and talent leaders</a>&nbsp;on this very topic. How has the pandemic impacted employee retention strategies and internal mobility, and how should employers respond?
Here are three trends every talent acquisition leader needs to know about.
<h3>1. Digital skills competition will be bigger and broader</h3>
Digital transformation has been on the corporate agenda for some time; the pandemic simply turbo-charged the pace of change. The result has been the creation of new roles, and higher demand for new skill sets in existing functions. Competition for talent in a <a href="https://guidantglobal.turtl.co/story/workforce-solutions-for-the-future-of-work/page/5/1?teaser=yes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">remote working world </a>will be fierce and essentially borderless. This means companies that wouldn&rsquo;t normally be considered competition for staff due to their geographical location have now joined the fight for in-demand skills. This has upped the ante when it comes to the need to retain talented people. It also raises the question: when should employers look to upskill staff from low-demand functions to fill urgent skills gaps and keep high-potential staff engaged?
<h3>2. A hybrid working model gets the best of both worlds</h3>
The pandemic has brought the need for flexible working options to the fore, as people discovered the personal and professional benefits of working remotely. But for employers who want to retain their best people, a carefully balanced approach is needed. Those that offer no flexibility will struggle to retain and attract talent. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean a completely remote working environment is suitable for everyone. Many workers will be keen to regain the social element of the traditional office, or to move on from working in less-than-perfect conditions at home. Finding the right balance will be crucial.
<h3>3. Leveraging internal mobility and technology is key</h3>
Employees have a growing appetite for training, education and development that should be leveraged right now to stop people leaving for other opportunities. With the competition for talent increasing, making internal mobility difficult is a sure way to make it easy for other organisations to poach your staff. If you don&rsquo;t invest in people, your competitors will.
Our event attendees said they plan to use the increasingly sophisticated HR tech tools that are available to train and develop staff, and to give HR teams better visibility of existing talent and skills. Mapping your workforce in this way, so internal candidates become your first port of call for new hiring needs, will help retain high performers and streamline external recruitment costs.
<h3>5 top tips for retaining employees</h3>
Clearly, employee retention and internal mobility are top of the talent agenda at the moment. But what steps should you be taking now to convince your best employees to stay? Here are five great ways to improve employee retention and mobility in 2021 and beyond.
<ol>
<li>Understand how your offer is different now Very few businesses look the same as they did prior to the pandemic. As a result, what makes them appealing to staff now is very different. You may have an amazing, new office space that staff loved working at two years ago. Now, though, this is likely to be less important. Take an honest look at your company, how it currently operates, what&rsquo;s changed and re-evaluate what your staff want. For many employers, it&rsquo;s likely the actual delivery of work will be done remotely and that office spaces will be used mostly for collaboration, interaction and creativity. Are your existing offices fit for this purpose? Reassess and rework your physical spaces to ensure they provide the engaging environments that people will expect. </li>
<li>Rethink your approach to acquiring skills A strategic and effective approach to the ever-changing skills needs of a business is one that loops in internal mobility plans. Could you use the apprenticeship levy, for example, to retrain staff and move them into high-demand and low-supply positions? If certain roles have been hard to fill &ndash; tech and digital jobs, for example &ndash; reskilling staff could help retain your best employees while also filling resourcing gaps. If we&rsquo;ve learned one thing over the last 18 months it&rsquo;s that the technical skills our organisations need can change drastically at short notice. But with the right people, who have the right soft skills such as adaptability and resilience, employers can truly future-proof their workforces. </li>
<li>Consider how you communicate Our teams have never faced such a disconnect as the one they&rsquo;ve faced over the last 18 months. With remote working set to remain for the long term, adjusting how you communicate and encourage peer discussions will be key to keeping staff motivated and reducing employee turnover rates. At Guidant Global we use OpenBlend, a people-centric performance management tool, to encourage better communication between employees and managers - and it&rsquo;s proven hugely valuable during the pandemic. It&rsquo;s helped our people and their managers identify the personal and professional factors that enable them to be their best at work. These open conversations empower our people to take greater control of their career progression, and to feel comfortable raising anything that needs to change. </li>
<li>Tailor your Total Talent approach In an ideal world, HR and procurement teams would have the processes in place to take a total talent approach to resources that combines internal and external skills. But the truth is, most organisations aren&rsquo;t yet in a position where this ideal is fully reachable. Progress is being made, but one of the challenges that organisations will face is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7E2E0E9156A141B1BC878F31A1D77AA3&amp;_z=z">Total Talent Management</a>&nbsp;needs to be tailored to your organisation and its people. It needs to look at the entire talent spectrum for your business and scrutinise everything from your contingent resources and use of <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D609E35615E84C6B807D64164812C85C&amp;_z=z">Statement of Work</a>, right through to what internal resources can be developed to fill gaps. </li>
<li>Keep the message authentic Never forget that your people live and breathe your business, even if it&rsquo;s in a remote capacity at the moment. Promoting a culture or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;that isn&rsquo;t an authentic representation of your company and its people will only have a negative impact on job satisfaction and employee turnover.</li>
</ol>
At Guidant Global, we&rsquo;ve developed a culture that has the wellbeing of our people at the heart of everything we do. And that&rsquo;s what so many of our employees can relate to. We can retrain and reskill individuals but they need to feel like an authentic &lsquo;Guidant person&rsquo; - not just a worker assigned to a set task.
<h3>Talk to us about your talent plans</h3>
Internal mobility and employee retention are going to play critical roles in business recovery over the coming months. The tips above are a great starting point, but if you need talent management advice that&rsquo;s tailored to your business, we can help. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Contact us today</a>.

Why employee retention and internal mobility are vital post-pandemic

With freelancers, independent contractors and consultants poised to make up a substantial part of the post-pandemic workforce, HR and staffing agencies must engage and nurture their temporary talent pools if they want to keep up with the competition.
An oft-cited report by financial software firm Intuit predicted that contingent and temporary workers would account for 40% of the US workforce by 2020. The global pandemic will have only pushed these figures higher as individuals turned to contingent opportunities as permanent options dried up &ndash; and realised the real benefits of this form of work.
So, how can businesses build a robust <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F67702A65365420F98BB8870C71A31E7&amp;_z=z">contingent workforce management</a>&nbsp;process that will enable them to tap into highly skilled professionals as and when they&rsquo;re needed? Or to look at it another way, what factors will persuade the top contingent talent to choose one employer over another?
It may come as a surprise to some, but employer values will play a big role.
<h3>Getting your employer value proposition in order</h3>
With the war for talent raging across many different industry sectors, it has never been more important for companies to offer a compelling <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition (EVP)</a>&nbsp;to not only make their organisation attractive for permanent workers, but also for their flexible, contingent labour. Whether you need to bring in digital, tech or project management skills, wouldn&rsquo;t it be great if you could call on these specialists when you need them most, without concerns around availability?
A strong EVP plays a crucial role in a firm&rsquo;s ability to do this.
And as Millennials and Gen Z workers are likely to account for the majority of the working population over the next decade, employers need to appeal to this demographic of tech savvy professionals who want to work flexibly. These generations will drive the contingent workforce movement in a post-pandemic environment, and they expect as much from a temporary employer as they do from a permanent one.
They want exciting challenges and purposeful roles. And they want to join diverse companies that have a strong track record in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) matters. To attract these individuals requires more than just paying top dollar for their services &ndash; it requires a genuine commitment to their needs and wellbeing, and to doing good in the wider world.
While a return to office life is already happening, flexible working is also here to stay &ndash;&nbsp;especially for contingent workers in white collar occupations. So, what can leaders and organisations do to enhance their <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=238271AF1984491B80A0574740F91662&amp;_z=z">EVP in a remote world</a>? Communication is always a key component of any effective engagement strategy, so regular company updates are a must &ndash; it&rsquo;s important to be transparent about the good and the not-so-good news. Workers appreciate honesty and authenticity, so leaders must be prepared to be upfront and show some emotion if necessary.
Video content and storytelling, with leaders sharing company values and celebrating examples of them in action, is a great way to connect with both internal and external audiences. Virtual learning will also help keep employees engaged and motivated and make them feel that you&rsquo;re investing in their development, especially now when upskilling is so important for all &ndash; contingent workers included.
<h3>Becoming an employer of choice for contingent workers</h3>
Providing skills development for the non-employee workforce will play a critical role in attracting these individuals, and it&rsquo;s something that many now expect as standard from a future employer. Providing opportunities for your contingent workers to learn and develop professionally, while also showing that you care about their wellbeing, will mark your organisation out as an employer of choice.
What&rsquo;s more, making sure your people - contingent or otherwise - have the tools to do their job, catering for their working preferences, and providing them with opportunities for internal mobility will make a significant difference to your ability to <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=350B733E002F4BF4A0AA0E4E16C51C1B&amp;_z=z">retain your top talent</a>. Contingent workers may be with your business temporarily, but it&rsquo;s highly likely that you&rsquo;ll need their skills again at some point. Proving to them that working for you will mean more than just a temporary gig and a few paychecks is going to be increasingly important in convincing them to come back in the future.
Adopting a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7E2E0E9156A141B1BC878F31A1D77AA3&amp;_z=z">total talent approach</a>&nbsp;so that all hiring &ndash; both contingent, permanent and <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D609E35615E84C6B807D64164812C85C&amp;_z=z">statement of work (SoW)</a>&nbsp;&ndash; is under the same roof will ensure that visibility and control can be maintained efficiently, streamlining your processes, generating efficiencies and saving you substantial costs. Such a methodology would also facilitate redeployment as you can easily see which skills you have readily available across the enterprise before having to look externally to plug those gaps.
Organisations must clearly re-evaluate all aspects of their EVP, not just rewards and employee benefits packages but their actual physical office space and remote working set up. In this way, they can provide a fit-for-purpose environment for their people to collaborate and socialise and be able to work optimally and flexibly &ndash; no matter how these individuals are engaged to work. For this to happen, though, employers must listen to what their talent wants.
<h3>We can help with your workforce needs</h3>
To find out how Guidant Global&rsquo;s contingent workforce and SoW management solutions can help your organisation respond with agility to the changing hiring and retention landscape, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact us</a>&nbsp;to arrange a call.

Why contingent workers care more about your values than you think

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is bringing significant changes to the way we work and live. It might be assumed that as AI is technology-driven, it must be male-dominated, given that <a href="https://www.womenintech.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Women-in-Tech-Survey-2023.pdf">research shows that only 26% of those working in technology are female</a>. In a literal sense, this appears to be true, with an even<a href="https://www.womenintech.co.uk/why-are-there-so-few-women-in-artificial-intelligence-ai#:~:text=However%2C%20currently%20only%2022%25%20of,of%20women%20working%20in%20it."> lower percentage (22%) of workers in AI being female</a>.&nbsp;
However, as a whole, the existence of AI presents significant opportunities for women to excel in careers no matter what industry they work in, overcoming gender barriers and unconscious bias, and increasing gender diversity in areas where there is little.&nbsp;
AI creating equal opportunities&nbsp;
AI has the potential to create equal opportunities for women in the workplace at recruitment stage and throughout their career. By automating certain tasks within the recruitment and workforce management process, AI can help eliminate bias in hiring processes, promotions, and performance evaluations. &nbsp;
This isn&rsquo;t to say that humans will be removed from these processes. AI isn&rsquo;t designed to overtake all tasks currently carried out by people, but merely to provide a starting point for humans in the processes. With that starting point devoid of gender bias, a more balanced and diverse workforce can be nurtured, where women are recognized and rewarded for their contributions. &nbsp;
Eliminating &lsquo;office housework&rsquo;&nbsp;
&lsquo;Office housework&rsquo; - scheduling events and meetings, ordering food, taking notes, organizing leaving presents - are usually thankless tasks that are essential to the smooth operation of a workplace but go unnoticed when it comes to pay rises or promotions.&nbsp;
Studies have shown that women are more likely to be approached to complete these tasks and also more likely than men to accept direct requests to volunteer for them. This isn&rsquo;t because women enjoy them more or are better at them, but because according to long held gender stereotypes, women are expected to be helpful at work and home, and this is something that as a society we have gotten used to, even if this is unconsciously.&nbsp;
It is estimated that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2023/06/14/women-do-more-office-housework-heres-how-to-avoid-it/">women do 29% more &lsquo;office housework</a>&rsquo; than white men. This needs to change, but societal expectations and long held preconceptions take time and courage to overcome. AI can dramatically shorten this process.&nbsp;
AI can automate administrative tasks, often a significant part of office housework, enabling women to focus on more meaningful work that will highlight their capabilities and enhance their development opportunities.&nbsp;
For example, if given a list of the people needed in a meeting, an AI program could find a time that suits everyone, send invites, book the right size meeting room for who is in or out of the office, create a link for a virtual meeting for those not in the office, and if the data on allergies and food preferences were available, even order the right food and drink. These are all jobs that would traditionally have to be carried out by a person, and statistics show that this is more likely to be a woman. This means that everyone, regardless of gender, would have the same amount of time to prepare for the meeting, and with AI potentially taking all the notes, participate equally in the meeting. &nbsp;
Greater presence and visibility of women at strategy level &nbsp;
In a similar way, AI has the capability to automate complex and time-consuming administration or data driven tasks, such as in finance, research and development, healthcare, technology, and data processing.&nbsp;
AI can streamline these processes with much less need for human input &ndash; whilst not eliminating the importance of that input. This not only reduces errors and improves efficiency but also opens up opportunities for those carrying out those tasks to take on more strategic roles, where they can leverage their expertise to drive informed decision-making without having to work more hours.&nbsp;
AI takes on the tasks behind ED&amp;I&nbsp;
A <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace">2021 report</a> found that women are taking the lead on employee wellbeing and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, even though DE&amp;I initiatives are presented as organizational successes. This might be because <a href="https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/new-report-shows-dei-is-working-kpkn/">women place more value on ED&amp;I </a>than men in the workplace, however this doesn&rsquo;t mean the burden should fall on them alone, especially as over 50% of men still believe that ED&amp;I is a positive thing and with employers happy to publicize positive outcomes.&nbsp;
Assessing and analyzing existing attitudes to ED&amp;I and what could be improved is a lengthy task, especially in large organizations. This is a task that could be carried out by AI. Other tasks that could be taken on by AI include analyzing diversity in imagery and text throughout an organization, looking for patterns in lack of diversity, communications, and as technology develops the sky is the limit in what could be achieved.&nbsp;
With these manual and monotonous tasks covered, focus can be placed on strategies and initiatives to overcome challenges to gender equality. This will not only free up time, but present ED&amp;I as an enjoyable task to be a part of for all.&nbsp;
AI promoting a more diverse workforce &nbsp;
AI presents a unique and exciting opportunity for women to overcome gender barriers; creating equal opportunities, enhancing diversity, and empowering women in industries currently dominated by men, perhaps even the AI industry itself. &nbsp;
It is unlikely that AI will ever achieve everything a person can or that there will be no place for the human touch at any stage, so by accepting the obvious advantages to AI to diversity, we are not risking jobs. &nbsp;
&nbsp;We&rsquo;re finding new potential pools of talent in not only women, but also other underrepresented groups, which in turn can help organizations reduce talent shortages. &nbsp;
As we embrace AI, let&rsquo;s ensure it paves the way for a more inclusive future for women and all underrepresented groups everywhere.&nbsp;
To read more on &nbsp;ED&amp;I initiatives at Guidant, <a href="../../../../../../about/diversity-and-inclusion/">click here</a>&nbsp;

Why AI is set to create opportunities for women across all industries

Workforce management has become increasingly complex. How people are engaged, compliance requirements and what talent pools want has evolved drastically over the last decade. And with this change, workforce solutions have adapted. Employers can now tap into a wealth of external support, whether that&rsquo;s through a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solution. But what are the differences between an MSP and RPO? And which solution will deliver the best results for your business?
<h3>An overview of an MSP and its benefits</h3>
A <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">Managed Service Provider</a>&nbsp;typically focuses on the temporary workforce and is responsible for the complete end-to-end management of a firm&rsquo;s contingent workers. This includes controlling and streamlining supplier relationships and performance, the development and implementation of strategic workforce plans, worker compliance, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D609E35615E84C6B807D64164812C85C&amp;_z=z">statement of work</a>&nbsp;management - and much more. For HR and procurement teams seeking to efficiently manage a globally flexible workforce, working with an MSP has multiple benefits: Visibility: The non-permanent workforce can often be a bit of a hidden secret in a business. With multiple suppliers being managed by different groups it can be a challenge to keep track of spend, resources and performance. However, an MSP partnership can remove the administrative burden and provide the information, data and visibility of contingent workforces to inform strategic resource decisions. Agility: An MSP has the experience to implement agile solutions for your non-employed workforce. The ability to respond to market shifts with ease is a significant competitive advantage for today&rsquo;s business and a Managed Service Provider will be a perfect partner to find the flexible talent you need, when you need it. Scalability: With businesses facing continued disruption, spikes in demand for resources and seasonal fluctuations, having the contingent resources on hand to scale up operations (and scale back) when necessary is significantly valuable in the modern workplace. An MSP will ensure your firm is never caught short with its contingent resources. Compliance: Employment law for the non-permanent workforce is highly complex and widely nuanced across geographies. However, by partnering with an MSP employers can rest assured that no matter where and how a worker is employed, they will be engaged in a compliant manner.
<h3>An overview of an RPO and its benefits</h3>
So, if an MSP manages the non-permanent workforce, what does an <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3247651558BE4168A49D96245C7137E2&amp;_z=z">RPO</a>&nbsp;do? Essentially recruitment process outsourcing covers the management of permanent recruitment. Under an RPO solution, an external provider will embed a talent acquisition team into the business, including onsite recruiters, to run strategic, flexible hiring processes and incorporate the right recruitment technology to drive efficiencies across a company&rsquo;s permanent resources. While an RPO solution focuses on the perm workforce, the benefits are not too dissimilar to an MSP: A focus on quality: An RPO is responsible for driving up the quality of hires and sourcing for hard-to-fill or high-volume permanent roles. They help HR and talent acquisition teams build global strategic talent plans and run these for the business. Cost savings: An RPO is usually measured on time-to-hire, cost-of-hire and quality-of-hire, so it is in the provider&rsquo;s interest to drive recruitment cost-efficiencies without compromising on the quality of talent. This includes reducing advertising budgets and talent acquisition spend through the implementation of more strategic hiring processes. Agility and scalability: While the permanent workforce isn&rsquo;t awarded the same high level of flexibility as its contingent counterpart, agility and scalability is still crucial. In order to be prepared to respond to changing demands and the evolving global market, employers need to develop strategic talent pools &ndash; a task that an RPO is well-placed to deliver. Global compliance: Just as with the contingent workforce, compliance for the permanent workforce is also highly complex and volatile. Employment law is constantly being adapted and the international variances can present significant challenges and risks for a global business. Having the right Recruitment Process Outsourcing solution in place can drive compliance across your permanent workforce. Technological advancements: There&rsquo;s a plethora of recruitment technology available, making it difficult for employers to know what will truly work for their perm staffing needs. That&rsquo;s where an RPO can add real value. They will have worked with a range of tech platforms and software in the past and will be able to both guide your decision and manage the implementation of any new processes. A focus on employer brand and candidate experience: An RPO will also help develop a strong and competitive brand that has the candidate experience built into its foundations, to ensure business are not only able to attract the best talented people but also retain them.
<h3>What about Contingent RPO and Total Talent Management?</h3>
While the above certainly paints a picture of the differences between an MSP and RPO solution, other options have emerged which have led to some confusion around how separate MSP and RPO are. In particular, the use of the term <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=02FF23F7542A4D2191C6BA24B85782D5&amp;_z=z">Contingent RPO</a>&nbsp;has grown recently. Contingent RPO combines the benefits of a recruitment process outsource solution &ndash; technological implementation, employer brand development, dedicated direct sourcing team and an employer value proposition &ndash; within a contingent MSP model. It is often used when an employer needs to significantly scale-up high-demand and low-supply skillsets. With more employers managing a hybrid of flexible and permanent talent, workforce management solutions have also expanded to incorporate the two, leading to the concept of <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7E2E0E9156A141B1BC878F31A1D77AA3&amp;_z=z">Total Talent Management (TTM)</a>. This solution integrates RPO and MSP programmes to deliver a holistic, all-encompassing talent management strategy and is, in our experience, becoming an increasingly attractive approach in the modern world of work. But to make sure you&rsquo;re getting the most of your solution, having a partner with experience across MSP, RPO, Contingent RPO and TTM can leave HR and procurement teams safe in the knowledge that their workforce is in good hands.
<h4>Want to learn more about Guidant Global&rsquo;s RPO and MSP capability? Discover <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=9D320FB7DD4B4492A8F5F432C5E76CA9&amp;_z=z">our range of global workforce solutions</a>.</h4>

What’s the difference between MSP and RPO?

The shift towards greater use of contingent &ndash; or external &ndash; workforces has gained momentum over recent years. The global pandemic has certainly fast-tracked this evolution as &lsquo;flexible&rsquo; becomes the new norm. With streamlining costs increasingly important in an uncertain economic environment, many organisations are facing the same staffing challenges.
Most now recognise that the external workforce can provide real value for money for their business. However, many now need guidance on how to best manage their contingent workforce.
Procurement leaders and human resources teams face an array of options, from insourcing, to moving to a master vendor model, to outsourcing fully to an MSP and of course utilising technology. However, we often find there is some confusion as to what you can get from an VMS and an MSP.
<h3>What&rsquo;s the difference between a VMS and MSP?</h3>
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) and a Vendor Management System (VMS) both have benefits when it comes to managing your contingent workforce. However, there&rsquo;s often an element of confusion surrounding exactly what level of support you get with each and how they can actually work together to improve your contingent workforce management solutions.
So, what is the difference between the two and what will work best for your business?
<h3>A Vendor Management System (VMS)</h3>
A VMS is essentially a software system that can facilitate the procurement and management of contingent workers. The main features of a VMS include:
<ul>
<li>Supplier management</li>
<li>Order distribution</li>
<li>Consolidated billing</li>
<li>Risk mitigation</li>
<li>Headcount tracking</li>
<li>Significant enhancements in reporting capability over manual systems and processes</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s often cloud-based and acts as a mechanism for businesses to manage staffing services and third-party suppliers. These systems will collect an array of data, automate transactions and aid on-boarding.&nbsp;
A VMS will store a wealth of metrics including payroll or invoicing data, finance tracking and candidate information. This is all designed to provide employers with the information they need to assess and manage vendor performance. All combined, this is often referred to as providing a company &lsquo;visibility&rsquo; into their external - or contingent - workforce.
<h3>A Managed Service Provider (MSP)</h3>
A <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">Managed Service Provider&nbsp;</a>is an outsourced provider that manages either all or part of the temporary worker recruitment for an organisation. They will be responsible for the full end-to-end management of the contingent workforce &ndash; from supplier engagement to strategic workforce planning and offboarding. Other services an MSP can provide include payroll, candidate marketing and talent pooling, amongst others.
It&rsquo;s important to note that an MSP will have the knowledge and experience in-house to navigate technology platforms on-behalf of your business.
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">Discover more about MSP</a>
The key difference between an MSP and a VMS is that the managed service provider is managed by people, but supported by technology. In comparison, the vendor management system is the software you can use as a business, but without the expert human support.
<div class="lg-embed-shortcode lg-embed-seamless" data-code="HdzF2LPg">&nbsp;</div>
<h3>The benefits of combining VMS and MSP</h3>
Often a mix between a VMS and managed service provider is that balance required to deliver significant value. That&rsquo;s where the right MSP can really be beneficial to your business. A managed service provider will often have developed a basic and cost-effective VMS themselves that can be built into your HR systems, or they can use the software that already exists in your organisation, or support with the selection and migration to a new partnership with one of the more advanced VMS technology providers.
This means that for HR teams facing a growing external workforce that needs to be managed, an MSP can provide you with complete support. This includes access to the appropriate VMS that will work for your staffing needs and the full guidance to help you attract the right talent in a competitive market.
<h4>Expertise + technology</h4>
The combination of software and expert knowledge means that they can ensure you are streamlining costs, making the best use of available data to identify where vendor management can be improved and, perhaps more importantly, have access to a constant stream of contingent workers to keep your company operating smoothly. For any business that already has a vendor management system in place, it&rsquo;s likely that there will soon be a need to make better use of the tools to reduce costs. A managed service provider can work with the technology you already have in place and use the expert knowledge of the team to help you make the data work harder for you.
<h4>Supply chain management</h4>
A truly strategic MSP program can streamline an organisation&rsquo;s contingent supply chain. This will ensure that you are making the most of the contingent staff and skills that are available to your business, while also using the right technology solutions to source and manage the external workforce. And where multiple staffing agencies are working with your company, a managed service provider can drive vendor neutrality and align multiple suppliers to ensure your business is strategic, efficient and consistent as it recruits candidates across the globe.
That&rsquo;s why working with an MSP is, in most cases, one of the most effective, cost-efficient ways for a business to source and manage its contingent workforce.
To find out more about the&nbsp;benefits of a first-generation MSP and to help you understand if it's the right solution for you, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/the-msp-handbook-a-guide-for-first-generation-buyers/">download our MSP handbook.</a>
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/the-msp-handbook-a-guide-for-first-generation-buyers/">Click to read The MSP Handbook Part 1</a>

What’s the difference between a VMS and MSP?

Since 2019 there have been dramatic changes around the world. From the pandemic its impact associated changes to attitudes to work, to cost of living crises caused by overseas conflicts, to fluctuating economies, and political changes. &nbsp;
2024 is now here, and we&rsquo;ve asked two of our industry thought leaders what they think will be changing in the world of workforce management this year.&nbsp;
Andrew Erlichman -&nbsp;VP, Sales/Channel Partner Strategy&nbsp;
The world is realizing that we are moving away from a job title driven talent strategy to more of a focus on finding the right resources to complete specific tasks. Skills and experience are what drive successful outcomes. Speed will continue to be a driving KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for talent acquisition, but all elements are still important. As older talent continues to retire, finding qualified talent quickly will remain a key initiative. &nbsp;
Planning for demand will continue to drive successful results. A flexible approach to talent supply that could include a strategy for directly sourcing specific skill sets along with purposeful talent curation all while utilizing AI powered talent attraction tech will be very effective. &nbsp;
Also driven by a desire for efficiency and effectiveness I would predict the continuing growth of Statement of Work where organizations engage subject matter experts to achieve measurable outcomes within set timelines or milestones. The use of strategic partnerships here will help businesses to find the best possible suppliers with the most relevant and successful experience while ensuring compliance, cost controls and speed in productivity.&nbsp;
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been in the news consistently, and this is no different in workforce management. Automation and machine learning will continue to grow in our space with various AI platforms and applications used to remove the &lsquo;leg work&rsquo;, freeing up team members to focus on people-based actions and growth. &nbsp;
AI is not a threat to jobs as it will never take over everything that we do: In fact, Artificial intelligence is expected to create 133 million new jobs by 2030. Accepting AI in the world of work will enable both workers and businesses to deliver better results at faster rates. &nbsp;
Ben De Wulf -&nbsp;Client Solutions Architect&nbsp;
I would agree that AI is going to continue to become more relevant as people become increasingly aware of its potential. Not only will the use of AI increase within workforce management, but I think our team members working hands-on with clients will see an escalating increase in demand for quality candidates who have AI experience and skills.&nbsp;
I predict that without drastic action the STEM talent shortage will continue. We&rsquo;ve seen a range of industries already struggling. As an example, a recent study by Guidant Global in partnership with Defence Online about the defence industry, showed that for over half of respondents, their leading challenge was attracting and retaining quality talent, shortly followed by difficulty sourcing specialist or niche skill workers. &nbsp;
As more STEM workers get closer to retirement, employers looking to bring in the best quality talent in STEM are going to have to offer more than simply good salaries, and organizations need to look at alternative approaches to reaching new audiences.&nbsp;
The pandemic brought a dramatic rise in remote workers, but I predict that whilst workers like the flexibility of working from home they also crave human interaction and a sense of community at work. I believe that there will be an increase in hybrid working as opposed to remote working, with candidates wanting the best of both worlds.&nbsp;
Lastly, and specifically for the UK, the reform to IR35 might make organisations reconsider their previous approaches PCS contractor bans. With the double taxation rule no longer applying due to the introduction of new legislation, in relation to misclassification of an &ldquo;out of scope&rdquo; worker and essentially reducing the risk, may mean there will be a greater appetite to explore the use of PSC contractors moving forward.&nbsp;
2024 at Guidant Global&nbsp;
At Guidant Global, our workforce management solutions are agile, digitally enabled, scalable, and evolve with you and your organisation, helping you to create a productive, diverse and inclusive workforce. If you are looking to achieve new levels of workforce quality, cost savings, compliance and efficiency in 2024, <a href="../../../../../../contact/">contact our team</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

What’s coming up in 2024 for workforce management? 

<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">Managing global, flexible workforces has become hugely complex. HR teams are juggling worker contracts, resource planning, supplier management, compliance challenges and much more. It&rsquo;s no wonder that so many are turning to <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/what-is-outsourcing/what-is-msp">Managed Services Providers (MSPs)</a> to shoulder much of this responsibility.</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">If you&rsquo;re engaging an MSP for the first time, you want things to go smoothly. In the spirit of the sharing community that HR is known for, we asked our clients what they wish they&rsquo;d known before they bought their first MSP solution to help you implement yours.</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Get advice in the early stages</h2>
<div id="_com_2">Before you consider issuing an RFI or RFP speak to a Managed Services Provider. Having an unofficial conversation with someone outside your business can bring to light new challenges or other barriers that you might not have on your radar. You don&rsquo;t have to engage an MSP to have a conversation so reach out early on to start things off on the right track.&nbsp;</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Engage an MSP before a VMS</h2>
<div id="_com_2">A top-notch Vendor Management System (VMS) is needed to run any MSP solution. Our clients advise others not to rush choosing a VMS provider without engaging a Managed Services Provider. Not only will an MSP have the knowledge to know what set up is best for your unique needs, but they will also often have their own VMS. Using their technology will streamline the process for you and significantly reduce the administrative headache of shopping around for the best product.</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">If you already have a VMS in place, does it work as well as it can? Before you move ahead with any VMS decision, speak to an expert to save time and even money.</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Get help building the business case</h2>
<div id="_com_2">Building a business case for any people solutions is a tough job, but you don&rsquo;t have to do it alone. As our client, Baljit Sidhu from Johnson Matthey told us, &ldquo;MSP is a mature market and model so let your selected MSP provider help you make the business case to ensure you have full sponsorship with resource allocated to support mobilisation from the HR or Talent Acquisition team in your organisation. Once these stakeholders see the process efficiencies and data that come from the MSP solution and the visibility they get, they will be eager to expand.&rdquo;</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">It&rsquo;s not a perfect process</h2>
<div id="_com_2">An MSP solution is unique in nature. It&rsquo;s adapted to the needs of your business so you can&rsquo;t take an off-the-shelf solution and run with it. Given the need to adapt the offering, it won&rsquo;t be a perfect process. Changes will be needed even following go-live, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean something&rsquo;s gone wrong. The solution needs to be adaptable. If it isn&rsquo;t changing regularly, it&rsquo;s not doing what it should.</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Know what resources you need</h2>
<div id="_com_2">An MSP will reduce workload for you in the long run, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean there won&rsquo;t be an initial investment in time. The <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/how-long-does-it-take-to-see-the-benefits-of-an-msp">initial discovery stage will take time</a>, but the information gathered at this stage will dictate the success of a new MSP solution. Invest the time up front and you&rsquo;ll see the reward.</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Have dedicated points of contact</h2>
<div id="_com_2">Agreeing who is responsible for what and having one point of contact in both your business and the MSP will be valuable. Too many cooks and decisions will take too long. On the flip side, a lack of clarity around responsibilities and progress will be slow.&nbsp;</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Clarify volume and territory restrictions</h2>
<div id="_com_2">One of the benefits of an MSP solution is that it's scalable. However, it&rsquo;s good to know if global expansion is dependent on meeting certain volume requirements. Be clear about what the criteria for growth might be (if any). Identifying any global limitation of a VMS or Managed Services Provider is also important. You don&rsquo;t want to invest time into a new solution only to find future global expansion is limited.&nbsp;</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Data is the key</h2>
<div id="_com_2">An MSP solution is <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/the-power-of-contingent-workforce-visibility-through-data-analytics">data-driven</a>, but you need access to the right information to make it work. An MSP will work with you to identify what&rsquo;s needed to launch a new process, but having a clear outline of what information you have and where it's held is necessary. This data will also prove valuable for your change management programme. As one of our clients put it:</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">&ldquo;Depending on the level of autonomy that has existed within your firm you may face resistance from various business units quoting anecdotal facts about the incumbent supply or current processes. Your MSP will be collating data on your behalf through implementation which they will be able to play back as facts to help overcome any internal challenges.&rdquo;</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<h2 id="_com_2">You don&rsquo;t know what you don&rsquo;t know</h2>
<div id="_com_2">Be prepared to be presented with information you weren&rsquo;t aware of about your business. For global brands in particular, there&rsquo;s a lot of &lsquo;hidden&rsquo; workforce spend and an MSP will find that data for you. It may be alarming at first, but in the long run it removes significant compliance risks for your business.&nbsp;</div>

<h2 id="_com_2">Have a trusted partner&nbsp;</h2>
<div id="_com_2">Trust is a crucial element for any supplier engagement. Your MSP will be acting on behalf of your business dealing with the most valuable aspect of your company: the workforce. Knowing that you have a partner that is <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/everest-group-cwm-peak-matrix-2022">knowledgeable</a> and will work side-by-side with you will make the process smoother and give you the confidence that you&rsquo;re developing a smarter way to work.</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">If you&rsquo;re looking to invest in an MSP solution, our experts are on hand to answer any questions and let you know what else you need to know beforehand.</div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2"><a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact-us">Contact us today.</a></div>
<div id="_com_2"></div>
<div id="_com_2">And why not join our online community and follow us on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidant-global/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuidantGlobal">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/Guidant_Global">Twitter.&nbsp;</a></div>

What I wish I had known before I bought my first MSP solution

Do you have the right workforce to match your long-term business goals? In order for businesses to be successful, workforces need to be agile and performing at their optimal level. This is not only a challenge to achieve with current staff, it&rsquo;s even more difficult to predict which talent is needed long-term in order create a workforce that remains productive, especially with an ever-changing global outlook. This is where workforce planning comes into play. Workforce planning is an action plan to ensure that you have the right skillsets in the right roles at exactly the right time. Get to know why it matters for you. Read on to find out more.
<h4>Want an in-depth take on workforce planning? <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/WorkforcePlanningBeginnersGuide-ReadOn">Download our free guide.</a></h4>
<h3>Why should you care about workforce planning?</h3>
Being strategic is key to success in every aspect of business. In an increasingly agile, digital world, ensuring that you have the right staff is essential to driving change. Through strategic workforce planning, you can ensure you have the staff to ride the wave of change. Understanding the gap between the skills you currently have in your workforce and the skills of the future can give you an advantage over slow-moving competition. Few businesses are implementing effective workforce planning strategies, so you can stay ahead of the curve by building on projected business scenarios such as internationalisation, product expansion, or making a business leaner. As with most business strategies, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every company is different. And as a business changes over time, workforce planning must change too. For a workforce plan to be effective, it must be flexible to meet the needs of future change.
<h3>Why workforce planning is vital for business</h3>
An essential part of workforce planning is to understand how your business is going to change in times to come. How many people are planning on retiring, what new positions need to be filled, who are the disruptive businesses in your space -- all of these questions are an integral part of the process. Answers to these questions will help you understand the necessary changes you need to make in your workforce. Having people in the right positions can ensure daily success. If you have a digital manager in place who doesn&rsquo;t embrace change, you&rsquo;re unlikely to see positive transformation. Likewise, if you have managers without leadership skills, you&rsquo;re going to end up with an unhappy workforce. By spotting these misalignments, you can make sure your people aren&rsquo;t wasting time in positions that aren&rsquo;t suited to their skills. On the other hand, you could incorporate additional training to upskill your current staff so that they&rsquo;re aligned, skilled and prepared for the times ahead. Without these aspects, you may end up with a high-pressure, unproductive workforce. And this matters not only internally, but externally too. With sites like Glassdoor becoming ever-more influential, creating internal harmony can be reflected externally. The best brands go one step further: posting about their culture on social media platforms so that potential future employees know that their company is a great place to work. And your business can do this too. Right culture, best talent.
<h3>The takeaway</h3>
Ultimately, workforce planning has a positive effect on your balance sheet. Through analytics, you can analyse the effectiveness and productivity of all aspects of your business. From this, you can identify the right areas to place investment. It can also help to inform your long-term goals. And you&rsquo;ll know exactly which talent you need to hire to help you achieve them. To help you get started on workforce planning, <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/WorkforcePlanningBeginnersGuide-ReadOn">download our free in-depth workforce planning guide</a>.

What is workforce planning? Understanding the basics

There are a number of decisions to make when choosing to engage a Managed Service Provider (MSP), from which expert you&rsquo;ll partner with to the detailed scope of the work. One key element of the decision-making process is which MSP model is most suitable for your business needs.
In this article, we take a deep dive into an MSP model that now accounts for around a third of all contingent labour expenditure via third party managed service programs: the hybrid MSP model.
First, here&rsquo;s a quick reminder of the three main MSP models.
<h3>What are the different MSP models?</h3>
There are three different managed service program models that employers can utilise:
<ol>
<li>A vendor neutral model, where the MSP and the supply chain remain separate. Under this model, a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">managed service provider</a>&nbsp;doesn&rsquo;t directly fill contingent vacancies, but manages the recruitment suppliers who do and the decision on who fills the order is down to which is the best vendor with the best candidate.</li>
<li>A master vendor model, which essentially sees one vendor associated with the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/whats-the-difference-between-vms-and-msp/">VMS</a>&nbsp;- or the managed service provider itself - handle the majority of contingent vacancies, tapping into second tier vendors to fill additional roles as needed.</li>
<li>And a hybrid model, which we&rsquo;ll look at now.</li>
</ol>
Each has its own strengths and the MSP model you choose should be decided by the unique needs of your business. But, as promised, let&rsquo;s take a closer look at the hybrid MSP model.
<h3>An overview of the hybrid MSP model</h3>
You&rsquo;ve probably already guessed that the hybrid <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">MSP</a>&nbsp;model is a combination of both vendor neutral and master vendor. In essence, this particular workforce solution combines the best parts of the other two models - those that are most suited to your contingent workforce management needs - to provide a fully tailored hybrid solution.
This option is becoming increasingly popular as global managed service programmes continue to flex and evolve in a constantly changing economic environment. While both the vendor neutral and master vendor models are still relevant and beneficial today, the hybrid model provides the level of unique adaptation that more businesses are seeking.
<h3>What are the benefits of the hybrid MSP model?</h3>
There are a number of reasons why a hybrid approach can be valuable, but the key benefits are:
<ul>
<li>It&rsquo;s a more strategic and efficient model of contingent workforce engagement</li>
<li>The end client (you) keeps the main point of contact or master vendor relationship where needed, but doesn&rsquo;t have to &lsquo;put all its eggs in one basket&rsquo;</li>
<li>It can be tailored by location or function</li>
<li>The full capabilities of the provider and the entire supply chain are being maximised</li>
<li>It often involves having staff from the MSP on site</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s highly adaptable and &lsquo;evolvable&rsquo;, making it future fit no matter what lies ahead</li>
</ul>
<h3>How does hybrid MSP work?</h3>
It&rsquo;s difficult to concretely define what a hybrid model will look like as it is tailored to the corporate objectives and specific workforce mix of the end organisation. However, hypothetically, it could combine the elements below:
<ul>
<li>A single provider is used to supply the end client with specific temporary workers from a particular geography or function that are commonly recruited for or in constant demand. These tend to be high volume or strategically important roles.</li>
<li>Where roles are less frequently recruited for or come as more of a &lsquo;one-off&rsquo; need, secondary suppliers are used to fill positions.</li>
<li>The Managed Service Provider team that is based on site will handle hiring manager demands directly.</li>
<li>The MSP will also manage vendor relationships and worker compliance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Direct sourcing and hybrid MSP</h3>
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing/">Direct sourcing&nbsp;</a>often plays a central role in hybrid MSP recruitment. This is where companies utilise their <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/employer-branding-grow-your-business/">employer brand</a>&nbsp;to build a pool of pre-vetted, specialised contingent talent that can be engaged with for future roles. When it&rsquo;s deployed in the context of an MSP, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing/">direct sourcing</a>&nbsp;is handled by the workforce solutions provider who sources, engages, manages, re-engages and pays the workers directly. Read our guides on direct sourcing to find out more:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/what-is-outsourcing/what-is-direct-sourcing/">What is direct sourcing and how can it help your business?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/the-beginner-s-guide-to-direct-sourcing/">What are the benefits of direct sourcing?</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Choosing the right MSP model for you</h3>
While a hybrid model brings multiple benefits, both vendor neutral and master vendor options are also viable for many businesses. Which MSP model is right for you&nbsp;will depend on a number of factors, including the scale of your <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/">contingent workforce management</a>&nbsp;needs, your workforce mix and the current processes that have been set up for your non-employed workforce.
Power your contingent workforce with <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing/">Advanced Direct Sourcing</a>, Guidant&rsquo;s integrated approach to direct sourcing activates your EVP and employer brand to attract, curate and engage exclusive talent communities to support repeatable hiring needs without the need for suppliers. Advanced Direct Sourcing drives cost savings whilst increasing talent quality.&nbsp;
Speak directly to an MSP about your specific needs to find out what will be best for your organisation. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Contact Guidant Global today</a>&nbsp;to find out how we can help.
&nbsp;

What is the hybrid MSP model?

As we enter an age of consistent full employment, the value of advanced strategic workforce planning is more vital than ever.
Building a highly-skilled workforce ready for the future of work is increasingly complex. Skills shortages are present across almost every sector &mdash; <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/36baacce-ddd0-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">from health and social work to financial services</a>. Finding the candidates to fill roles long term is more expensive than ever.
So what can businesses do in such a raw talent economy? By 2020, the European Commission believes that 756,000 jobs will be left unfilled in the digital sector. Smart businesses are starting to understanding that strategic workforce planning is the solution. As supply and demand in the talent market edge further apart, human resources are playing a more significant role in business strategy. After all, without the right people on board, how can business goals be met?
<h3>The contingent workforce: help or hindrance?</h3>
In some respects, the rise of the contingent workforce is helping businesses better access the human capital they need. Indeed, the future workforce will no doubt see an exponential rise in contingent talent. Without foresight, hiring skills on a temporary basis can lead to short-term thinking, a reduction of oversight and spiralling spending. Businesses need to think long term. To help them, human resources departments need to be more strategic, and procurement departments need to be aware of the long-term implications of short-term cost savings. But what exactly is strategic (or advanced) workforce planning, and how does it help businesses save money and drive success?
<h3>What is strategic workforce planning?</h3>
Strategic workforce planning is a process within a business or organisation that anticipates the current human capital needs not only for today but for the future. By implementing a strategic workforce plan, a business can ensure that it has the resources in place to achieve its long-term goals. Though strategic workforce planning is in no doubt essential, it is far from a simple process. Primarily, it is built on advanced data analytics, from both HR and procurement, which is then analysed by experts to obtain a full grasp of current talent gaps and overstaffing in certain departments, as well as to anticipate the need for new staff as a business develops. Doing so enables a business to build a stable, productive workforce that works at optimum efficiency. This is achieved without investing money in unnecessary talent; thereby fully optimising return on investment (ROI). Leaders within the HR and procurement professions are beginning to realise that a strategic approach is the only option, especially as the digital economy is rapidly changing both the way teams work as well as the structure of teams within a business. In the US, two-thirds of hiring managers believe that implementing strategic workforce planning will help cushion the blow of rapid technological change to the way we work. This number will no doubt increase as businesses better understand workforce planning.
<h3>What are the business benefits?</h3>
Once a strategic workforce plan is in place, businesses can identify gaps within their current talent pool. Knowing exactly where they need to hire can better focus human resources teams &mdash; freeing up time to hire the most sought-after talent within specific industries and allowing organisations to stay one step ahead of their competition. This also has a knock-on effect for organisational KPIs. Across every part of a business, driving growth is essential for success. Data delivered from advanced workforce planning can allow a business to constantly evaluate and reassess its performance metrics. Without such insight, stasis can occur and growth naturally deteriorates. The biggest effect, however, is the visibility it gives for the future. Every business leader, human resources professional and procurement expert knows that it&rsquo;s more difficult than ever to predict the future. Ten years ago, the pace of change was steady enough to have confidence in their future projections, often based on experience and expertise. But strategic workforce planning gives a more thorough overview of the future. Not only can it save organisations time and money, but it also allows HR and procurement to drive change in an organisation. Ultimately, it gives them more of a say when it comes to defining a business strategy. Want to learn more about strategic workforce planning? Download our report today to get a full grasp of the trend that is changing the face of HR, procurement and business leadership.
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What is strategic workforce planning and how does it benefit a business?

Following an incredibly tough year, signs of positivity are increasing around the world for businesses and workers alike. In the UK, employment numbers and vacancies are steadily rising as optimism returns. According to the June data from the Office for National Statistics, the <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/june2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">number of pay-rolled employees increased for the sixth consecutive month</a>.
This uptick is certainly welcome news, but it does create a real talent challenge: the rapid upscaling of resources. Talent acquisition teams are facing a surge in hiring like never before, at a time when competition for the best skills is rife. While temporary workers are part of the solution to meet sudden spikes in demand, in many instances they won&rsquo;t provide a complete solution.
That&rsquo;s where on-demand recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) can be used to bolster permanent headcount at speed.
So, what is on-demand RPO and how can it help employers today?
<h3>What is on-demand RPO?</h3>
On-demand RPO provides hiring managers and internal recruitment teams with all the benefits of &lsquo;traditional RPO&rsquo;, but on a short-term basis. While recruitment process outsourcing is often considered as a long-term investment in permanent recruiting solutions, it is also a completely viable model to fill an immediate need for support without the same level of commitment.
It can be used to fill specific hard-to-source roles (technology-led positions, for example) or to add much-needed capacity to an internal team, without the permanent commitment to an RPO model. It&rsquo;s particularly useful for resourcing teams that are struggling to fill or process certain roles as it provides access to an embedded outsourced team with the experience and knowledge to analyse employer branding and current recruitment solutions and develop a targeted campaign to attract and onboard high quality talent quickly.
This temporary, on-demand version of a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/rpo/">recruitment process outsourcing</a>&nbsp;solution is highly cost-effective for sudden spikes in hiring, with internal recruiters benefiting from an embedded expert team with specialist experience in everything from improving the candidate experience to engaging niche or passive candidates. It can also be modularised to offer organisations targeted support where they need it most. For example, support may not be required for the entire end-to-end recruitment process, but there may be bottlenecks at application sifting or candidate interview and assessment stages where an on-demand RPO solution can be leveraged.
On-demand RPO can also be built into existing outsourced talent strategies, the added benefit being that the outsourced partner is already embedded in your business and fully up to speed with your employer brand, visions and values. Tapping into a pre-existing relationship with a talent partner to deliver on-demand permanent hiring solutions can often be the most effective way to meet sudden or unexpected business demand in a cost-effective way.
<h4>The difference between contingent RPO and on-demand RPO</h4>
On-demand RPO is used to meet a temporary need to hire permanent talent quickly. That makes it different to contingent RPO, which applies techniques typically reserved for hiring permanent staff - such as employer branding, EVP, and technology implementation - to the hiring of contingent or temporary workers. This is typically carried out over the longer-term, as part of a wider managed service programme.
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/rpo/">Find out more about contingent RPO</a>
<h3>Case study: on-demand RPO in action</h3>
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate how on-demand RPO is beneficial is to show how it has been a success for others in the past. At Guidant Global, we worked with a client in the life and pensions industry who suddenly needed hundreds of new staff across ten UK locations following a successful contract win.
The firm was already facing a resourcing challenge, with concerns around how the recruitment process was impacting clients, current cost and time to hire rates and an absence of a strong employer brand. Guidant was appointed as the client&rsquo;s outsourced recruitment partner to deliver against a number of longer-term objectives, but this initial project for 400 vacancies within a year was the priority.
We were able to beat the initial target, filling 500 roles within nine months, which included a number of short-notice, high-volume recruitment campaigns. Without our expert on-demand RPO solutions, the client would have faced a real uphill battle to source enough new hires to meet the demand &ndash; something their pre-existing recruitment challenges would have made more difficult to achieve. Perhaps more importantly though, our solutions delivered significant cost-savings for the business.
A separate client was faced with an overwhelming volume of applications for an annual hiring project, and a historically resource-intensive manual process to sift and shortlist candidates. They engaged Guidant Global to redesign and deliver a new candidate application process, leveraging innovative technology including chatbots and automation software.
Over a six-week period, Guidant Global&rsquo;s solution successfully managed several thousand candidate applications and was responsible for all process steps up to the point of final interview and selection, which was retained by the client&rsquo;s internal team. After the conclusion of the hiring project, Guidant&rsquo;s assigned team was withdrawn and shifted to other client projects. The client benefited from improved efficiency, enhanced consistency of candidate screening, greater access to data and increased value for money. This is a perfect example of a modular on-demand RPO solution.
<h3>Discover temporary workforce solutions for your firm</h3>
If you&rsquo;re facing a sudden spike in recruitment needs and need expert advice, Guidant Global can help. Find out more about our <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/rpo/">recruitment process outsourcing solutions</a>&nbsp;or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact the team today</a>.

What is on-demand RPO and how can it help with sudden talent needs?

Employer branding is the process of promoting an organisation to attract, recruit and retain talent. Though a longstanding concept in HR, it&rsquo;s moved significantly up the corporate agenda as businesses understand they need to do more to attract and retain valuable talent in challenging conditions. Having a solid employer brand is a must for any company that wants to succeed at the talent game. Increasingly employer branding is seen a vital tool to attract not just permanent employees but flexible workforces too as businesses seek ever greater business agility. Defining your Employer Value Proposition, identifying proof points and then showcasing real employee stories, helps to create a sense of pride about working for the business and reduces attrition while also drawing in the right kind of prospective talent. Given that employer branding can <a href="https://officevibe.com/blog/12-recruiting-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduce employee turnover by 28%</a> and <a href="https://www.reviewtrackers.com/blog/employer-brand-stats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">boost employee engagement by 120%</a>, investing in an employer brand is a no-brainer. The typical job candidate of today is more mobile, autonomous and knowledgeable than ever before. If the employer brand doesn&rsquo;t stand up to scrutiny and reflect the true employee experience, talent will see right through it. Authenticity is key. According to a study by Corporate Responsibility Magazine (CR Magazine), <a href="https://pdfserver.amlaw.com/cc/COMMITForumPowerpointdocumentSeptember232013Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">69% of job seekers would likely turn down an offer from a company with a bad reputation</a> &mdash; even if they were unemployed. In the age of widespread social media usage, online review platforms such as Indeed and Feefo, and increasing work-life integration, safeguarding and strengthening a brand&rsquo;s reputation has never been more important.
<h3>What is employer branding?</h3>
Despite being in use since the 1990s, the term &ldquo;employer brand&rdquo; has often been misconstrued by businesses looking to enhance their candidate-facing image. The <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/recruitment/brand-factsheet" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CIPD</a>&nbsp;describes the concept of employer branding as &ldquo;the way businesses differentiate themselves in the labour market to attract talent.&rdquo; With talent shortages becoming increasingly acute, differentiating a business from competitors &mdash; in the eyes of clients, customers and potential candidates alike &mdash; is much more than a question of aesthetics. Employer branding is a strategic necessity. It&rsquo;s useful to distinguish the employer brand from the consumer brand. The consumer brand is how an organisation delivers value to clients and/or customers via key elements such as mission statement, tone of voice, design colours and logo. While the employer brand often leverages these elements, it also combines them with creative storytelling and a robust Employer Value Proposition (EVP) to demonstrate why a company should be the employer of choice for candidates in the sector. Employer branding is no longer a case of creating an inspirational narrative and listing employment offerings on the company website and social media channels, however. Without first-hand, verifiable feedback, candidates have no way to separate fact from fiction. In today&rsquo;s always-on, 24/7 business environment, branding the business as a great place to work boils down to the day-to-day experience of employees and what they say about the organisation. Encouraging employees to do most of the branding themselves, then, is the essence of employer branding.
<h3>What does a good employer brand look like?</h3>
&ldquo;Your brand is what other people say about you when you have left the room&rdquo; &mdash; Jeff Bezos
Getting top talent through the door is undoubtedly important, but there&rsquo;s more to the employer branding process than hitting hiring targets. Here are some best practices to turn employer branding into a worthwhile activity that drives business growth.
<h4>Telling a compelling story</h4>
The most crucial aspect of employer branding &mdash; on which all success hinges &mdash; is the perception of a company among prospective talent. The most direct way to influence perception is to appeal to people&rsquo;s emotions through creative storytelling. According to research, telling stories is up to <a href="https://www.quantifiedcommunications.com/blog/storytelling-22-times-more-memorable" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">22 times more memorable than facts</a>. By capturing a company&rsquo;s uniqueness and vision in a thoughtful, memorable and authentic narrative, employer branding can plant the brand firmly in the minds of top candidates. Creating a UX-friendly careers page (replete with employee testimonials, company values and the perks of the job) is a great way to convey this, as are company events and awards ceremonies that celebrate the business&rsquo; most valuable asset: its people. A recent trend among the best employer brands is making a company&rsquo;s most talented people accessible to candidates at the job application stage &mdash; through channels such as chat sessions, &lsquo;live&rsquo; videos on social media or informal outreach events. By being given the opportunity to speak to potential future colleagues, candidates are made to feel connected and valued within an organisation before joining.
<h4>Getting buy-in from employees</h4>
Though targeted towards a specific candidate, a good employer brand should display the company&rsquo;s credentials to a broad audience through a range of channels, including official communications, office visits, social media, and, most importantly, word of mouth. That&rsquo;s why employer branding cannot be a top-down endeavour. It requires buy-in from all employees, from the CEO to the contractors who clean the canteen. If pressed, individuals in a company should want to be brand ambassadors and paint a positive picture of their employer in an out-of-work setting.
<h4>Reflecting company culture</h4>
This doesn&rsquo;t mean holding employees to a code of silence, either: if an incorrect picture of day-to-day life at the company is being presented, people can spill the beans once they leave the company. And, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-47071423" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">as the recent Web Applications UK bullying saga demonstrated</a>, it doesn&rsquo;t take much to completely tarnish a brand&rsquo;s reputation on social media. With networking being so important in the labour market of the future, people are likely to recommend or denounce a company to a job-seeking friend, family member or colleague based on the merits of employer brand alone. Moreover, bad experiences are more likely to trigger an emotional reaction than a good or &ldquo;okay&rdquo; one. For people to leave positive feedback online, the candidate experience needs to consider all candidate touchpoints. In this sense, employer branding is a dual activity that involves building and maintaining an inclusive culture and then truthfully sharing it with a candidate audience. This isn&rsquo;t a quick win &mdash; it needs to be constant.
<h4>Tapping into values</h4>
Brand loyalty underpins the new economy. Consumers, particularly those in the Millennial and Generation Z cohorts, have an increasing affinity with consumer brands that stand up to ethical scrutiny (aside from age-old marketing strategies such as slick commercials and celebrity endorsement). Before purchasing a brand&rsquo;s products or services, people seek authenticity. The same principles can be applied to employer branding. Just as values-driven consumers can spot an unscrupulous brand a mile off, candidates can uncover the true nature of an organisation&rsquo;s working environment with a simple Google search. Leadership must live and breathe the values it espouses.
<h4>Harnessing technology</h4>
As with any competitive area of business, deploying the latest tech is crucial in people management. Making full use of integrated platforms and data insights will speed up workflows, bolster collaboration and demonstrate to tech-savvy, digitally native candidates that the company embraces innovation and change.
<h4>Perpetuating a pattern</h4>
Employer brand doesn&rsquo;t finish with an employer brand identity and EVP. It requires a constant, drip-feed approach which needs to be visible, evolving and current. With business priorities frequently flexing in line with the changing job and economic trends, the employer brand needs to do the same. As an ongoing exercise, employer branding should be a holistic, self-perpetuating process. Investing in an attractive Employee Value Proposition while neglecting the interview process, for example, will lead to a propositional mismatch &mdash; an imbalance that employees (and, by extension, candidates) will no doubt pick up on. A strong employer brand, therefore, should be the foundation for all people strategies. It should take into account:
<ul>
<li>The entire end-to-end candidate experience (from job adverts to onboarding/following up with rejected candidates)</li>
<li>Appraisals and management styles</li>
<li>Company culture</li>
<li>Diversity &amp; inclusion (D&amp;I)</li>
<li>The use of technology across the business</li>
</ul>
By optimising these bases (all of which are major flashpoints for potential discontent), employer branding can drastically improve the employee experience &mdash; and draw in more candidates in the process.
<h3>Conclusion: how does employer branding enable business growth?</h3>
In these uncertain times, allocating time and money towards building a positive employer brand may seem unrealistic for many business leaders. Others may have dabbled with elements of employer branding, but seemingly lack the resources to create a holistic Employer Value Proposition. Though certain skills and industries continue to hold sway in the talent game, any business can create an EVP based on many different pillars depending on what they stand for. By forging an EVP around core values, businesses can attract candidates who also have similar priorities. The pillars of an EVP can be anything from company heritage to L&amp;D; from global mobility to being ethical and responsible. At Guidant Global, we employ our &ldquo;EVP pie&rdquo; when running client workshops. Building on pillars such as career progression, innovation and teamwork, client stakeholders can add proof points to each of these areas and develop their EVP further. From Series A startups to century-old multinationals, employer brand is the most cost-effective way for businesses to consolidate a robust, sustainable talent pipeline &mdash; and employer branding success stories prove this. Aside from hogging the headlines and garnering critical acclaim, Heineken&rsquo;s stylish &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&amp;v=UtoyMEFKb6o&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Go Places</a>&rdquo; campaign acted as a manifesto for prospective talent. By focusing on the candidate&rsquo;s personality and professional ambitions in a way that resonated with the target audience, Heineken received over 300% more job applications via LinkedIn than in previous years. Etsy took a different approach by actively demonstrating the company&rsquo;s values in action. By celebrating its unique six-and-a-half-months&rsquo; paid parental leave policy and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i12JHVHXHKc&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">showing the positive effect it had on employees</a>, the company set an inspirational example to other businesses and attracted a niche candidate audience. Finally, Unilever&rsquo;s inventive<a href="https://www.unilever.com/careers/power-of-u.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Power of U</a> campaign encourages candidates to share their own stories of how they bring purpose and passion to their work. By individualising the recruitment process and setting an inspirational, aspirational agenda that enables prospective candidates to showcase their personalities, Unilever lives up to the four pillars of its Employer Value Proposition: &ldquo;Purpose Power,&rdquo; &ldquo;Be the Catalyst,&rdquo; &ldquo;Brilliantly Different Together,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Go Beyond.&rdquo; With a laser-focused commitment to enhancing the emotional, intangible aspects of the candidate journey, it&rsquo;s perhaps little surprise that Unilever is the <a href="https://linkhumans.com/unilever/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#1 employer of choice</a> in more than 40 markets. As these examples demonstrate, effective employer branding doesn&rsquo;t have to be complicated. It simply needs to drive home an honest narrative &mdash; both internally and externally &mdash; that makes people want to work for a business. Candidates and employees seek companies with a strong culture, clear values, flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to make a difference. Most of all, they want an emotional connection with where they work. Yes, employer branding requires investment, collaboration and strategic thinking. But by putting the human element at the forefront of all business processes, the brand reputation will take care of itself.

What is employer branding and how can it help grow your business?

Being able to find and attract candidates, at scale and speed, is becoming a serious advantage in the increasingly tough competition for talent. One way organisations can improve their access to the people they need, when they need them, is to build talent pools.
But what exactly is a talent pool, how does talent pooling work, and what are the benefits of building talent pools? Let&rsquo;s take a look at the basics.
<h3>What is talent pooling?</h3>
A talent pool is a list of engaged candidates who have either worked or applied to work for your organisation in the past, and who have shown the required skills and desire to work for you in the future. You can have multiple talent pools for different roles and skill sets.
Ex-contingent workers, former permanent employees, freelancers, retirees, and even previously unsuccessful applicants (often referred to as silver and bronze medallists) can all be included in talent pools - which are usually managed in an online applicant tracking system (ATS) as part of a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">managed service programme.</a>
Talent pooling plays a central role in direct sourcing strategies&nbsp;-&nbsp;and our <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing/">Advanced Direct Sourcing&nbsp;</a>solution -&nbsp;where organisations bypass recruitment agencies to hire directly on the strength of their employer brand - often saving themselves significant time and money in the process.
Learn more about <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=ACB8A582DA6549F49645972DE4DA70DD&amp;_z=z">direct sourcing</a>.
<h3>How to build a talent pool</h3>
To build effective talent pools, organisations must be willing to invest in providing a great candidate and employment experience, and to ask workers and applicants for their honest feedback and interest in suitable opportunities should they arise in the future.
An individual&rsquo;s candidate experience is what shapes their attitude towards a business, based on them aspiring to work there or going through its recruitment process. organisations can improve the candidate experience with:
<ul>
<li>Clear and honest job descriptions that accurately reflect the demands of the role</li>
<li>Streamlined application processes that only ask for essential information</li>
<li>Innovative tech to facilitate faster shortlisting and more engaging assessments</li>
<li>Interviewers who are prepared, and prepared to have a two-way conversation</li>
<li>Constructive feedback and timely rejections for unsuccessful interviewees</li>
<li>Requests for feedback from all applicants, on what worked and what didn&rsquo;t</li>
<li>Good post-interview communication and onboarding for successful candidates</li>
</ul>
In short, organisations must approach their recruitment with honesty and respect if they want to provide a positive candidate experience. Successful and unsuccessful candidates alike should be left with a good feeling about joining the company at some point in the future. Other factors that contribute to building a positive candidate experience include employer branding, and how your organisation is perceived by jobseekers, and <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/complete-guide-to-building-a-unique-evp/">employer value proposition&nbsp;</a>- which lets people know what you stand for and why they should choose you. Learn more about improving the candidate experience in our guide, <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Dont-forget-the-candidate-a-closer-look-into-candidate-experience/1">Don&rsquo;t forget the candidate</a>.&nbsp;
<h4>Keeping your talent pool engaged</h4>
Regular communication with your talent pool is crucial to ensuring past, present, and future candidates are - and remain - excited by the offering you have. Rich and immersive content can be served by email newsletters, social media updates, written content, video or imagery on good news stories associated with your organisation, or to highlight successful employees within the business.
<h3>The benefits of talent pooling</h3>
The key benefit of an effective talent pooling strategy is that it provides rapid access to a number of engaged and appropriately skilled individuals when your organisation needs them most. The main benefits of talent pooling are:
<ul>
<li>Lower recruitment costs - by filling roles directly or with the help of a trusted Managed Service Provider, organisations avoid the use of agencies and their fees, which can range from 20% to 40%.</li>
<li>Reduced time-to-hire - being able to approach known, suitable candidates without having to enter the market via recruitment agencies can drastically reduce the time it takes to fill your vacancy.</li>
<li>Enhanced reputation - research has shown that candidates who enjoy a positive experience will share that information with their peers, thus enhancing your ability to pool talent.</li>
<li>Faster onboarding - thanks to their previous contact with your business, whether through employment or interview, individuals are pre-vetted and assessed and ready to be onboarded.</li>
</ul>
As talent scarcity increases, talent pools can provide a tangible competitive advantage. Being able to &lsquo;retain&rsquo; your top temporary workers, either through contract extensions or by ensuring that they would be happy to work for you again in the future, is vital. Learn more about <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/retaining-temporary-workers/">retaining temporary workers</a>.
<h3>Talent pools vs talent pipelines</h3>
While a talent pool can include current employees, talent pooling is generally concerned with individuals who are not currently working for your organisation. The idea is to create a list of people who have the talent you may need in the future, and who would be happy to return. This makes a talent pool different to a talent pipeline, which is more typically associated with identifying current employees who have the potential to become leaders or to fill crucial skills gaps in your organisation. Talent pipelines should be a central part of any successful workforce management strategy, and are a vital tool for developing, motivating, and retaining your top people. Learn more about <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/employee-retention-and-internal-mobility/">employee retention and internal mobility</a>.
<h3>How an MSP helps build and manage talent pools</h3>
Talent pools and direct sourcing strategies are typically developed over time as part of a maturing Managed Service Programme, which improves consistency and quality of practices across all recruitment - whether contingent, permanent, or services-based. With the help of a specialist Managed Service Provider, organisations can build the market intelligence and robust processes that lead to a first class candidate experience - and develop engaged talent pools that can be utilised at speed when the need arises. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Contact us</a>&nbsp;to find out how we can help with your workforce management needs.

What is a talent pool?

In today's fast-paced business landscape, businesses and organizations rely on outsourcing to multiple vendors instead of carrying out everything in-house. Managing these vendor relationships can be a complex task. and this is where Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Vendor Management Systems (VMS) come into play, and this is never truer than for workforce management. &nbsp;
MSP&rsquo;s and VMS&rsquo;s can be used to manage most, if not all, aspects of workforce management, including finding, engaging, and managing candidates and staff. But what do they individually achieve? And how do they work together to deliver the most effective way to manage a contingent workforce?&nbsp;
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)&nbsp;
An <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSP</a> manages the contingent worker recruitment process for an organization, and it is responsible for the end-to-end management of the workforce &ndash; from supplier management to strategic workforce planning.&nbsp;
One of the key benefits of using an MSP is the easy access to resources needed to address complex people-based challenges such as skills shortages, repeatable hiring needs and technology management. &nbsp;
MSPs have specific experts who have a deep understanding of best practices, robust processes, stay up-to-date with the latest approaches and solutions, and are motivated to help organizations get the absolute most out of their contingent workforce and its associated technology. &nbsp;
This knowledge means that businesses can then focus on their core competencies while leaving the workforce management responsibilities to the experts.&nbsp;
Vendor Management Solutions (VMS)&nbsp;
A VMS, on the other hand, is a software platform designed to assist organizations in managing their recruitment supply chain and contingent workforce through data collection and visibility. This means that at all times an organization knows who is part of their workforce, what they are doing and where, which source did the enter from/are contracted to, what that contract is, what they are being paid and what compliance checks have been carried out.&nbsp;
A VMS provides a centralized platform where organizations can store, track, and analyze key information including hours, pay, skills, qualifications, and contract conditions, and by leveraging this data, organizations can make informed staffing decisions based on real-time data.&nbsp;
Using MSP and VMS technology together to achieve optimal results&nbsp;
@Pace is a new collaboration between VMS heavyweights SAP Fieldglass and MSP leaders Guidant Global. By combining both MSP and VMS technology, you get a truly complete workforce management solution designed for UK businesses of up to 5,000 employees, with functionality you might previously have only expected in a major enterprise workforce solution. &nbsp;
By providing this at a cost and implementation timescale suitable for businesses of all sizes, SMEs can now also harness the power of enterprise level technology. &nbsp;
&ldquo;At Guidant, we have a team of SAP Fieldglass accredited experts, and what this means is that we implement the VMS technology directly, meaning the speed of deployment is so much faster,&rdquo;&nbsp;states Mary Nichols, Director of Sales at Guidant Global. &nbsp;
&ldquo;So, @Pace can not only help organizations resolve a lot of their workforce management challenges, but it can be up and running, in a relatively short period of time.&rdquo;&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re ready to rethink your non-employee workforce management, find out more about @Pace in the video below or at the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/-pace-msp/">@Pace webpage</a>. You can contact Guidant Global to speak about @Pace in more detail <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">here.</a>&nbsp;

What is an MSP and VMS? How do they work together to get the best value for money in contingent workforce management? 

Today, a greater number of professionals than ever are working outside of traditional PAYE payrolls, as changes that were already evident in 2019 have accelerated. Recent <a href="https://ifs.org.uk/publications/15182">figures</a> indicate that around 14% of UK workers are now self-employed, and the number choosing contingent work continues to grow.
Non-permanent workers will often be critical to your talent strategy, particularly when talent is scarce, or when you need specialist skills or more flexibility. But what does &lsquo;contingent worker&rsquo; actually mean? And what are the benefits of engaging with non-permanent talent?
If you&rsquo;re just starting out in your contingent workforce management journey, and don&rsquo;t yet have a full understanding of the breadth of available options, here&rsquo;s all you need to know to get started.
<h3>What is a contingent worker?</h3>
The word &lsquo;contingent&rsquo; is used as a catch-all phrase for any worker who is not on the company&rsquo;s permanent payroll. The contingent workforce includes:
<ul>
<li>agency workers drafted in on a temporary basis to manage seasonal demand</li>
<li>highly skilled specialists to work on specific projects</li>
<li>gig-workers</li>
<li>freelancers, and</li>
<li>professionals working through a personal services company (PSC).</li>
</ul>
<h4>Types of contingent worker</h4>
Broadly speaking, contingent workers fall into one of four categories. 1) Independent contractors Those that fall into the self-employed category legally are sole traders, PSCs, freelancers, and independent workers (including the self-employed). The definition of these individuals covers anyone that is in business for themselves who has entered into a contract with clients to provide work or services. Employment law doesn&rsquo;t cover the self-employed in most cases because they are in business for themselves. The individuals are not personally subject to supervision, direction or control by the end client, and the client has the right to control or direct only the result of the work (the ends); not what will be done and how it will be done (the means). Independent contractors (often referred to as &lsquo;IC&rsquo;s&rsquo;) are responsible for their own taxes and the self-employed individual is obliged to register with HMRC and submit annual returns to pay income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs). PSCs are also required to pay corporation tax. 2) Dependent workers Gig-workers are classified as &lsquo;dependent&rsquo; contractors who are registered as self-employed but provide a service through someone else&rsquo;s company. Usually, they carry out the work themselves rather than substituting another individual for the project and their contract is not usually with the &lsquo;end user&rsquo; client, but another party (such as a staffing agency). Their tax obligations are the same as for the self-employed (see above), however they are entitled to statutory worker rights under employment law. 3) Temp and agency staff Essentially, PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) temps have a contract with an agency, but work temporarily for a &lsquo;hirer&rsquo; &ndash; a person or company with employees. Under Agency Worker Regulations, they are entitled to the same employment rights as employees of the hiring company after 12 weeks. However, the agency is responsible for their pay and administering statutory employment rights. There is also no distinction between an agency worker and an employee for tax purposes, and the employer is responsible for paying NICs on behalf of the employee. 4) Services providers (SoW) <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/services-procurement-sow-/">Statement of Work </a>(SoW) engagements have risen in popularity in recent years, particularly in the UK since the introduction of IR35 rules in the private sector. Here, a business engages a third-party professional services company (for example, consulting, tax, clinical or legal services) to deliver services or perform a specific scope of work, typically for a predefined price and timeframe. The individuals delivering services under a SoW may be employed by a services company or directly via their Limited Company. These agreements are usually billed at a fixed price deliverable or for reaching specific milestones, which are agreed before the project starts. Work location and payment terms and conditions may also be laid out in advance. A performance-based SoW clearly defines the project&rsquo;s purpose and deliverables, but does not necessarily provide details about how the work needs to be performed. SoW offers flexibility, focuses on project outcomes, and shares risk between parties. SoWs are most effective when managed through a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">Managed Service Provider&nbsp;</a>(MSP) due to the transparency and organisational efficiencies that these specialists, and their vendor management systems&nbsp;(VMSs), provide.
<h3>Is a contingent worker an employee?</h3>
Contingent workers are not traditional employees. However, it is important to take the same care in managing these workers that you would with permanent staff. This means they should be onboarded effectively, be made to feel welcome and part of the team, and be immersed in your company culture as much as possible. Depending on how contingent workers are engaged, they may also be eligible to receive the same benefits as full-time employees. For example, dependent contractors are entitled to statutory worker rights under employment law and PAYE temps are protected by Agency Worker Regulations (AWR). There is also no distinction between an agency worker and an employee for tax purposes, and the employer is responsible for paying NICs on behalf of these workers.
<h3>Temporary vs. contingent worker</h3>
Temporary workers are very much part of your contingent workforce mix. Agency temps can be drafted in on short notice, even when hiring at scale, to enable businesses to fill talent gaps, manage an unexpected boom in business, or meet seasonal fluctuations in demand.
<h3>Contractor vs. contingent worker</h3>
Professional contractors are classed as contingent workers. These individuals usually have specialised experience and may be brought in to work on or lead a specific project where niche skills are required, manage a period of change, or as an interim to cover a period of absence, such as maternity or paternity leave.
<h3>Is an intern a contingent worker?</h3>
Interns are not usually classed as contingent workers. If interns are actually doing work for your organisation, rather than just shadowing staff, they are classed as a worker and have the same legal status as full-time employees on a fixed term contract. They are also liable for tax in the same way as other employees. Interns will, by the very nature of the role, almost always be under the supervision, direction and control of the employer and so can&rsquo;t be deemed as being in business for themselves.
<h3>How are contingent workers used?</h3>
In the new world of work, businesses need to be able to quickly expand and contract workforces in response to fluctuating demand, bring on board specialist skills on a project basis, and ensure that they have the technological capabilities to thrive in the digital age. Talent acquisition strategies that don&rsquo;t enable this are no longer up to the job. Today, contingent workers are used to not only plug immediate skills gaps, but also to bring fresh skills and expertise into a business which will remain long after the contingent worker has finished their assignment.
<h3>The benefits of using contingent workers</h3>
Temp and agency staff enable businesses to adapt in response to market demand. Tapping into the power of the contingent workforce not only helps get work done, but can also mitigate risk, improve cash flow and, ultimately, increase the value of the business. However, without effective management and a slick talent management strategy, the full benefits of the contingent workforce simply can&rsquo;t be realised.
<h3>Options for contingent workforce management</h3>
The gig economy and the use of contingent workers have grown exponentially in recent years &ndash; a trend which has certainly been accelerated by the global pandemic. In line with this evolution, the need for an efficient contingent workforce management&nbsp;(CWM) programme has become more critical than ever before. While there can be challenges when it comes to managing your contingent workforce, the simple fact is, it is a necessity. With the gig economy growing and reliance on contingent workers increasing, businesses that don&rsquo;t have an effective CWM program will soon find their competitive <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/what-is-a-talent-pool/">talent pools&nbsp;</a>shrink. Options for contingent workforce management include: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) We mentioned SoW above as a segment of the contingent workforce, but it is possible to drive elements of your CWM through this employment model. In essence, any business process outsourcing&nbsp;is when you engage a third-party professional services company to deliver specific work for a defined cost and period. The people who deliver the work will likely be employed by a services company or operate through a Limited Company, so you would have an agreed contract in place with the company itself to deliver the work. Utilising a Vendor Management System (VMS) This is software that facilitates contingent workforce management. It&rsquo;s often cloud-based and hosts a wealth of data that informs your CWM, but it will require management either internally or through a specialist workforce solutions provider. As with all other tech platforms, it is only as good as the data going into it and the processes and governance that surround it. Engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) This is an outsourced provider (such as Guidant Global) that manages all or part of your contingent workforce recruitment &ndash; including the VMS. This is often the preferred choice for effective CWM due to the access it grants businesses to expert knowledge and experience of compliance, vendor management, and technology platforms.
<h3>A word on contingent worker compliance</h3>
How contingent workers are classified, and the terms they&rsquo;re engaged under, impact your business&rsquo;s responsibilities towards them and also how they are taxed. There are risks associated with each category of worker that you need to be aware of, regardless of where responsibility lies. In the UK, the extension of off-payroll working rules (commonly referred to as IR35 legislation) into the private sector in 2021 means that medium and large businesses are now responsible for determining an individual&rsquo;s employment status for tax purposes &ndash; and are liable if this classification is later found to be incorrect by HMRC. Similarly, in the United States, employers must determine if workers are &lsquo;1099&rsquo; contractors or &lsquo;W-2&rsquo; employees for tax purposes each year. Any employee who earns at least $600 from an employer is required to receive a Form W-2. Since 2020 the IRS has required employers to use Form 1099-NEC to report any non-employee compensation to individuals who have provided work or services but were not employees. Failure to submit the correct form can result in hefty fines. In both territories, the biggest challenge in correctly classifying contingent workers&nbsp;is determining the degree of direction and control the &lsquo;employer&rsquo; has over the individual, as well as recording the process that was undertaken to come to this decision. An MSP will be able to provide expert advice to ensure that you are compliant in this area, which is crucial for avoiding costly fines and penalties for non-compliance, while you continue to enjoy the benefits that using contingent workers bring.
<h3>Making the most of contingent workers</h3>
The days when a business&rsquo;s talent amounted to little more than a list of permanent, full-time employees are now well and truly behind us. Today, in order to ensure access to the right skills, at the right time, strategic workforce plans call on the expertise of agency workers, PSC contractors and other specialists engaged through SoW contracts. Getting your head around the options available when it comes to engaging contingent workers can be tricky, but getting it right means gaining access to the entire spectrum of talent out there at your disposal. And here at Guidant Global, we are always available to discuss the best options for your business&rsquo;s unique needs. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Contact us&nbsp;</a>to arrange an exploratory call.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

What is a contingent worker? Definitions, examples, and benefits

As businesses around the world struggle to find quality candidates, more employers could secure the volume and calibre of talent they need by working with a managed service provider (MSP). But getting stakeholder buy-in for a new outsourced workforce solution isn&rsquo;t always easy.
It&rsquo;s especially important that those who design and implement the solution do so with the needs of hiring managers front of mind. If not, a lack of engagement (and, as a result, compliance) is sure to follow. But what do hiring managers actually need from an outsourced workforce solution?
Here are the top three things workforce solution buyers should keep in mind.
<h3>1) Insight: hiring managers need the power to make data-backed decisions</h3>
In recent years the quality and availability of <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3A6B097088C34AB78886E61D19F2F6A0&amp;_z=z">workforce analytics</a>&nbsp;has improved exponentially, helping businesses drive informed decision-making to achieve superior planning and outcomes in relation to the workforce - and the people who supply it. Workforce analytics enable the effective leveraging of resources across an entire programme. This includes identifying and tracking different aspects of the workforce, such as high performers, headcount, and turnover. By digitally tracking the availability of skills both within the business and externally in the market, leaders can identify the skills they are lacking, and determine if they should be acquired on a full-time, flexible, contingent, or statement of work basis. Supplier insights that track and benchmark supplier performance across contingent workforce programmes are also becoming increasingly important to decision making - arguably just as important as data relating to the workforce itself. Here at Guidant Global, our interactive platform for assessing supplier performance, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F6C1D61F36D94E808C7FBE3B47B7DD75&amp;_z=z">VISION</a>, has enabled us to take programme visibility to the next level with real-time data on distribution, response rate, pricing, and headcount in relation to individual suppliers. Read more about <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3A6B097088C34AB78886E61D19F2F6A0&amp;_z=z">making the most of recruitment data analytics</a>.
<h3>2) Mobility: hiring managers need solutions that suit the hybrid work world</h3>
With a growing number of people working remotely, mobile-enabled talent solutions have never been more vital. Workforce solution buyers should make it a priority to empower their hiring managers to search, screen, and interview candidates and approve timesheets and expenses from home and on the move. Candidates, too, need the option to complete the recruitment process - end to end, from assessment and interview to onboarding - on a mobile device. Digital-first solutions such as chatbots and video interviewing can be used via mobile to streamline candidate communication, both during the hiring process and beyond. The power of quick and mobile hiring journeys When our customer, a US government contractor, expanded its operations into Ireland, we helped them build a brand new local team in record time. Using bespoke chatbots to eliminate manual screening, and using video interviewing software to engage qualified candidates, we were able to increase candidate engagement with a quick and mobile recruitment process. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=6055D6C86CAF47C994F006C264F9FAED&amp;_z=z">This digital-first approach</a> removed an entire round of initial screening, saving hiring managers up to 75 hours across 100 applicants alone. It also halved time-to-hire from 20 days to 10.
<h3>3) Expertise: hiring managers need a workforce partner who can consult and advise</h3>
Contingent workers have never been a bigger part of the global workforce mix than they are today. One consequence of this &lsquo;rise of contingent&rsquo; is that there have never been so many hiring managers with limited knowledge of how to recruit and retain contingent workers. That&rsquo;s where your <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">managed service provider</a>&nbsp;(MSP) really earns their crust. The best workforce partners offer hands-on process guidance every step of the way, as well as expert advice from a legislative and regulatory perspective, to keep your hiring managers on track. This guidance can include:
<ul>
<li>what you should be paying workers to streamline costs whilst securing talent</li>
<li>what you should be paying suppliers to guarantee you get the services you need</li>
<li>coaching and training on interview best practice and candidate engagement</li>
<li>diversity and inclusion training, particularly around unconscious bias.</li>
</ul>
An outsourced workforce solution should make it as straightforward as possible for busy, and often inexperienced, hiring managers to get great talent into the business. Workforce experts who can advise, guide, and coach play a crucial role in making that possible.
<h3>Define and solve problems to get great engagement</h3>
We often remind our customers, whether they specialise in HR or procurement, that their hiring managers weren&rsquo;t hired to recruit; it&rsquo;s an add-on to their day jobs. The business needs to get something done, and they&rsquo;re tasked with finding the right person to do it. It&rsquo;s important for any outsourced workforce solution buyer to keep this in mind as they weigh up providers and solutions. The success of any new programme will depend upon how well these &lsquo;end user&rsquo; needs are understood and met. For 2022 and beyond, solutions that prioritise insight, mobility, and expertise will have the greatest chance of success.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

What do hiring managers need from an outsourced workforce solution?

Those operating in talent acquisition and management have long understood the benefits of building diverse teams and fostering an inclusive culture. However, since the beginning of the pandemic the world of work has changed significantly &ndash; and this has created both fresh opportunities and new challenges around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&amp;I).
A global boom in demand for talent, international travel restrictions, and a wholesale shift to hybrid working have all impacted how businesses find, engage, and manage their people. Add to the mix the &lsquo;Great Resignation&rsquo; as workers around the world reassess their priorities and ambitions, and it is clear that businesses must urgently reassess their DE&amp;I efforts to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape.
I spoke to Ann Bookout, Impellam&rsquo;s Head of Culture &amp; Fulfilment, about the actions needed to improve workforce DE&amp;I in 2022. Here&rsquo;s what she had to say.
<h3>Beth Armesto (BA): Ann, how would you describe the state of workforce DE&amp;I today?</h3>
Ann Bookout (AB): While we are now witnessing greater diversity at entry and mid-career level, we continue to see a lack of representation on executive leadership teams. That&rsquo;s not to say businesses are not working to address this, particularly where racial and gender representation at board level are concerned.
However, we desperately need to expand our efforts to ensure we are attracting, retaining, and growing other underrepresented groups such as disabled talent, veterans, and those with varied sexual orientations across all levels.
<blockquote>&ldquo;Of course, it is important to measure success where workforce DE&amp;I is concerned. However, I must confess I have a love-hate relationship with data capture.&rdquo;</blockquote>
The goal for inclusion is often beyond what can be measured on paper. Moving a figure from 23% to 24% is great, but what does it really mean? We need to tie data into the programmes and initiatives of organisations. Do employees feel engaged and connected? Do people feel a sense of belonging? These are the questions we need to be asking if we want to get a true idea of employee experience on the ground.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s also a current issue that has the potential to impact true diversity: attrition rates are so high that companies are just trying to get people in the door. I am concerned that decision makers are not doing the appropriate due diligence to ensure they are finding diverse talent and creating and sourcing from diverse <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0A64FC831B814E948B940D1F1AAED1E6&amp;_z=z">talent pools</a>.
I fear that businesses may be missing opportunities to strengthen DE&amp;I as they are, understandably, trying to react so rapidly. However, in some ways, attrition is helping as people are having to look &lsquo;outside the box&rsquo;, so there is a real opportunity here if action is compromised by necessity.
<h3>BA: What will it take to create true board-level diversity?</h3>
AB: Board-level diversity is now being demanded by customers and employees. But I don&rsquo;t see many companies doing it really well. Over the last 20 years we have seen investment in gender diversity, with organisations actively growing, identifying and promoting female talent to increase numbers at senior level. We now need the same investment in other areas such as LGBTQ+ and people of colour.
There was a very dedicated push to get women on boards and we need to replicate that for all elements of diversity: when you make a targeted investment like that, you do see the needle move. We need to take what we know about women in leadership and apply similar thinking to other elements of diversity.
<h3>BA: What else do you think is driving DE&amp;I workforce trends?</h3>
AB: Of course, there is still a need to focus on diversity officers and chief diversity officers. But, honestly, I think the issue is bigger than that today. Now is the time to reframe what work means to people and how we work. Covid has caused a lot of people to think, &lsquo;What do I even want to do with my life?&rsquo;
Everybody needs a pay cheque, but there is a whole group of people who are taking a step back and talking about culture and purpose and finding meaning.
<blockquote>&ldquo;How do we equip people, so they feel the job they do is meaningful?&rdquo;</blockquote>
If you are going to spend time away from your family or the people and things that you love, what you&rsquo;re doing has to have meaning &ndash; and this is what we need to communicate to all existing and potential employees. That is why we are witnessing the rise of the chief purpose officer; businesses are investing in drivers for retention in the new world of work.
<h3>BA: How should organisations be rewarding DE&amp;I success?</h3>
AB: When it comes to DE&amp;I success, the biggest barrier is people&rsquo;s time and resources. So, you have to make it part of everything you do. You can&rsquo;t just reward people for hitting their financial targets. You have to also recognise them for their contribution to culture and bringing diverse talent to the business.
<blockquote>&ldquo;Focusing on financials alone can contribute to a culture of rewarding &lsquo;toxic rockstars&rsquo;.&rdquo;</blockquote>
My job is to constantly challenge and change the questions we are asking of our workforce. You need people who are willing to question the status quo and the time and resources to make change happen. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and not everyone has the time, or the interest, or the capability to make that happen. There needs to be willingness to invest and ask some of the harder questions to achieve impactful DE&amp;I.
<h3>BA: Is there a role for greater storytelling in DE&amp;I action?</h3>
AB: When it comes to an effective DE&amp;I initiative or programme, data is only part of the solution. Uncovering and telling people&rsquo;s stories is also vital.
Focusing on the individual brings data to life. I&rsquo;ve personally witnessed the transformative power of storytelling, seeing hearts and minds change in a few moments. The cultural impact cannot be measured but it is felt more than any data on a PowerPoint slide. Creating an organisation where people can share themselves and their identities will have a much greater impact.
<blockquote>&ldquo;People crave authenticity, texture, and transparency.&rdquo;</blockquote>
We need to hear people, in leadership roles in particular, stripped back and being more vulnerable to inspire the people employed underneath them. The message should be: &lsquo;There is not a perfect path to success, but build your career here and we will help you navigate that&rsquo;.
<h3>BA: Finally, how do you think we should be measuring DE&amp;I success?</h3>
AB: Ultimately, to realise the full advantages of any DE&amp;I programme, enterprises need to:
<ul>
<li>clearly define their vision</li>
<li>develop strategic plans and a formalised framework</li>
<li>measure key metrics tracking the impact of the programme based on employee feedback, and continue to improve.</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s a clich&eacute;, but what gets measured gets done. You have to tie diversity to reward and compensation and hold people accountable. There is a column A and a column B: delivering on your business objectives in one column, and contributing to your culture through creating a diverse and inclusive environment in the other. They have to be balanced; they go hand in hand and can&rsquo;t be siloed. When that is done well, and supported by leadership, it will start to trickle down.
<blockquote>&ldquo;The idea of purpose over profit is big at the moment, but the reality is that businesses must focus on purpose and profit &ndash; they are not mutually exclusive.&rdquo;</blockquote>
We all want to make money and have stability and I truly believe that companies ultimately generate profits through finding purpose. I don&rsquo;t think there is a complete business case there yet to prove that, but I want to be part of making one.
Amid the new world of work we need to do things in a better way to attract and retain the best people and build robust, diverse, equitable, and inclusive businesses.
<h3>Need a workforce diversity and inclusion partner?</h3>
Thanks to our award-winning inclusive recruitment practices and network of diversity-specialist recruiters, our customers are building workforces and workplaces where everyone can thrive.&nbsp;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=1FAEA3D2C35148F7B4871AC1CACC454D&amp;_z=z">Access our D&amp;I guide here</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">get in touch</a>&nbsp;to learn how we can support you.

What does workforce DE&I action look like in 2022?

The value of a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">Managed Service Provider (MSP)</a>&nbsp;has rarely been as clear as it is today. With the Covid-19 pandemic changing the world of work beyond recognition, the talent supply chain must become more streamlined and flexible while also delivering cost-savings for tighter budgets. Managed Service Programmes are playing a crucial role in this period of adjustment, and in future-proofing workforce strategies.
Reliance on contingent talent is growing as agile workforce solutions become the go-to solution for meeting the peaks and troughs of demand that many sectors are facing. But with the compliant acquisition of contingent labour resources complex to say the least, the need for an expert MSP solution is critical.
In fact, we&rsquo;re having more and more human capital conversations with global businesses that are looking at their talent acquisition and contingent worker management strategies now in order to future-proof their organisations.
So, as more HR and procurement teams turn to MSP solutions, here&rsquo;s what data is needed to implement MSPs efficiently and get a great ROI on your organisation&rsquo;s investment.
<h3>Invest in getting it right now to reap the rewards</h3>
Having gone through a rigorous approach to select an MSP and the technology platform - or VMS - needed to support the programme, the implementation process will need careful management to make sure it works for everyone.
Your MSP will completely guide you through the process and you should have an implementation team managing the roll out. In order to guide you through what to expect in the process, though, we have developed an essential guide to MSP implementation which outlines the most important steps.
One area in particular that can act as a barrier to success is data.
<h3>Data access: collating information from across the business</h3>
When it comes to data, it is often a case of the more you have, the better informed you&rsquo;ll be. As HR and procurement teams are fully aware, though, when it comes to gathering information from every division in the company that is using contingent labour, a lack of centralised systems can often make the process an administrative headache.
There will be a need to collate the information from across HR, legal, procurement, accounts payable, hiring managers and any staffing suppliers so your MSP team can feed this into the VMS. But don&rsquo;t stress, a good Managed Service Provider will assist with this process.
<h3>So, what data do you need for a successful MSP implementation?</h3>
Here are the main data points that businesses need to collate:
<ul>
<li>Current worker classifications, which business areas they are deployed in and which locations fall within the scope of the MSP implementation</li>
<li>Data sets containing lists of workers, suppliers and relevant business components (such as cost centres)</li>
<li>A list of key stakeholders, timelines for contracts or projects and key milestones for each</li>
<li>Geographic location data including name, address, unique business rules, labour disciplines involved and the details of any suppliers that are being used</li>
<li>Integration points and names of any third-party applications</li>
<li>Job template data, such as titles, descriptions and rates for the non-employed workforce&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Much of this information will have already been gathered as part of the original request for proposal process. However, anything that wasn&rsquo;t should be gathered swiftly as it&rsquo;s likely to be dotted across the business and may take time to locate.
Having these conversations now will be hugely valuable. With most businesses likely to have experienced significant change in the last year, this planning will allow them to:
<ul>
<li>better understand the state of their supplier relationships</li>
<li>see how contract terms and rate cards have changed, and</li>
<li>develop a clearer picture of where contingent spend is being directed.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Get the full MSP implementation guide</h3>
For more information on how to best set your business up for success, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=CD64FF563A544FF788FA9E4597F6FAF5&amp;_z=z">download our Essential guide to successful MSP implementation</a>.

What data do you need for an MSP implementation?

So, you&rsquo;ve decided to manage your contingent workforce through an <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/what-is-outsourcing/what-is-msp">MSP</a>. What&rsquo;s next? For those who haven&rsquo;t issued a Request for Information (RFI) or a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an MSP specifically, it&rsquo;s important to know the nuances of <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/the-power-of-contingent-workforce-visibility-through-data-analytics">contingent workforce</a> information requests. And for those of you who manage these tenders regularly, it&rsquo;s always useful to have a handy checklist to work from. Here&rsquo;s our RFI and RFP checklist for procurement and HR teams.
<h2>What&rsquo;s an RFI and what should it include?</h2>
At request for information, or RFI stage you may still be working with a relatively large shortlist but want to whittle it down to only those with the right credentials, capabilities and experience. Some businesses decide to skip this phase altogether if they are confident in the abilities of their shortlist.
<h4>The top things to have on your RFI checklist are simple:</h4>
1. Company size
2. Reach 3. Headcount.
<h4>At this stage you could also ask suppliers to share:</h4>
4. Case studies that align with your company situation (ie by industry, scope, problem, or&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;objectives) 5. Examples of delivery models and available talent channels 6. The workforce management technologies they partner with 7. Supplier partnership methodology 8. How they recruit people 9.&nbsp;Why are they a good fit for us? How they go to market
10. Their approach to DEI. These questions won&rsquo;t provide any detail around how the MSP will work with your business specifically. Instead, they help you shape a picture of who you will be working with both an operational and cultural perspective. You can start understanding if they are your type of people and can you see yourself or your team working with them. 
<h2>Red flags</h2>
At RFI stage, unsuitable suppliers can be removed from the selection process if there are any red flags. Some organisations, like those in the public sector, need to ask questions to eliminate risky businesses.
<h4>For example:</h4>
11. Is the organisation under investigation for environmental offences? 12. Are there any legal activities or violations that the business is currently facing? 
<h2>What&rsquo;s an RFP and what should it include?</h2>
A request for proposals, or RFP, should be carefully designed so that the answers provided help you make the best buying decision. At this stage, you are no longer asking &lsquo;what can you do&rsquo; but &lsquo;what will you do?&rsquo; and &lsquo;how is that going to work?&rsquo; It&rsquo;s important at this stage to tailor your RFP. Suppliers can only work with what you give them. Too little information and the supplier won&rsquo;t be able to demonstrate their real value.
<h4>Questions need to cover:</h4>
13. What solution (including any technology or VMS) are you recommending and why?? &nbsp; 14. What&rsquo;s the delivery model? 15. What&rsquo;s its differentiator? 16. How will it benefit our business? 17. How will it be implemented and how long will that take? 18. How will the technology work? 19. What insights and analytics will be provided and on what frequency? 20. How will you manage talent attraction and the recruitment process? Through direct sourcing or supply chain management, for example. 21. How will you champion and monitor DEI? 22. How will you ensure continuous improvement and innovation? 23. How will the account be managed from a governance and compliance perspective? 24. Can you share customer references? These should ideally come from firms in the same sector or of a similar size and organisational structure as your own or deal with similar pain points. 25. What will it cost? 
<h2>Set expectations</h2>
It&rsquo;s important you include a detailed project scope as the more information and guidance you give the more prescriptive solution. It&rsquo;s also good practice to outline any internal restrictions or non-negotiables. Share your goals, objectives and any historic or live worker data. The more background information, insight and data you provide, the better the quality of the proposals will be &ndash; and the more likely it is that the RFP will be priced correctly. To get an accurately costed proposal, make clear and stipulate the type of commercial pricing model you need. 
<h2>Beware generic RFPs</h2>
If you&rsquo;re looking for a quality MSP partner, it helps if you use your RFP to really set the scene and illustrate what you are trying to achieve.
Don&rsquo;t worry about being &lsquo;right&rsquo; or having all the answers. Be clear on the challenges and problems and what you want to achieve. It&rsquo;s the bidder&rsquo;s job to fill these blanks. Share your vision of how you see a managed service programme creating a meaningful difference for you. Potential MSPs should read an RFP and think &lsquo;I get it&rsquo; and &lsquo;I want to be a part of it&rsquo;. This is unlikely to be the case if you use a generic &lsquo;off the shelf&rsquo; template. A copy and paste of a 100+ question RFP doesn&rsquo;t get the best out of the market. If you ask for responses to a list of stock questions. Surprise! You&rsquo;ll receive stock answers. Instead, share a condensed document of what you really need to capture the imagination of the bidder so that you get back a tailored and suitable solutions that works for you. Be realistic in your timeframes for response. Allow at least a three-week from issue to response deadline. A short timescale will only mean poorly researched, prepared and vanilla proposal. 
<h2>Content and clarity</h2>
We&rsquo;ve responded to thousands of RFPs across all industries. We&rsquo;ve seen some incredibly well thought-out, clear-minded RFPs. We&rsquo;ve also seen many that lack content, clarity and a clear understanding of what success looks like. The carefully thought-out questions in your RFP should be designed to ascertain the quality, speed, cost and risk of the propositions from each provider. If your brief doesn&rsquo;t meet this criteria, it&rsquo;ll be difficult for partners to propose a solution that brings the benefits you need for your business. A tailored request lets us demonstrate that we understand your issues and concerns and detail how we&rsquo;ll address them in a personalised way. Now that you've been wowed by the "best for you providers" a thorough discussion will help you really drill down to the best fit based potential cultural, commercial and solution alignment. Download our in-depth guide to create and RFP for outsource workforce solution <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/creating-an-rfp-for-outsourced-workforce-solutions-part-1">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/creating-an-rfp-for-outsourced-workforce-solutions-part-2">Part 2.</a>

What are the top 25 questions to ask in your RFIs and RFPs?

Whether we like it or not, most of us are now part of a remote workforce. In fact, things were headed in that direction well before the pandemic. COVID-19 has simply accelerated the remote working trend and, in many cases, made it compulsory.
It&rsquo;s a development that presents real challenges, especially for people managers and HR professionals.
How does project management remain effective when few, if any, of those collaborating on a project are in the same location? How does the concept of teamwork fit with a different kind of team, enjoying none of the normal interactions?
And how do you maintain the all-important balance between team performance and employee wellbeing in the age of distributed working?
Many leaders have had to address these issues, especially in global businesses with teams spread across multiple sites and time zones. Now they&rsquo;re on everyone&rsquo;s agenda.
<h3>Time management and the remote worker</h3>
Working remotely takes some getting used to, especially when your workplace is your home. After all, for most remote employees, home remains firmly on the &lsquo;life&rsquo; side of the &lsquo;work-life&rsquo; balance.
Perhaps the biggest challenge is time management. Your commute may now take minutes rather than hours but that apparent bonus has its dangers. It&rsquo;s too easy to get complacent about the time you have to complete a project.&nbsp;
As <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Parkinson&rsquo;s Law</a> reminds us, work always expands to fill the time available. With poor time management, working hours soon eat into other home activities. You can end up spending more time working remotely than you did in the office. For a part-time employee, this can amount to going full-time with none of the associated benefits. The work- life balance will be the first casualty, followed closely by job satisfaction.
Then there&rsquo;s the very real danger of isolation.
<h3>The challenge of communication</h3>
The absence of regular, face-to-face meetings and water-cooler conversations calls for a new approach to team interaction and communication.
It demands the right technology, ideally integrated with your business, rather than deployed as an ad hoc add-on.
Often, this technology will already be in place and you can simply extend it to remote workers. Or it may be a question of adjusting rapidly to unfamiliar communication tools such as Zoom or Skype. With project management software like Microsoft Planner or Trello you can share project updates and organize work schedules in real-time. And secure chat platforms such as Workplace or Slack are great for regular team communication.
The reliance on technology demands a new model of team interaction. Virtual meetings have different protocols. They need to be more carefully managed and formalised so that crucial aspects, such as gathering feedback or setting priorities, are not missed. In fact, formalising those all-important tasks can give the virtual meeting one advantage over the usual, often more informal, face-to-face forum.
One-to-one meetings matter too and its important to maintain their regularity. Here an employee-focused technology like <a href="https://openblend.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OpenBlend</a> can be highly effective.
<h3>Employee engagement in a digitised workplace</h3>
The digital transformation underway in every industry plays an important role in managing a distributed workforce, by bringing people together and stopping them feeling isolated.
Communications at a human level are essential for any organisation where people want to work, now and in the future. Social media provides a highly effective way to keep those workplace conversations going and employees engaged. After all, that&rsquo;s where more and more people go for their updates on the world. <a href="https://en-gb.workplace.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Workplace</a>&nbsp;by Facebook is one of a multitude of emerging &lsquo;corporate&rsquo; social media platforms, that connect everyone in an organisation including remote workers.
Other digital initiatives, such as virtual learning or wellbeing programmes, also help to make employees&rsquo; lives easier and more fulfilling, during the pandemic and beyond.
<h3>Remote working. A better kind of teamwork?</h3>
When it comes to teamwork, the advent of widescale remote working certainly concentrates the mind. HR leaders and people managers are forced to think carefully about how to keep people engaged and productive.
Remote working offers opportunities to create more effective teams and get the best out of every member. Unlike face-to-face meetings, for example, virtual meetings offer a level playing field that gives everyone a chance to contribute. It&rsquo;s no longer a question of who can talk loudest or think more quickly on their feet. By building in time to reflect, you can encourage input from every team member, remote or otherwise. That can lead to better and more considered decision making, as well as improved camaraderie.
There&rsquo;s one other big advantage for HR leaders and people managers when teams are working virtually rather than &lsquo;off-grid&rsquo;. Because their interactions happen on managed digital platforms, it&rsquo;s a lot easier to gain an overall view of projects and to track the progress people are making.
<h3>Recruiting for a remote workforce. How Guidant can help.</h3>
In the current situation, streamlining your recruitment process and making it more virtual is a clear priority. And Guidant is on hand to support you, through our partnerships with leading remote and freelancer sourcing channels.
<a href="https://www.toptal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TopTal</a> is an exclusive network of the world&rsquo;s top freelance software developers, designers, finance professionals, product and project managers, already used by many top companies.
<a href="https://themomproject.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mom Project</a> gives access to a pool of exceptionally talented professional women keen to achieve a balance between work and family life. For them, working remotely can be the perfect solution.
Then there&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.appbytap.com/howitworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Podium</a>, a route into work for talented freelancers who are disabled and find it more a of a challenge to work in conventional work situations.
A major advantage of The Mom Project and Podium is that they are sources of talent that doesn&rsquo;t fit with the traditional full-time, office-based model and remains largely untapped and under-represented in the workplace. In both cases, the increased acceptance of remote working presents a perfect opportunity to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

What are the challenges of a remote workforce?

For global organisations, supply chains are crucial routes to engaging the resources needed to support business growth. Having access to a variety of expertise able to operate in a flexible manner is hugely beneficial for organisations seeking the most cost-efficient way to run a business in a post-pandemic environment. However, managing multiple suppliers across varying locations certainly presents procurement teams with an element of risk.
The challenge is that across your own supply chain you&rsquo;re likely utilising multiple vendors, who in turn will have their own suppliers and distribution centres and so the chain becomes more of an intricate web of siloed resources interconnected in different ways.
The benefit of this approach from a talent resourcing perspective, though, is simple &ndash; by using supply chains, firms can access the skills they need at the time they need them. But the associated risks of engaging and deploying workers from multiple sources and geographies, all working in different ways and through varying employment models, are vast and complex to say the least.
So, what are the best practises concerning supply chain risk?
<h3>Identify and quantify the risks</h3>
In the first instance, a full risk assessment to identify areas of concern and quantify the potential impact on the business will provide solid foundations for a risk management program. Bear in mind that potential risks vary significantly &ndash; from information security gaps and cyber threats to employment compliance and worker security risk concerns.
That&rsquo;s why supply chain risk management (SCRM) isn&rsquo;t something that can or indeed should be handled by one siloed department. It requires involvement from beyond procurement &ndash; including external experts and contacts from across the supply chain &ndash; to identify any risks and agree how to best control these.
<h3>Think global and local</h3>
For a global business, there are local factors concerning supply chain risk management as well. This has become particularly pertinent during the pandemic where regional lockdowns have impacted supply chains. As such, it&rsquo;s important to plan for country-specific risks that could impact your vendors and the resources they supply. This includes any local legislative changes that could have an impact on your firm&rsquo;s compliance.
<h3>Make the technology work for you</h3>
Building on the above point, technology is increasingly proving valuable in SCRM. A <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=EB8A0A448A1E42E1847184B64C11DE1D&amp;_z=z">vendor management system (VMS)</a>, for example, is a software system that facilitates the procurement of contingent workers and it will often have supplier management and risk mitigation built into it. It will store the data you need to monitor and assess vendor performance &ndash; including finance tracking, payroll and invoicing data and critical candidate information.
<h3>Gain complete transparency</h3>
Where suppliers are being used to source talent &ndash; whether they are operating through a statement of Work (SOW) or an agency contract &ndash; having complete transparency over budgets and roles is key.
Knowing exactly where the responsibility lies to control costs and monitor compliance can mitigate some of the risks across the supply chain. This does, again, bring the debate around collaboration between procurement and HR teams back to the fore.
However, ensuring those involved in supply chain management are working together and have the required tools to reduce any associated risks is key. Having a centralised hub of data, for example, increases the control of the business and ensures your firm doesn&rsquo;t face over or under supply of critical resources.
<h3>Monitor your SCRM</h3>
We&rsquo;ve seen this year just how quickly circumstances can change and that has certainly acted as a catalyst for many things, including a review of supply chain risk management processes. We simply can&rsquo;t avoid change (in fact we&rsquo;d argue that it is often beneficial for workforces). However, it does mean that any supply chain risk management assessments and procedures need to be closely monitored and updated accordingly.
Your vendors and the talent they supply will be facing constantly evolving circumstances that could impact your business. Any new technology that&rsquo;s being introduced to <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C4DCE21CA4D94F66924FF8866B893A6E&amp;_z=z">manage contingent workers</a>&nbsp;and any updated IT ecosystems, for example, can add a new cyber security or data information breach risk that you need to be aware of.
<h3>Best practises concerning supply chain risk: the benefits of an MSP</h3>
The above can understandably seem like a daunting, but vital, challenge for procurement teams. But it doesn&rsquo;t have to be something that is solely owned in-house. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) not only has the supplier relationships, but also the experience to grow and shrink service requirements as you need them to, all while managing the risks for your business.
At Guidant Global, for example, we&rsquo;re well-versed in assuming control of existing supply chains and PSLs, giving them the opportunity to supply within a Guidant MSP programme. We then install governance that allows us to review performance so we can refine the supply chain to include only the very best suppliers. By building an engaged recruitment supply chain which is passionate about finding the right candidates with the right skills, we can reduce the cost of recruitment and the time to hire, while also providing timely market insight and driving innovation.
A Managed Service Provider manages the temporary worker recruitment for an organisation and is responsible for the end-to-end management of the contingent workforce &ndash; from supplier management to strategic workforce planning. While there is no &lsquo;silver bullet&rsquo; concerning supply chain risk management, utilising an MSP is one of the most effective, cost-efficient ways for a business to manage its contingent workforce and control supply chain risks.
<h4>Want to find out more about Guidant Global&rsquo;s approach to supply chain risk? Why not <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact</a>&nbsp;our team of workforce solutions experts today?</h4>

What are the best practises concerning recruitment supply chain risk?

While Statement of Work (SOW) engagements can allow employers to hire the best contingent talent to complete a project, the approach you take to building SOW into your talent strategy can vastly impact the end results.
In this article, we look at how implementing SOW as part of a Managed Service Programme (MSP), and using the expertise of a Managed Service Provider, can realise far greater cost savings than simply managing current supplier relationships within a Vendor Management System (VMS) alone.
<h3>The rise of Statement of Work services procurement</h3>
Increasingly, companies are moving away from input-focused time and materials services contracts to outcome-led SOWs in an effort to generate cost savings, as suppliers are paid based on agreed deliverables and milestones.
But research by VMS software provider SAP Fieldglass found that a staggering 1 in 4 projects weren&rsquo;t completed on time or to budget with just over a third (36%) not meeting objectives. And 41% reported &lsquo;maverick&rsquo; spend on service providers.
So what can organisations do to maximise <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/services-procurement-sow-/">statement of work </a>ROI&nbsp;by controlling costs and maintaining full visibility of their spend?
The most important thing is to engage with the right Managed Service Provider (also referred to as an MSP) who can help them achieve value for money by treating SOW as part of their existing <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">Managed Service Programme&nbsp;</a>- and not something that exists outside of it.
By engaging with the right MSP, businesses can draw on years&rsquo; worth of knowledge and experience of managing and negotiating with suppliers &ndash;&nbsp;and can start to benefit from more favourable terms and conditions. An MSP will also typically assist in supplier onboarding and VMS training, to ensure that processes are optimised just as much as terms.
But the important point about drawing on the expertise of a reputable MSP is that its experts will make a big difference to organisational spend at the source-to-contract stage of an SOW transaction &ndash; also known as the &lsquo;upstream&rsquo; stage &ndash; when pricing, scope of work and contract negotiations take place.
This is where the biggest statement of work&nbsp;gains are to be found and, because many organisations lack specialist supplier negotiation skills and labour market intelligence, upstream optimisation is arguably the biggest benefit of managing SOW within an MSP.
<h3>How does SOW work within a Managed Service Programme?</h3>
In practical terms, an MSP will help shortlist suppliers and their Request for Proposal (RFP) responses, which provide details of timelines and project pricing, and they will also identify the most suitable candidates with the appropriate skills for the work.
Another critical element of an MSP&rsquo;s upstream SOW support is compliance, ensuring that workers are classified correctly. This is vitally important, as misclassification can result in fines and even legal action.
By using a VMS to manage the project brief creation and distribution, as well as the analysis and selection of suppliers, and not just the progress and completion of the project itself, organisations start to achieve real benefits around standardisation of terms and supplier performance evaluation.
This is the difference between treating SOW services procurement&nbsp;as part of your wider MSP and keeping it separate &ndash; one approach leads to greater visibility, control and cost savings, whereas the other leads to inconsistency, greater risk, and higher costs.
<h3>Want to know more? Get the guide</h3>
To summarise then, a reputable MSP will bring the knowledge and expertise to add rigour to the buying process, so that procurement leaders can get maximum ROI from every supplier. The right MSP partner will also have the market insight and technical capability to achieve greater external workforce efficiencies while driving down costs, reducing risk and standardising processes.
If you&rsquo;d like to know more about this topic, get your copy of our guide &lsquo;Services Procurement: How to boost ROI from your hidden workforce&rsquo;. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/services-procurement-how-to-boost-roi-from-your-hidden-workforce/">Download here.</a>
&nbsp;

What are the benefits of using statement of work as part of an MSP?

Our workforces are changing rapidly. Fluid and flexibility have become the main descriptors of a future-proof business. The reliance on contract-based experts is increasing. More employers are seeing the value of utilising non-permanent resources and more individuals are choosing a flexible employment route to suit their needs.&nbsp;
But for those yet to truly tap into highly skilled <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C4DCE21CA4D94F66924FF8866B893A6E&amp;_z=z">contractors</a>&nbsp;to deliver short-term projects, you might be wondering exactly what the contractual staffing benefits are for your firm.
Here are just a few:
<h3>Wider skills availability</h3>
With ever changing business goals, HR departments are facing increasing pressure to source new skills that aren&rsquo;t necessarily available in existing talent pools. Contractor staffing solutions can be hugely beneficial here, particularly where expertise is in short supply.
If we take tech skills as an example, there has long been a <a href="https://workplaceinsight.net/shortage-of-tech-skills-and-600000-job-vacancies-costing-uk-economy-63-billion-a-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gap between supply and demand</a> of specific digital abilities that has made permanent resourcing a challenge. However, there are significant numbers of tech contractors that are looking for part-time project work. Bringing these temporary workers on board when needed means that the organisation can access the skills it needs, when it needs them.
Perhaps more importantly, though, bringing these external experts in can really help improve and develop the knowledge within the business. If utilised correctly, contractors will often impart valuable information to the permanent workforce that can help build internal skills and processes.&nbsp;
<h3>A balance of flexibility and speed</h3>
Flexibility is the key phrase for candidates at the moment, with wider talent pools vying for a more adaptable way of working. But it&rsquo;s not just the workforce that will reap the rewards of more fluid employment options. For HR and procurement teams, greater flexibility means that the business can remain agile in its approach to acquiring skills which in turn better enables the firm to adapt to changing economic trends. Perhaps more importantly, though, contractor staffing solutions offer greater speed in hiring
<h3>Limited long-term impact on costs</h3>
While full time employees are hugely valuable for day-to-day business operations, contract workers can, more often than not, prove more cost effective. When hiring a full-time member of staff, employers absorb additional costs on a longer-term basis. Aside from the regular salary commitment, there&rsquo;s also the financial impact of training, upskilling and on-boarding. That&rsquo;s not to say that each of these aren&rsquo;t important or aren&rsquo;t required for contractors, of course. But with temporary employees, businesses aren&rsquo;t committing to increased overheads on a permanent basis.
In the volatile economy that we&rsquo;re experiencing where change is the new normal, this is particularly beneficial. For many companies, the skills that are needed now are unlikely to remain the same in the immediate and long-term future.&nbsp;
<h3>Seasonal demand and project support</h3>
In line with some of the benefits outlined above, contractor staffing is valuable where there is an expected temporary need for additional resources or skills. For some sectors this may be a seasonal change in business activity, but for most, it will likely be one-off projects that need extra support to get off the ground.
If we continue with the technology example, where a company might be implementing digital transformation across the business &ndash; such as new infrastructure to streamline business operations &ndash; then contractors can fill the staffing gaps that may exist to ensure this is effectively rolled out. And what&rsquo;s particularly valuable is that the employer can pick and choose exactly what type of resources are temporarily invested in. If you have the in-house capability to deliver the project, but need the strategic guidance from a more experienced expert, then you can seek out a contract professional to drive the project.&nbsp;
<h3>Manage your external workforce to maximise the benefits</h3>
Clearly there&rsquo;s a wealth of contractor staffing benefits and we have covered just a few of the top reasons why contractors can be valuable for a firm. However, if employers and HR teams are to really make the most of this talent pool and any contract staffing services, complete transparency is needed across the supply chain. Staffing agencies can, for example, help support the supply of contractors. But how these individuals are engaged, at what cost, where they can be redeployed and, critically, whether they are operating compliantly, is naturally a key concern for HR departments and procurements teams.
<div>That&rsquo;s where partnering with a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">Managed Service Provider (MSP)</a>&nbsp;can add real value. A good MSP can manage the temporary worker recruitment for an organisation and is responsible for the end-to-end management of the contingent workforce. Utilising a Managed Service Provider is one of the most effective, cost-efficient ways for a business to manage its contingent workforce. &nbsp;</div>
<h4>Want to know more about the business case for outsourced MSP services? Access our guide today by completing the form below</h4>
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What are the benefits of contractor staffing for businesses?

The most successful recruitment operations are those that continually adapt to meet changing market needs to deliver fresh solutions for the workplace of today.&nbsp;
Previous research by Guidant Global has found that while MSPs are generally viewed as industry experts which can use their experience, expertise and knowledge to drive relevant business efficiencies, there is a widespread desire for the industry to deliver in a better way by focusing the lens firmly on innovation and people.&nbsp; The research went as far as to highlight how customers feel a lack of innovation is as detrimental to relationships as poor performance and that there is a greater desire for strategic thinking and not just tactical solutions as the global market continues to shift.&nbsp; Customers also reported that a flexible service model is needed to accommodate changing needs and expectations and that international expertise is desirable even to those not seeking an international solution. With this in mind, we have several systems in place to ensure that we continue to deliver on these requirements.&nbsp; Firstly, we offer Program Maturity Modelling which is a process that aligns to SIA industry-standard constructs and is supplemented by our own expertise of what makes a highly successful programme.&nbsp; Secondly, we have developed our own Programme Performance Model to offer full transparency for our programmes and to drive innovation and operational excellence.&nbsp; It comprises of three key stages: stage one is a transactional audit to ensure the programme is fully compliant and meets the standards and KPIs expected; stage two is a more detailed end-to-end assessment of the programme processes to understand exactly how it is managed &ndash; including technology, supplier optimisation, business reviews and stakeholder engagement; finally, stage three is the identification of areas for improvement and prioritisation of specific project plans to advance, grow and expand the programme in partnership with the client and in line with their evolving business needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3 class="lead"><a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">What is an MSP? | Find out more</a></h3>
In addition, we have also invested in Talent Data Exchange (TDX) &ndash; the world&rsquo;s most advanced, AI-driven workforce analytics platform. This provides industry performance benchmarking against a wide range of indicators. &nbsp; Finally, to measure success through competitor benchmarking, we call on a wide range of mechanisms including internal win/loss reviews and third party research from organisations including SIA, Everest and Nelson Hall.&nbsp; Becoming a market leader doesn&rsquo;t happen by accident. We pride ourselves on offering a collaborative, consultative and holistic approach to talent acquisition which differentiates Guidant Global from its competitors &ndash; and benchmarking is key to ensuring we stay ahead of the curve.&nbsp;
To find out what an MSP really means for your business, download our handbook <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/the-msp-handbook-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

What are managed service providers (MSPs) using to benchmark and assess their processes?

More than any other event in recent history, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of organizational agility. When we look to the future, it&rsquo;s clear that being able to move quickly and seamlessly from one operating environment to another will be key to sustainable success.
But how can procurement teams create more nimble, resilient talent supply chains and processes? And how can this support strategic organizational goals? <a href="https://youtu.be/sh-fc0-zcIY">In this webinar</a>, chaired by global CPO community Procurement Leaders, Guidant Global's Marie France, VP Client Service, and Pam Beard, Global VP Technology Management, explored the organizational changes needed to remain competitive in the competition for talent and customers. Watch the webinar below&nbsp;to learn:
<ul>
<ul>
<li>why process redesign is such a crucial factor in the search for agility</li>
<li>the innovative tech solutions that are driving this digital and process transformation</li>
<li>how greater agility translates into more effective workforce strategies, to directly support organizational strategic goals.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<h4>Want to learn more about agility? Get the guide</h4>
In this uncertain environment, agility has become a key competitive differentiator. But how can businesses become more agile, and what role does the contingent workforce play in achieving agility?
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Webinar: Improving agility in services procurement and CWM – watch now

Guidant Global is proud to announce that Vice President of Client Solutions <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/arseniobell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arsenio T. Bell </a>has been named in Staffing Industry Analysts&rsquo;s <a href="http://40under40.staffingindustry.com/2023-40-under-40-at-a-glance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">40 under 40 list for 2023</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="http://40under40.staffingindustry.com/2023-40-under-40-at-a-glance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) published its seventh annual 40 Under 40 list</a> highlighting staffing&rsquo;s next generation of leaders and recognizing professionals that are making significant contributions to the world of work early on in their careers.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In a time of great challenge and great opportunity, it&rsquo;s exciting to honor the leaders recognized in this year&rsquo;s 40 under 40 class,&rdquo; said SIA President Barry Asin. &ldquo;Congratulations to our 2023 honorees for pushing forward undeterred and bringing a new generation of leadership to the industry. The 2023 class of 40 Under 40 honorees prove that the trials you face can make you stronger, better, and more driven than ever. With that kind of attitude from staffing leaders of tomorrow, the industry&rsquo;s future looks incredibly bright.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Based in North Carolina, Arsenio has over 15 years of experience in the recruitment and staffing industry. He is passionate about making significant connections within business to make a real difference to companies and organizations in efficiency, productivity, and diversity.&nbsp; Since joining Guidant in 2022, he was named Rookie of the Year at the Impellam Group&rsquo;s Annual Performance Summit. He has led the successful pursuit and solution designs of both national and global client-managed service provider programs, and when competing against other MSPs, he has a 40% new client win rate. He has secured new clients for both first- and second-generation MSP programs.&nbsp; &ldquo;Being named in the SIA 40 under 40 list means so much to me, because for me this honor also celebrates every manager, colleague, senior leader, mentor, advisor, coach, and executive sponsor &ndash; that decided to take the time to invest in me to have a meaningful career in our industry,&rdquo; states Arsenio. &ldquo;No one is successful alone, and I am eternally grateful to every single person that cared enough to contribute to the professional and man I have become.&rdquo;&nbsp; This is not the first time in 2023 where a member of the team has been acknowledged by SIA. In May 2023, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/diversity-champion-marie-france-promoted-to-senior-vice-president-of-guidant-global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marie France was named in Staffing Industry Analysts' 2023 list of &ldquo;Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion Influencers &ndash; US and Canada</a>&rdquo;. The elite list is made up of 49 professionals in the workforce solutions ecosystem that stand out in their commitment to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their organizations and communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

VP of Client Solutions Arsenio T. Bell named in Staffing Industry Analysts’s 40 under 40 list for 2023

Rapid digitalisation has transformed the way organisations find, hire and manage the talent they need to stay competitive. But with such a frantic pace of change, how can HR and procurement leaders keep up with innovations in talent tech?
At the recent 2021 SIG Procurement Technology Summit, Catalytic CEO Sean Chou and I unpicked two of the hottest talent tech trends of the moment: the rise of automation and the emergence of citizen developers. Watch the recording of our session to learn how:
<ul>
<li>repetitive and data-driven tasks can be handled by tech</li>
<li>even non-coders can now adapt systems (thanks to tech)</li>
<li>we benefit from our partnership with automation platform Catalytic</li>
</ul>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dhnJyJrYYk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe> 
<h3>Get the full tech trends report</h3>
For more insight, check out our report <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A6F9AC5D5BDF4317A22F0F98220433BD&amp;_z=z">6 talent tech trends for 2021 &amp; beyond</a>. It goes deeper into the world of talent tech to reveal the four other key digital trends that are changing the face of recruitment.
<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A6F9AC5D5BDF4317A22F0F98220433BD&amp;_z=z">Download your copy now</a>

Video: How automation and citizen coders are transforming talent management

A comprehensive overview of the shortage of talent in key sectors of the US economy, and what employers can do about it.
While predictions suggest that the United States might narrowly avoid the recession that most of Europe is facing, it has a serious challenge on its hands: addressing the shortage of workers.&nbsp; A scarcity of talent has been a big concern for employers across a range of sectors for most of 2022. In order to identify the scale of this challenge, we analysed staff availability across a range of sectors for our <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/us-talent-shortages-2023-a-talent-scarcity-report/">Talent Scarcity Report 2022/23: The State of the US Labor Market.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a> Here&rsquo;s an insight into what we found.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Candidates placing more value on ESG&nbsp;</h2>
During tough economic times it&rsquo;s easy to assume that offering more money will entice more workers. This is both an incorrect assumption and frankly, an unsustainable approach for firms. Our research shows that financial incentives can only go so far in the US war for talent.&nbsp; Instead, people want to progress their career and they want to work for a business that cares.&nbsp; The pandemic put more emphasis than ever before on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks. The fall out of the Great Resignation saw individuals have greater choice over who they want to work for. Brands with the greatest appeal were those that treated their people well during the difficult months of Covid.&nbsp;&nbsp; Add the climate crisis and movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo to the mix and it&rsquo;s no wonder so many American citizens want to work for an employer that has an environmental and socio-economic commitment.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>Diversity Equality and Inclusion (DEI) still a challenge&nbsp;</h2>
While the workforce is certainly placing more emphasis on working with an employer that has similar cultural and ethical values, there&rsquo;s still more work needed on the diversity agenda. Almost every sector we analysed had a need for greater workforce diversity.&nbsp; This was more obvious in sectors which have long struggled with stereotypes. Oil &amp; Gas and Life Sciences &amp; Pharmaceuticals are prime examples. Both have long been known to be male dominated environments. Progress may have been made, but more clearly still needs to be done.&nbsp;
<h2>Digital skills in short supply&nbsp;</h2>
Digital talent has been in high demand across a range of sectors in the States for some time now, however the scarcity of workers has been more notable in certain specialisms. Finance and banking have seen particularly high demand for FinTech experts, largely driven by the continued need for digitisation of the sector.
However, the recent news that tech giants have laid off large numbers of individuals will likely change the digital talent landscape in the coming months.&nbsp;
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW267493363 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">Large scale demand following job losses&nbsp;</h2>
The impact of the Great Rehiring followed by the Great Resignation is still playing out across the US. Throughout 2022, the demand for workers has remained high. <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/employment-up-in-46-states-for-year-ended-october-2022.htm">Data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that employment levels were up across 46 states for the year ending October 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp; In any normal environment, an uplift in those in employment makes hiring difficult, with fewer candidates in the market for a new job. The challenge for businesses today is more acute thanks to the Great Resignation, which has seen people move jobs on a greater scale than most of us are used to.&nbsp;&nbsp; This trend may have come to light in the first half of the year, but it&rsquo;s by no means disappeared. According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (<a href="https://equitablegrowth.org/jolts-day-graphs-september-2022-edition/#:~:text=Below%20are%20a%20few%20key,hires%20decreased%20to%206.1%20million.">JOLTS</a>) from the BLS, almost 4.1 million workers quit in September 2022. That&rsquo;s a lot of movement in the market for employers to contend with.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>How to address the US Labour Market Talent Scarcity&nbsp;</h2>
There&rsquo;s no simple way of addressing the talent scarcity across the US, but there are ways to help move this issue towards a resolution:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>DEI: It goes without saying that more needs to be done to improve diverse recruitment across the entire talent supply chain. Limiting the pool of candidates is never advisable (after all, a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/workforce-management/build-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-for-better-normal">diverse workforce</a> is more productive, innovative and motivated). Doing so when there&rsquo;s not enough workers makes even less sense.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Be a caring employer: People have more choice over the brands they want to work with. As a result, if your company doesn&rsquo;t make the cut for talent pools, you&rsquo;re going to struggle to recruit. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/complete-guide-to-building-a-unique-evp">Demonstrating where you stand</a> on the ESG agenda will be a game changer for 2023.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Use data and technology: <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/harnessing-the-power-of-automation-in-recruitment">Data can be hugely valuable</a> in streamlining workforce management. Knowing which suppliers are most effective, where talent can be utilised from other areas of the business and how much spend is being channelled into certain routes is a must.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Support skills development: More immediate solutions might be needed, but the ultimate challenge is that some skills are simply in increasingly short supply. Being involved in growing skills should always be on your agenda. </li>
<li>Use your partnerships: Every business is struggling with a scarcity of talent. Work with your partners to get the external advice on where improvements can be made to broaden your talent pools.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</li>
</ul>
Find out more about the talent scarcity in the US by downloading our <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/us-talent-shortages-2023-a-talent-scarcity-report/">Talent Scarcity Report 2023: State of the US Labor Market.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

US Talent Shortages 2023: A Talent Scarcity Report

How you choose to approach contingent labour can vary dramatically depending on where you are in the world. Factors that can shape this approach include diverse regional regulations, compliance laws, culture, talent availability and market maturity.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s unsurprising then that many multinational enterprises have adopted nuanced strategies, including utilising regional or local managed service providers (MSPs), to unlock regional value and overcome the talent supply challenges they face.
Yet these regional approaches are not devoid of challenges. Major issues can arise between cross-functional stakeholders in different regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s human resources, procurement or finance stakeholders, each brings a slightly different set of experiences, objectives and expectations to the table that may or may not align with the strengths and weaknesses of a particular supplier.&nbsp;
<h4>The use of a contingent workforce is growing</h4>
Percentage of executives who say they are increasingly using contingent, seasonal, intermittent, or consultant workers
<img style="height: 345px; width: 730px;" src="-/media/f910f31c9fe1495882ebe974eb36f5df.ashx?h=345&amp;w=730" alt="Graph">
The result is a stand-off where different functions and different stakeholders clash over lead roles, the objectives that need to be met and the supplier considerations required to fulfil these objectives. Further, with markets that have a concentrated mix of supply, the idea of potentially contracting with competitors in that market could be challenging to say the least. However, there is a growing demand from multinational organisations for a more global MSP solution. This is driven in part by growing sophistication within the space, particularly in the evolution of contingent labour and MSP technology. Subsequently, organisations are increasingly looking to take advantage of this across their portfolio. Shifting workforce ecosystems are also driving the need for global MSP solutions. The long-term and pronounced trend towards a rebalancing of the workforce mix, from full-time employment to flexible labour, shows no signs of slowing down. Contingent workers now make up a significant portion of the pie and are an increasingly important part of the overall workforce strategy.&nbsp;
<h3>Talent acquisition in a crisis</h3>
It would be naive of any global business to neglect the versatility, flexibility and scalability offered by this burgeoning pool of contingent workers. Take the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic; as organisations require an unprecedented number of employees to work remotely, the business case for access to a flexible, scalable workforce of non-permanent workers speaks for itself. It would be naive of any global business to neglect the versatility, flexibility and scalability offered by this burgeoning pool of contingent workers. Compounding this is a growing awareness and readiness for total talent engagements in many maturing markets. In turn, there is a greater appetite than ever before to address this in major regions across the globe. Each of these factors are driving organisations to look at talent more strategically and many are adopting an enterprise-wide view to understand and leverage these assets within their workforce plan.&nbsp; However, some organisations mistakenly think they can do a simple copy-and-paste replication of the same model and place it everywhere they do business. This just doesn&rsquo;t work. So how can you ensure regional success with a global model? Well, it comes down to gathering detailed requirements at a very local level, which can then flow through all of the business areas that consume contingent labour, including IT, legal, finance, HR and procurement.&nbsp;&nbsp; It&rsquo;s about looking at each region uniquely and understanding how local governance can impact the way the solution is developed. It&rsquo;s also about understanding the different ways of working, including accounting and finance requirements, how invoices are received and paid, how shifts are managed, how labour is requested, delegation of approval and so on.&nbsp;
<h3>Technology</h3>
Of course, we can&rsquo;t talk about an international solution to contingent labour without considering the technology that ties all the necessary workforce data, information and billing together into a cohesive whole. This is a major part of ensuring local success in a global programme. First, it&rsquo;s essential to implement an enterprise-wide procured pay system for contingent labour. This establishes a single system of record, common reporting, delegations of authority and financial controls, which all mirror corporate standards and best practice. At Guidant Global, we recommend a standard Vendor Management System (VMS) that is globally deployed, at least in essential markets. In doing so, many of the benefits of a global MSP solution can be accomplished, even with regional selection.
&nbsp;
<h4>MSP spend is increasingly focussed on global programs</h4>
<img style="height: 308px; width: 405px;" src="-/media/c50d2ee3e3694d0a8d4f337c96e58f23.ashx?h=308&amp;w=405" alt="Graph">
The technology can be enabled with parent-child tenants, so that you can utilise multiple talent providers. This lets you retain the enterprise-wide reporting that aligns to similar standards, parameters and definitions, without sacrificing considerations around regional supplier strengths, objectives and capabilities, as well as regional or market-based needs and solution requirements. Integration is also key, enabling the enterprise solution to dial into local requirements. This ensures a holistic process, elimination of manual duplication, a tight audit trail, firm compliance and alignment with local standards. All are critical considerations regardless of whether you are operating in a familiar market or expanding into somewhere new. Finally, with a VMS configured to support local requirements, your systems of record become an enabler promoting efficiency that, from a compliance perspective, is an area where we see tremendous value.&nbsp; Ultimately, our approach equips you with a solution that promotes global alignment, while enabling every arm of your business to unlock the regional value required for growth.
<h3>Roadmap to success</h3>
Guidant Global first contracted with a publicly traded, global mobility company in 2007. At that time, it was a US-based solution only. Fast forward to today and Europe is now their largest market, Asia is becoming an increasingly bigger portion of their global market share and North America is actually shrinking as a percentage of their overall business.&nbsp; We have now successfully targeted other markets based on utilisation, demand and readiness. This includes Germany, the UK, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, France, Luxembourg, India and China.&nbsp; At each stage, we were able to come with definitive proof points from the countries that went before them, and bring forward those examples of how we were able to take cost out, improve efficiency, increase compliance, visibility and reporting, ensure talent quality was enhanced and availability improved. We think the results speak for themselves. We now have upwards of 80 per cent of their global contingent labour in the programme, with a continuing roadmap to pick up the other key markets. Time-to-fill and fill-rates are in the 99 to 100 per cent range, our fill-rate is more than double their internal processes, and fill time is less than a third of what they spend on direct hires. The company also hired more than 90 contract workers directly from the programme, without any fees being charged. In 2019, spend under management was $83.8 million, with $7.9 million in direct savings and $8.3 million in indirect savings.

Unlocking regional value with global solutions

As any business evolves and grows, the need for effective recruitment and workforce management strategy becomes increasingly important. To address this, many business leaders are adopting maturity models to assess the level of maturity in their recruitment processes.
<h3>What is a Maturity Model?</h3>
A maturity model is a framework that helps companies evaluate and improve their processes, capabilities, and practices. It provides a structured approach to measure the maturity level of a specific area within a company. Maturity models typically consist of different stages or levels, each representing a specific level of maturity.
&nbsp;
<h3>Benefits of Using a Maturity Model in Workforce Management:</h3>
<h4>Assessing a business&rsquo;s current position</h4>
Implementing a maturity model enables a company or organization to objectively assess their current recruitment and workforce management processes and identify areas that could be improved. By understanding the existing gaps, they can develop targeted strategies to enhance their recruitment function.
<h4>Benchmarking processes</h4>
Maturity models provide a standardized framework for benchmarking processes against industry best practices. This enables the comparison of their performance with others in the same industry or sector, in order to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
<h4>Creating a roadmap for development and progression</h4>
Maturity models provide a roadmap to progress from one maturity level to the next. It helps define goals, prioritize actions, and allocate resources effectively, ensuring a strategic approach to workforce management.
<h4>How to Implement a Maturity Model in Workforce Management</h4>
1. Define the Maturity Levels: The first step in implementing a maturity model is to define the different maturity levels that align with an organization's goals and objectives. Common maturity levels include ad hoc, repeatable, defined, managed, and optimized.
2. Assess Current State: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the organization's current processes against the defined maturity levels. This involves evaluating key aspects such as sourcing strategies, candidate selection, onboarding, diversity and inclusion practices, and technology adoption.
3. Identify Gaps and Prioritize Actions: Analyze the assessment findings to identify gaps and areas for improvement. Prioritize actions based on the potential impact and feasibility, considering the organization's resources and capabilities.
4. Develop Improvement Initiatives: Develop targeted improvement initiatives to address the identified gaps. These initiatives may include streamlining recruitment workflows, enhancing candidate experience, implementing technology solutions, or upskilling recruiters.
5. Monitor and Measure Progress: Implement metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the progress of the improvement initiatives. Regularly review and assess the effectiveness of the actions taken, making necessary adjustments along the way.
<h3> About the author</h3>
Carolyn Fortenberry is Senior Vice President of the Customer Office of the Impellam Group. She specialises in innovative approaches to identifying and unlocking opportunities for lifelong value, continued growth and partnerships for clients across the Impellam Group, including Guidant Global. She has 20 years&rsquo; experience in workforce management and looks to objectively lead and elevate conversions to ensure alignment with client strategic initiatives.

Understanding the Maturity Model in Workforce Management

How to make your workplace more welcoming for neurodiverse people
Equality and diversity have been given greater space in the media this year. From the gender wage gap data, to the #MeToo movement, to Black Lives Matter, we are all fighting for and driving towards a more equal future. But one form of diversity &mdash; neurodiversity &mdash; hasn&rsquo;t quite received the same level of attention. In fact, very few of us understand what neurodiversity is. To quote author and academic John Elder Robison, an influential figure in the neurodiversity movement: &ldquo;Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal, natural variation in the human genome. This represents a new and fundamentally different way of looking at conditions that were traditionally pathologized; it&rsquo;s a viewpoint that is not universally accepted though it is increasingly supported by science&rdquo; It is also important to understand that there is no such thing as a &ldquo;normal&rdquo; mind. For those of us who aren&rsquo;t neurodiverse, our brains are in the language of the neurodiversity movement, neurotypical.
<h3>Can autism be cured?</h3>
Conditions such as autism aren&rsquo;t diseases that can be cured; rather, they are different ways of seeing, different thought processes, and different understandings of the world around us. Contrary to popular belief, autism cannot be treated. There is no miracle cure. And nor should there be. Throughout history, some of the greatest minds of their generations were autists. From Mozart, to Albert Einstein, to Charles Darwin, the world would be a very different (and possibly bleaker) place without these unique perspectives driving knowledge and creativity forward. If you don&rsquo;t embrace neurodiversity in your workplace, you could be missing out on potentially groundbreaking talent.
<h3>Unravelling the autism myths</h3>
First of all, let&rsquo;s dispel some myths about autism. Autism is a lifelong development disability, it can&rsquo;t be grown out of, and it can&rsquo;t be cured. It&rsquo;s also important to stress that autism is not new, despite some people&rsquo;s insistence that it is a recent phenomenon. More than one in a hundred people are believed to be on the autism spectrum &mdash; though the figure is likely to be much higher, with many people living undiagnosed. Many people choose to live undi-agnosed too. As the saying goes within the neurodiversity movement &mdash; if you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. Not everyone who is on the spectrum will display identical tendencies. In fact, it is very unlikely. Autists are as unique as neurotypicals. How many non-autists do you know that have identical personalities?
<h3>The different ways neurodiverse people experience the world</h3>
There are, generally speaking, four areas of experience differentials. These are social communication, social interaction, sensory, and social imagination. Not every autist will have different ways of noticeable differences in all four areas, with some people only displaying significant differences in one area. For many autists, heightened sensory awareness is an everyday occurrence. Though we are always taught that we have five senses, there are actually seven, with autists having different experiences in one or more.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Tactile</li>
<li>Auditory</li>
<li>Visual</li>
<li>Olfactory</li>
<li>Gustatory</li>
<li>Pro-prioception</li>
<li>Vestibular</li>
</ol>
<h3>How to make your workplace autism-friendly</h3>
Now that we all understand what autism and neurodiversity are, the question is: how do we make workplaces autism-friendly? The charity <a href="https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ambitious about Autism</a> recommends the following accommodations:
<ul>
<li>Use someone&rsquo;s name first to get attention</li>
<li>Try to find what works well for the individual</li>
<li>Do not assume that the person knows what you intend to do &mdash; explain what will happen and why</li>
<li>Speak and write in clear, literal sentences</li>
<li>Allow 6 seconds for people to process information</li>
<li>Use visual information to reiterate your point where possible</li>
<li>Be aware of the sensory differences listed above</li>
<li>Never promise anything that can&rsquo;t be guaranteed</li>
<li>Deliver what you say you will</li>
<li>Don&rsquo;t expect or demand eye contact</li>
<li>Ensure meeting times and agendas are set in advance</li>
<li>Formalise catchups on defined times and days</li>
<li>Support the generalisation of concepts and skills from one task/project to the other</li>
<li>Favour the assignment of clear tasks whilst allowing space and time for creative thinking in specific workshops</li>
<li>Break down the sequence of tasks to achieve and be clear on timelines</li>
<li>Give advance warning of any changes or cancellations</li>
</ul>
Whilst these tips aren&rsquo;t all encompassing, they are simple steps that every organisation can make to accommodate neurodiverse staff. Beyond this, they are steps that should be useful to all staff, making a working environment that is more inclusive for all.
<h3>Diversity &amp; inclusion at Guidant Global</h3>
&ldquo;Our approach to diversity &amp; inclusion has always been a proactive one, and with the launch of our INfluence programme this year our focus is to continue to lead, educate and inspire all things inclusion. We were extremely proud to host a breakfast seminar with Ambitious About Autism to bring awareness and education to our employees and partners alike. We plan to host many more of these seminars throughout the year, covering a variety of important and inspiring topics. There are so many unnecessary barriers that society has created around certain groups of people and it is our job to actively remove those barriers.&rdquo; Nicky Hale, Head of Talent Engagement&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Understanding autism in the workplace

A new scientific instrument built in Wales will lead the search for life on Mars at the end of this decade. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67494876">The new instrument &ndash; named Enfys - is an infrared spectrometer due to be assembled at Aberystwyth University.</a> It will be fitted to the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover, which will start its journey to Mars in 2028.&nbsp;
The development cost of &pound;10.7m ($13.4m) is due to be announced by science minister Andrew Griffith at the UK Space Conference in Belfast on Thursday.&nbsp;
The new Mars rover, Rosalind Franklin, is designed to do something completely new, to drill and retrieve rock samples from more than a metre underground. It is thought any evidence of present or past life will be found beneath the planet's surface. &nbsp;
Aberystwyth University will be assisted on the new build by the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London, STFC RAL Space in Harwell, Oxfordshire, and Qioptiq Ltd in St Asaph, Denbighshire.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelforrester/">Joel Forrester,</a> Client Solutions Director, UK &amp; Europe at Guidant Global states "It is incredibly exciting to see such pioneering spirit from a UK based brand, leading the charge in innovation on a Global scale.&nbsp;
Their contribution to the defence and space sector, through this achievement, is a true statement to the relentless pursuit of progress and ingenuity born from the British Isles.&rdquo;&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a wealth of opportunities in the Aerospace and Defence sector. Guidant Global&rsquo;s recent survey, carried out in partnership with Defence Online, asked respondents from across the Defence sector for their input into what is affecting and influencing talent in the industry. &nbsp;
The <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/insights/page/gated-content/read-the-report-delivering-the-defence-workforce-of-the-future-/">resulting report</a> demonstrated that where many of the UK&rsquo;s core industries continuing to experience prolonged talent shortages, the Defence sector is no exception. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/insights/hiring-challenges-in-aerospace-and-defence/">Challenges </a>include competition for STEM talent, a generation of skilled workers set to retire in the next decade, and a lack of diversity and inclusion.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/insights/page/gated-content/read-the-report-delivering-the-defence-workforce-of-the-future-/">Download the full report</a> to access the latest insight into talent within the defence sector and explore: &nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The implications of STEM shortages on the Defence sector and what can be done about it</li>
<li>Opportunities to diversify the defence supply chain&nbsp;</li>
<li>Diversity and inclusion in the sector&nbsp;</li>
<li>The role of contingent labour in the sector&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/insights/page/gated-content/read-the-report-delivering-the-defence-workforce-of-the-future-/">&nbsp;Click here to access the free-to-download survey report today.&nbsp;</a>

UK space industry continues to grow in journey to Mars, driving skills demand in defence and STEM 

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
The UK's defence sector faces a potential setback in comparison to other nations due to a shortage of STEM talent, according to our recent research report, written in collaboration with Defence Online.&nbsp;
The report, titled "<a class="Hyperlink SCXW79999907 BCX0" href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/read-the-report-delivering-the-defence-workforce-of-the-future-/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Delivering the Defence Workforce of the Future</a>," reveals that 83% of key decision-makers fear technological lag due to a lack of skills, while 77% are concerned about a decline in defence capabilities and 72% worry about economic growth.&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;Engineering skills are notably scarce, with 48% of defence employers reporting a shortage, alongside deficiencies in cyber &amp; digital (33%) and manufacturing &amp; mechanical (25%) skills.&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;While 50% of employers are engaging with educational institutions, Guidant Global warns that more immediate and innovative solutions are needed. Joel Forrester, Client Solutions Director at Guidant Global, emphasized the urgency of addressing the STEM skills shortage to safeguard the defence sector's competitiveness, highlighting the need for both short-term and long-term strategies.<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
&nbsp; "Only 16% of respondents were collaborating with specialized STEM workforce providers,&rdquo; stated Joel. &ldquo;This suggests there are overlooked opportunities to address immediate skill needs as well as in the long term.&rdquo;&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;He emphasized the urgency of strategic action on this STEM skills shortage, stating that the defence sector risks falling behind without prompt intervention.&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
"Guidant Global's have demonstrated a commitment to working with partners to future-proof the sector and help employers overcome key people-related challenges,&rdquo; he continues. &ldquo;This report justifies this commitment; it underscores the importance of balancing long-term solutions with immediate measures to maintain the sector's competitiveness amid global uncertainties.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
<a class="Hyperlink SCXW79999907 BCX0" href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/read-the-report-delivering-the-defence-workforce-of-the-future-/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Download the full report.</a><span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
The new approaches to reducing skills shortages in defence sector with Guidant Global<span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
<span class="NormalTextRun SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="A3" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{&quot;ObjectId&quot;:&quot;ebd924ff-7ea1-4ae1-b92d-f1467e38910b|33&quot;,&quot;ClassId&quot;:1073872969,&quot;Properties&quot;:[469775450,&quot;A3&quot;,201340122,&quot;1&quot;,134233614,&quot;true&quot;,469778129,&quot;A3&quot;,335572020,&quot;99&quot;,134224900,&quot;true&quot;,201342446,&quot;1&quot;,201342448,&quot;1&quot;,201342449,&quot;1&quot;,469777841,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777842,&quot;Open Sans Light&quot;,469777843,&quot;Aptos&quot;,469777844,&quot;Aptos&quot;,201341986,&quot;1&quot;,469769226,&quot;Aptos,Open Sans Light&quot;,335551500,&quot;0&quot;,268442635,&quot;20&quot;,469778324,&quot;Default Paragraph Font&quot;]}">Trusted with over &pound;230 million spend under management (SUM) in the Aerospace and Defence sector, Guidant Global manages clients&rsquo; workforces and securing the best talent, from low-skill, high volume roles to niche-skilled engineering, technology, digital and business support roles.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW79999907 BCX0">
For more information, <a class="Hyperlink SCXW79999907 BCX0" href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch with our team.</a><span class="EOP SCXW79999907 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
</div>

UK’s defence sector at risk of falling behind other countries as the STEM skills shortages rage on 

To engage in a comprehensive RFP process is a significant investment in time, effort and money. In many cases, businesses should consider alternative approaches.
In the world of procurement, the RFP has become the go-to way for organisations seeking out new Managed Service Programmes (MSP) or Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions. On the surface, an RFP makes a great deal of sense. Done well, an RFP is contextually complete and deep with data, providing workforce solutions providers with all the information they need to build a detailed, comprehensive proposal. But in many cases, businesses go down the RFP route when a simpler, less time-consuming option would be more appropriate.
<h3>What are the alternatives?</h3>
Today, RFPs are issued too regularly for simple programmes that don&rsquo;t require the level of detail that one would expect to see in a request for proposal. For smaller MSP or RPO programmes (I would suggest that any programme with an annual spend of less than &pound;20 million would fall into this category), the time, effort and money that would need to be invested in a good RFP would be better spent working directly with selected suppliers to shape the right solution for your business. Instead of an RFP, a concise briefing document issued to a few selected suppliers is the tendering method that makes the most sense. Invite a proposal and pitch from each supplier and select the most suitable, both structurally and culturally. Alternatively, if you already engage with a workforce solutions supplier in another business department within your organisation and their solution is proven to work, speak to your supplier directly and assess whether there&rsquo;s scope for expanding existing programmes. By investing the time you would have spent on the RFP into working directly with the supplier who you already have a relationship with to shape the workforce solution, you will be able to ensure that you procure an MSP or RPO that&rsquo;s aligned with your business, its goals and challenges.
<h3>What are the advantages of not using an RFP?</h3>
When organisations issue RFPs, one of the most common complaints is that the bids they receive aren&rsquo;t of the desired quality. In most cases, this is because the RFP issued is built on a pre-existing template or does not contain the required level of detail. So why do so many organisations insist on using templated, data-light RFPs? Most of the time, an RFP isn&rsquo;t necessary in the first place &mdash; the solution they require isn&rsquo;t complex enough for what should be a highly detailed document. Because the RFP is so commonplace, procurement professionals assume that one is necessary for almost every solution. By following my suggestion of working directly with your preferred suppliers and issuing a concise briefing document, an organisation has more chance of procuring a workforce solution that works for them. This is, of course, the biggest advantage. There are, however, a number of other latent positives in procuring your next MSP or RPO in a more simple manner. For starters, you will save an awful lot of time. From my experience, the RFP process can stretch beyond a year. Working more directly will speed up proceedings &mdash; you could well have an MSP embedded within a business in the same time it would take to go through a full, end-to-end RFP process. Likewise, this approach will save your business money. Not only will you have more man hours to work on other projects, but you&rsquo;ll also facilitate a more highly aligned solution. As most of you working in procurement know, more bespoke solutions produce better financial outcomes. And the time saved will mean that you can get the solution implemented faster, reaping the financial benefits earlier than you would have done if you issued an RFP.
<h3>An RFP is still the right approach for bigger projects</h3>
All this being said, it&rsquo;s important to note that an RFP is still the best approach for more significant, highly complex MSP and RPO programmes with an annual spend over &pound;20 million. Even in this situation, however, you still need to ensure that your RFP is of the required quality in order to attract workforce solutions that work for your organisation. My Guidant Global colleague, Mike Quinn, has some great tips on <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0188F3CA24144AB9A713ADF3A35355A5&amp;_z=z">how to write a great RFP</a>, which I&rsquo;d encourage you to read. But to get the full picture, I&rsquo;d also suggest reading and digesting our two-part guide to 'Creating an RFP for outsourced workforce solutions', where we share our combined knowledge to give you the full picture of what makes for an excellent RFP.
Fill in the form below to access part 1 or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=FAFB4430E721440BBEB121931A0B4C88&amp;_z=z">click here to download part 2</a>.
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To RFP, or not to RFP: why a request for proposal is not always the best option

Never before has the future of work been so uncertain. Prior to the pandemic organisations worldwide were facing challenges attracting and managing ever-changing and diverse talent pools. With the growth in reliance on contingent and external workers, multiple generations engaging with a business, digitalisation and an increasingly remote workforce, change is most certainly the new normal. The global pandemic has accelerated this significantly.
But as we&rsquo;ve said before, change isn&rsquo;t a negative &ndash; in fact it a strong catalyst for improvement.
The challenge for business leaders, HR and procurement teams lies in how to effectively future proof their workforce when what lies ahead is so uncertain. But those that can achieve a future proofed workforce will find they have the high performing teams in place to set the company on the best path to growth.
<h3>Here&rsquo;s our tips on how to future proof the workforce:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Staffing for the future: We&rsquo;ve already mentioned the challenge of predicting what will happen the coming months and year, but there are tools to help businesses best prepare. Predictive <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=610031978EFF47C7B3D193908CE3D821&amp;_z=z">analytics</a>, for example, are hugely valuable in identifying where skills gaps may emerge. Using data and software to generate workforce insights can identify when team members are likely to make a career move or contract work is set to end, through to what roles are likely required in higher numbers, allowing you to pipeline the required talent well in advance.</li>
<li>Define your EVP: An <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=238271AF1984491B80A0574740F91662&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;that is fit for the &lsquo;real world&rsquo; is crucial. Having an employer brand that appeals to the right audience will be a critical step in future proofing your workforce &ndash; and it will need to be regularly reviewed to stay relevant. As a case in point, we are moving towards a greater representation of millennials in the business world. We know that this demographic places a real emphasis on meaning and purpose in their work over remuneration. An EVP needs to reflect this if it is to be future fit.</li>
<li>Refine remote management: Recruiting and managing a highly remote workforce is arguably the greatest trend that Covid-19 has accelerated. With technology a key tool for the remote workforce, digitalisation has certainly been a key focus for this year. But as we move forward and plan for a remote future, it&rsquo;s important that businesses refine the technology that&rsquo;s been integrated. Beyond the tools to allow people to work remotely, managing teams and the flow of the external workforce will see <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F815EC6C982F451EB9560C1C085C845D&amp;_z=z">cloud talent platforms</a>&nbsp;play an increasingly important role. Ensuring your business has the knowledge to manage these, or partners with an expert that can help guide you will pay dividends. At Guidant Global, for example, we use <a href="https://openblend.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OpenBlend</a> to ensure people engage in effective, meaningful and regular one-to-ones. While one-to-ones often work better in a face-to-face setting, the philosophy that underpins the platform enables remote one-to-ones to be effective, too.</li>
<li>Collaboration: For HR and procurement teams, collaboration has never before been so crucial for future-proof talent strategies. As global, remote and contingent working becomes the norm, there needs to be clarity around who is managing each segment of the workforce, with complete collection and transparency of data for each segment.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Services procurement under a managed solution: With reliance on service providers set to increase, businesses need to effectively manage this segment in order to make it work for them. Our <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=BB85E359155B4D4980D0F714A25FF12D&amp;_z=z">services procurement guide</a>&nbsp;provides more detail on how to boost ROI from your hidden workforce, but in the first instance having visibility is key. There&rsquo;s a wealth of research that suggests that services providers are often left unmanaged which can lead to a disjointed and inefficient process that doesn&rsquo;t deliver the right results. Controlling this through a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">Managed Services Provider (MSP)</a>, though, can deliver many benefits, from cost saving to increased compliance.</li>
</ul>
While the above tips will certainly help guide businesses in future proofing their workforce, for those engaging with contingent talent at scale, having an MSP on board to ensure you are getting the most out of your external workforce is quite frankly a must. Find out more about how a managed service solution could benefit your business in our <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=73B8C48127B34FA792BD8345E85C747F&amp;_z=z">handbook</a>.
<h3>Future-proofing the workforce with total talent management</h3>
While there is never a one size fits all solution to effectively managing workforces, when it comes to future proofing businesses there is one direction that many HR and procurement teams seem to be heading: total talent management (TTM). Agility is crucial in an uncertain environment and ensuring that your workforce plans are adapted to encompass the full range of skills sources &ndash; from full-time employees to external talent and the hidden workforce &ndash; is a must. As more employers recognise the value that this mixed make-up of skill sets can have, total talent management is increasingly being embraced. Those firms that are serious about future-proofing their business will increasingly, in our view, explore TTM.
<h4>Find out more about our managed solutions <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">here</a>, or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact the team</a>&nbsp;for more information today.</h4>

Top tips: How to future-proof your workforce

What we&rsquo;re experiencing today has opened up significant fault lines in the way businesses operate.
For many, they&rsquo;re significantly scaling back operations to weather the storm. For others &mdash; particularly those who deliver essential goods, supply medical equipment and sustain everyday life &mdash; the answer is to rapidly hire temporary staff to meet increasing demands.
<h3>This brings two unique sets of challenges.</h3>
<h4>Businesses who are scaling back operations</h4>
First, let&rsquo;s take the companies scaling back operations. Operating with a reduced workforce makes sense when business isn&rsquo;t strong and staff can&rsquo;t work to the same levels as they could previously. So, as hard as it is for millions of people across the US, from a business perspective, letting workers go seems relatively sensible. So far, so logical. However, assuming the business emerges intact once the coronavirus crisis is over, they&rsquo;ll need to attract talented people back to the business as quickly as possible in order to make up the losses sustained under lockdown. Hiring people at such a scale requires a great deal of expertise, especially to ensure the best rates, keep the business as lean as possible, remain compliant, and still find the best talent. To achieve such targets, businesses will need to procure a workforce solution that can match such needs.
<h4>Businesses who are hiring at scale to meet current demands</h4>
Second, let&rsquo;s take the business rapidly employing temporary workers at scale to meet current demands. These businesses are not only the bedrock of society, but they&rsquo;re also enabling people who have lost their jobs to find employment. So far, so good. The issue for businesses here is that hiring hundreds or thousands of temporary workers can lead to spiralling costs and accelerate risk, particularly when hiring managers are working under relentless pressure. In this scenario, this business is likely to need an MSP program to ensure compliance and optimise its temporary workforce now, and when the crisis is over.
<h3>Will workforce solutions change to meet new demands?</h3>
Given that the demand for workforce solutions is set to grow over the next few years, will the workforce solutions themselves change? From my years of experience working in this sector, the answer is most definitely yes. Even before this crisis, direct sourcing, Contingent RPO, AI-powered talent analytics, services procurement and strategic workforce planning were all beginning to permeate the workforce solutions marketplace &mdash; at least among forward-thinking MSPs.
<h3>Some of these additions will continue to grow once we&rsquo;ve exited this crisis</h3>
Elements such as talent analytics and strategic workforce planning will contribute towards ensuring fully optimised, fully compliant workforces. By the same token, contingent RPO and direct sourcing will ensure that businesses can hire and retain the best talent at the best possible rates. Meanwhile, services procurement and statement-of-work management will save businesses money for complex and project-based work.
<h3>The workforce solutions of tomorrow will build on existing advances</h3>
Ultimately, the workforce solutions of tomorrow will have to build on the advances we&rsquo;ve made in the years prior to the coronavirus crisis. Only by looking to past progress can we help businesses navigate the economic downturns of tomorrow. MSP providers like Guidant Global have always looked to get the best deal for their clients. But given the challenges ahead, we will learn from this experience and accelerate our solutions to ensure businesses survive today and excel tomorrow. By working together, we can help drive greater productivity, rebuild our businesses, and inject life back into the US economy. This article is from our in-depth report exploring the impact of the global remote working transition. Download the guide by clicking the link below:
<a class="turtl-embed" style="width: 340px;" title="The global remote working transition" href="https://guidantglobal.turtl.co/story/the-global-remote-working-transition/?teaser=yes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-turtl-embed-type="animation" data-turtl-link-text="Click to read" data-turtl-width="340" data-turtl-display-mode="lightbox" data-turtl-animation-mode="hover" data-turtl-color="#1eb1c7" data-turtl-story-id="5e99a3b84b995b3b964c81db">Click to read The global remote working transition</a>

Today’s challenges will inspire the workforce solutions of tomorrow

Pay was once the principal motivating factor for people at work. Today, the focus has shifted towards finding jobs with meaning.
Money only goes so far in making people happy. For optimal emotional wellbeing, psychologists have found that people only need to earn between <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-exactly-how-much-money-you-need-to-be-truly-happy-earning-more-wont-help-2018-02-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$65,000-$75,000</a> (&pound;49,500-&pound;57,000). The same goes for job satisfaction. With wages stagnating across all major western economies, people are becoming less focused on what they earn, and more focused on what they do. Ultimately, for people to be happy, meaning comes before money. And it&rsquo;s up to businesses to provide it.
<h3>Pay is not the principal driver behind meaningful work</h3>
The classical economic theory homo economicus (economic man) underpins almost all contemporary conversations about work. The theory asserts that humans are consistently rational and motivated by an intuitive cost-benefit analysis &mdash; left to our own devices, people will always choose the option that provides the maximum personal benefit for the least expenditure of effort. This is often interpreted by managers to mean that pay is the most significant motivation for people at work.
These assumptions are worryingly widespread, especially when almost all the available evidence indicates the &lsquo;economic man&rsquo; model is inaccurate. Human beings are innately more complex and irrational than the theory implies.
<h3>The link between pay and job satisfaction</h3>
In a 2010 research paper &lsquo;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001879110000722" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The relationship between pay and job satisfaction</a>&rsquo;, the authors calculated the correlation between pay level, pay satisfaction and job satisfaction. The results state that pay is correlated 0.15 with job satisfaction and 0.23 with pay satisfaction on a scale of zero to one &mdash; a negligible association at best. A challenge for businesses is that pay is increasingly no longer available as a major motivating factor. For decades, the fundamental assumption has been that pay motivates people. The reality is different. Few people today expect to receive an annual pay increase. Even in the best-case scenario of an employee gaining an inflation-matching 2.48% uplift on a &pound;29,009 average UK salary, the pay rise only equates to a &pound;719 a year, or &pound;13.82 a week before tax.
<h3>People want more meaning, not more money</h3>
With this in mind, it&rsquo;s easy to see why millennials and Generation Z, in particular, are far more motivated by being part of something bigger than themselves and ultimately want to work in roles that provide meaning to their lives. With &pound;50,000+ worth of student debt, an unattainable private housing market and the chances of retiring with sufficient money looking increasingly slim, young people want their job to mean something. They want to make a tangible impact on the world around them. Work, to a large degree, defines our identity. Some would even go as far as saying it defines us as human beings. It&rsquo;s not surprising that we have a yearning for meaningful work, and that employees who find meaningful work are happier, more productive, hardworking, and take less sick days. Meaning matters.
<h3>How does this impact businesses?</h3>
For business leaders, the trend of people leaning towards more meaningful work over big salaries has obvious advantages. To attract the best talent, businesses no longer need to dish out extraordinary salaries to have a productive workforce with high morale. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean that things can remain the same. The expectation of more meaningful work must be met, or else businesses risk rapidly losing talent to competitors with a wider social cause, that provide greater flexibility and inspire their people at work each day. If money is no longer the principal motivating factor, how then should businesses go about creating more meaningful work? 
<h4>Download our white paper to learn how your business can create more meaning to attract and retain the best talent. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=835C8C6F5E154D7FB7F460BD0BD034D4&amp;_z=z">Click here for your free download</a>.</h4>

To create more meaningful work for our people, we need to stop focusing on pay and bonuses

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&amp;I) agenda is no new topic for HR teams. There&rsquo;s a general recognition that it&rsquo;s beneficial to businesses, aiding productivity, creativity and supporting talent attraction in a skills short market.&nbsp;
Aside from this, we&rsquo;re also seeing the scale of demand for employers to be more diverse growing at speed. Consumers are demanding it and talent pools are voting with their feet and going elsewhere if they don&rsquo;t experience it.&nbsp;
More to the point, it&rsquo;s simply the right thing to do.&nbsp;
<h3>Focusing on the contingent market</h3>
But, DE&amp;I is often considered as more of a value-add in the permanent workforce than contingent. However, as our own VP of Client Solutions, Arsenio Bell, stated in our recent whitepaper, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/workforce-management/driving-dei-in-the-contingent-workforce---12-winning-strategies">Driving DE&amp;I in the contingent workforce: 12 winning strategies;&nbsp;</a>
&ldquo;Having a DE&amp;I programme for the contingent workforce opens up possibilities, which opens up capabilities, which opens up new levels of progress growth and outcomes. There&rsquo;s financial links between diversity and with the contingent workforce becoming so critical, having a diversity, equity and inclusion strategy for this segment of talent pools simply makes sense.&rdquo;
<h3>Key steps to success</h3>
Achieving contingent workforce diversity isn&rsquo;t an easy task. Results won&rsquo;t be delivered overnight &ndash; but they are achievable. While it&rsquo;s not a comprehensive list (and certainly doesn&rsquo;t cover all<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/workforce-management/driving-dei-in-the-contingent-workforce---12-winning-strategies"> 12 tips</a> from our whitepaper), here&rsquo;s a few key steps to take:&nbsp;
- You need the foundations first: Before you implement any new tactics or change your approach, it&rsquo;s important to focus first on the foundations. If diversity is lacking in your contingent workforce there&rsquo;s a blocker that needs to be identified before any further action is taken. Take a step back and review &ndash; in an honest way &ndash; what your corporate visions and values look like today.
- Use diverse suppliers: The providers in your supply chain will be crucial to driving DE&amp;I in your contingent workforce, after all, they are the ones supplying the workers and interacting with them regularly. Partnering with experts that not only align with your firm&rsquo;s diversity values, but also have the experience in diverse hiring practices themselves will naturally bolster DE&amp;I in flexible workforces.
- Take a new look at the flexible workforce: One of the barriers to inclusivity in flexible hiring is how this labour market is perceived. Too often it is viewed as just a temporary &ndash; and unfortunately sometimes even a disposable &ndash; resource. This needs to shift to see the strategic value of the contingent worker. These individuals can be redeployed time and again. Changing mindsets to create a better balance between the value of contingent workers and that of permanent resources is needed.
- Monitoring is crucial: Knowing what needs to change in your resourcing strategy is one step in the process. But being able to track what is and isn&rsquo;t working is an absolute must. There needs to be complete transparency across the contingent workforce. What does the mix of the current workforce look like? Where are there specific demographic gaps? What are the KPIs and are they being met? Remember that this should never be a finger-pointing exercise. Instead, the ability to take action where improvements can be made should be the focus. Technology will certainly underpin how well results can be tracked and it is crucial to have a centralised hub before implementing any DE&amp;I initiatives so you can monitor success.&nbsp;
- Hone your focus: Diversity is a hugely broad topic. It isn&rsquo;t about focusing on attracting more women, engaging with those from an ethnic background or improving hiring across disability groups. The mix is significantly varied, from LGBTQI+, to those with a criminal record and much more. Becoming an inclusive brand to all demographics in one move isn&rsquo;t possible. When starting any action, you need to hone your focus into targeted programmes first and then expand from there. The goal should always be to create a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion that organically grows, rather than push values that don&rsquo;t exist onto the workforce.&nbsp;
<h3>Access your no-obligation guide</h3>
These are just a few of the steps that can help boost contingent worker diversity. If you want to delve into the topic deeper and access more tips to help your firm, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/workforce-management/driving-dei-in-the-contingent-workforce---12-winning-strategies">download the report today.</a>

The why’s and how’s of contingent worker diversity

Effective candidate engagement has always been a smart strategy to ensure access to top talent. But in today&rsquo;s hyper-competitive market, successfully building relationships with potential recruits has never been more vital.
Competition for applicants is fierce. In order to secure scarce skills, talent acquisition teams must direct time and resources into building a robust long-term talent attraction strategy - and candidate engagement is crucial to that. Here&rsquo;s all you need to know if you want to boost candidate engagement levels, and reap the associated rewards.
<h3>What is candidate engagement?</h3>
Candidate engagement is the practice of building relationships with candidates across every single touchpoint throughout the recruitment journey. This encompasses everything from<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/employer-branding-grow-your-business/"> employer branding&nbsp;</a>through to application and assessment, job offer, onboarding, and beyond. In short, it&rsquo;s every communication a person experiences while looking to get a job with a particular employer - and this starts before any application is made. Of course, communicating a favourable <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/complete-guide-to-building-a-unique-evp/">employer value proposition (EVP)</a>&nbsp;is an important part of the candidate experience. However, EVP is only part of the puzzle: candidate engagement is much more than communicating key corporate messages. Actions speak louder than words, and great candidate engagement includes both a swift, slick, and enjoyable recruitment process, as well as plenty of opportunities for two-way conversations.
<h3>Why is candidate engagement important?</h3>
Candidate engagement is vital when recruiting and hiring both permanent employees and contingent talent. It ensures that:
<ul>
<li>brands, and the career opportunities they offer, are visible to the right audiences</li>
<li>potential recruits are left with a positive image of the employer, and</li>
<li>job applicants are compelled to begin, and complete, the recruitment process.</li>
</ul>
However, effective candidate engagement strategies do more than guarantee access to top talent. Employer and consumer brands are intrinsically linked, and through boosting engagement with potential recruits, businesses can also help strengthen wider brand appeal. It is worth noting that 41% of candidates&nbsp;who have had a poor overall recruitment experience will take their allegiance, product purchases and relationships elsewhere. PepsiCo previously worked out how much money it was losing due to bad candidate experience. They concluded that bad candidate experience was costing them $1.6 million per year, by taking into account:
<ul>
<li>the number of applicants the company rejected for every hire</li>
<li>the number of hires they made each year, and</li>
<li>how much a customer was worth and how many of the rejected candidates had a bad experience.</li>
</ul>
Virgin UK announced an even more frightening annual figure of &pound;4.5m. Conversely, IBM has found that 53% of applicants who have a positive candidate experience will become a customer. Clearly, candidate engagement can have a very real and direct impact on your company&rsquo;s bottom line, as well as on the volume and calibre of applicants you attract.
<h3>How can I improve my candidate engagement?</h3>
The practice of improving candidate engagement begins with taking a fresh look at your current hiring processes. Go back to basics and test your brand&rsquo;s recruitment journey for yourself:
<ul>
<li>Are there any technical glitches that may result in candidates abandoning their applications?</li>
<li>Are there any unnecessary, or unnecessarily long, steps that could be cut out?</li>
<li>Does the process offer tailored and timely feedback?</li>
</ul>
Consider how your candidates feel by putting yourself in their shoes. See where you can make process efficiencies and identify opportunities for personalised engagement. Candidate engagement should always be authentic, and all existing and potential applicants should continually be treated with honesty and respect. Don&rsquo;t just broadcast your messages; invite a two-way narrative, and ask for feedback. Finally, consider how you are represented externally, across every channel, and by the recruitment partners you work with. Without knowing where you stand now, attempts to improve candidate engagement levels will be at worst fruitless, at best misdirected.
<h3>Effective candidate engagement practices</h3>
Effective candidate engagement practices should be embedded throughout the entire recruitment journey, and streamlining candidate communications is often key to success. Too many recruitment processes are clunky, confused, and drawn-out. In fact, almost 50% of jobseekers have abandoned&nbsp;an application because it was too lengthy. This is even more alarming when you consider that 74% of the data companies collect on their candidates isn&rsquo;t even used in the selection process. Organisations must focus on the quality of each interaction, rather than the volume of information each applicant or potential applicant receives &ndash; and personalised messaging is the gold standard in candidate engagement. Always consider the unique drivers of each individual candidate persona, and how, and through which channels, these groups prefer to communicate.
Take a look at our <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing/">Advanced Direct Sourcing solution</a>&nbsp;- Guidant&rsquo;s integrated approach to direct sourcing activates your EVP and employer brand to attract, curate and engage exclusive talent communities to support repeatable hiring needs without the need for suppliers.
<h4>Tailoring candidate engagement to specific personas</h4>
When <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D655A4AEE6FF4166AD5DE5028D3146FB&amp;_z=z">we worked with Shop Direct</a>&nbsp;(now known as The Very Group), we specifically sought to engage female candidates. We designed a candidate persona, Female Farah, to target a potential gap in applicant demographic and increase the number of women workers at the firm&rsquo;s distribution centres. We did this by challenging stereotypical perceptions of a warehouse environment and increasing diversity. Visual design and messaging were tailored to this specific persona. Rather than taking a &lsquo;one-design-fits-all&rsquo; approach to job adverts, communications included persona-focused imagery and targeted social media posts. As a result of the campaign, 69% of all temporary female hires at Shop Direct that year were placed in the three months our campaign was live. Hiring managers should also consider if their recruitment process is truly accessible, to those with disabilities for example, and how they can best build long-term relationships with great talent. Above all, always provide relevant and timely feedback, even to unsuccessful applicants. Research by Talentboard has found that more than half of jobseekers say employers never keep them informed about their application status &ndash; almost guaranteeing that these individuals will never reapply for another position at the firm.
<h3>Candidate engagement tools</h3>
Today&rsquo;s talent technology&nbsp;is transforming the way that organisations find, secure, manage and communicate with the talent they need to stay competitive. Modern applicant tracking systems (ATSs) are designed to make timely and personalised interactions with potential recruits simple. Other contemporary tools mean that candidate engagement can be further enhanced through the assessment process and beyond. When Heathrow Airport asked us to recruit&nbsp;a new team of &lsquo;Innovation Catalysts&rsquo; to support the brand&rsquo;s expansion project, we reimagined the recruitment process and used gamification to take candidate engagement to another level. The &lsquo;Theme Park Hero&rsquo; assessment game built by Revelian assessed candidates using four different puzzles of increasing complexity. This provided reliable and valid data on a candidate&rsquo;s ability in a variety of areas, including information processing style and decision making. All candidates highlighted their enjoyment of both the gamification assessment and the assessment day. While a traditional recruitment process would have had agencies supplying candidates based on a broad job specification, we were able to give Heathrow an innovative and market leading recruitment process &ndash; one that objectively selected the most innovative, analytical, and resilient candidates.
<h3>Virtual candidate engagement</h3>
Here at Guidant, we recently worked with a US government contractor that was expanding its operations into Ireland and needed to build an entire new team locally. Through the smart use of technology, we were able to increase candidate engagement remotely with a quick but comprehensive recruitment process, underpinned by chatbot and video interviewing technology. We created bespoke chatbots, based on tech from Leadoo, to remove the need for manual screening and used video interview software Hinterview to engage with qualified candidates, adding an important &lsquo;human touch&rsquo; when face-to-face meetings were not possible. This strategy removed an entire round of initial screening, saving up to 75 hours across 100 applicants alone, and reduced time-to-hire from 20 days to 10.&nbsp; In a world of work that&rsquo;s shaped as much by digital tools and virtual interactions as it is by face-to-face interactions, an effective virtual candidate engagement strategy is something all organisations should invest in.
<h3>Continuous candidate engagement</h3>
While the principles of candidate engagement are similar regardless of whether you are seeking to attract permanent or contingent talent, when designing communications for the latter, it is essential that engagement is continuous. By building and nurturing long-term relationships with former temporary workers and other potential recruits, you can ensure ongoing availability of skills so that your workforces can flex as demand dictates. Creating robust <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/what-is-a-talent-pool/">talent pools&nbsp;</a>allows businesses to maximise the chance of bringing back great candidates at short notice, candidates who:
<ul>
<li>are already familiar with how your business operates</li>
<li>understand what is expected of them, and</li>
<li>have an affinity with your brand&rsquo;s culture and values.</li>
</ul>
Ex-contingent workers, former permanent employees, freelancers, retirees, and even previously unsuccessful final-round applicants can all be included in talent pools - which are usually managed in an ATS as part of a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/solutions/msp/">managed service programme.</a> Regular communication with your talent pool is crucial to ensuring past, present, and future candidates are (and remain) engaged by the offering you have. Rich and immersive content can be shared to tell good news stories about your organisation and people, via email newsletters, social media updates, written content, video, or imagery.
<h3>How is candidate engagement measured?</h3>
Candidate engagement levels can be measured through a number of important metrics, with time-to-hire, quality-of-hire, and retention levels all providing a good indication of how successful your strategy is. Acceptance rates can also provide valuable data, particularly when you consider that 42% of job offers are actually <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=E13B7CA86EF04CBB9EC6DA043D02F667&amp;_z=z">rejected</a>&nbsp;&ndash; and 37% of candidates who turn down job offers do so because they&rsquo;ve accepted a role elsewhere. Most importantly, candidate engagement should be measured by inviting honest feedback from both successful and unsuccessful applicants. Companies that bury their head in the sand stand no chance of ever improving their candidate engagement levels. Plus, the act of soliciting feedback is, in itself, a great way to incite a longer-term relationship with contractors and silver medallists (those who are considered &lsquo;runner up&rsquo; for a role) alike. By approaching candidate engagement in a better way, hiring managers can ensure that active and potential candidates are left with a favourable impression of their brand, which should last way beyond a single recruitment cycle. Treat your applicants in the same way you would your most valued customers, and see your candidate engagement strategy become your competitive advantage.
<h3>Want more on candidate experience?&nbsp;</h3>
As we&rsquo;ve seen, the cost of poor candidate experience can be high. Everyone is now connected, with information widely accessible. On top of this, many problems with employee engagement and eventual turnover can be traced all the way back to poor candidate experience. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Get in touch to find out more about overcoming these challenges.</a>
<div>&nbsp;</div>

The Ultimate Guide to Candidate Engagement

For decades, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) has enabled smart businesses to procure the volume and quality of employees they need to thrive &ndash; while also enjoying cost savings. Today, with acute <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=595FC1D2A5F2410E857ED3C8F4C999E3&amp;_z=z">skills shortages</a>&nbsp;restricting the availability of top talent across the UK and beyond, access to elite talent solutions has never been more vital.
An RPO provider&rsquo;s main purpose is to ensure that your business gets the best hires during permanent recruitment campaigns, even in markets which are notoriously difficult. With recruitment process outsourcing, the time, energy and expertise in sourcing, screening, and onboarding new staff ensures that a business gets the best talent. RPO providers can also offer compliance support, manage talent pooling to avoid future skills gaps, and provide strategic insight and advice in areas like employment branding.
For hiring managers, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3247651558BE4168A49D96245C7137E2&amp;_z=z">recruitment process outsourcing</a>&nbsp;is also more cost-effective than traditional recruitment. Project RPO is most often measured on time-to-hire, cost-of-hire, and quality-of-hire, as the provider&rsquo;s role is to ensure that permanent vacancies do not remain open for months at a time. A fully optimised RPO solution ensures that these negative factors remain at a minimum &ndash; and technology is key to success.
<h3>The four technology pillars of RPO</h3>
Keeping up with industry innovation can be tricky for internal talent acquisition teams. With both budgets and <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0A64FC831B814E948B940D1F1AAED1E6&amp;_z=z">talent pools</a>&nbsp;tightening, investing hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds in recruitment technology can make even the most ambitious companies wince.
RPO solutions, however, come with the latest <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A6F9AC5D5BDF4317A22F0F98220433BD&amp;_z=z">talent technology</a>&nbsp;- from high-tech VMS platforms to data analysis tools - built into the service offering, to ensure that clients acquire the talent they need to succeed.
Today, taking a digital-first approach to the hiring process enables businesses to reach their talent objectives, while also exceeding jobseekers&rsquo; expectations around <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=E13B7CA86EF04CBB9EC6DA043D02F667&amp;_z=z">candidate experience</a>&nbsp;in the process.
The four tech pillars of RPO, which make these outcomes possible, are:
<ol>
<li>an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)</li>
<li>a Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) tool</li>
<li>a dedicated careers site; and</li>
<li>an internal talent community platform.</li>
</ol>
Together, these systems enable a seamless, first-class recruitment and onboarding process, which benefits hirers and candidates alike. A modern ATS seamlessly manages, monitors and compliantly records the entire recruitment process, while a great CRM enables relevant and timely communications with networks and effective talent pooling. Dedicated careers sites and internal community platforms, meanwhile, make ideal vehicles for <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;messaging as well as acting as a perfect portal for personalised, direct candidate or employee support.
Beyond these technological must-haves, however, the most forward-thinking recruitment process outsourcing providers are now also exploring the potential of cutting-edge tools which utilise artificial intelligence to boost the power of RPO solutions even further.
<h3>Integrating AI into recruitment process outsourcing</h3>
Here at Guidant, we recently <a href="https://guidantglobal.turtl.co/story/digital-first-approach-exceed-customer-and-candidate-expectations/">worked with</a> a US government contractor that was expanding its operations into Ireland and needed to build an entire new team locally. Through harnessing the power of technology, we were able to increase candidate engagement remotely through a quick but comprehensive recruitment process, underpinned by chatbot and video interviewing technology. We used bespoke chatbots from Leadoo to remove the need for manual screening and used video interview software Hinterview to engage with qualified candidates. This strategy removed an entire round of initial screening, saving up to 75 hours across 100 applicants alone and reduced time-to-hire from 20 days to 10. The increased speed of selection can be attributed to our partnership with Leadoo, while Hinterview added an important &lsquo;human touch&rsquo; when face-to-face meetings were not possible.
Elsewhere, digital assessment technology provides remote, interactive assessments, auto-scored tasks, and asks questions to make sure a candidate can perform a given job. Artificial intelligence technology identifies whether the person is using Google to look up answers to questions. Glider.ai, for example, is fully automated and offers a deep catalogue of job descriptions across most major industries, which benefits managers hiring for new tech skills. Traitify, meanwhile, provides cultural fit assessments through picture-based and short word testing. Through partnering with companies such as these, we are able to streamline the vetting process and take bias out of the equation. This increases the quality of hires and ensures that successful applicants have both the hard and soft skills they need to do the job.
For internal recruiting teams, recruitment process outsourcing transfers all or part of the hiring process to unrivalled staffing experts who have the knowledge, experience, and tech tools to manage recruitment campaigns that would be impossible to implement internally. RPO services are also the most cost-effective way for businesses to meet their talent acquisition ambitions.
It is worth noting that some recruitment businesses may claim to offer genuine RPO solutions, without actually having the expertise or technology embedded within their offerings. Simply recruiting permanent staff is not an RPO solution - it&rsquo;s just recruitment.
Historically, only large organisations used RPO. But over recent years &ndash; especially with the rise of technology &ndash; medium-sized businesses are using recruitment process outsourcing solutions to their advantage. For any business that hires permanent staff on a regular basis, an RPO solution makes a great deal of financial, structural, and strategic sense.
Technology is changing our world. It&rsquo;s also changing recruitment process outsourcing. From talent analytics to machine-learning, candidate screening to automated sourcing, the best RPO providers harness advanced talent technology to provide a highly-efficient, cost-effective hiring process. And as technology advances, genuine RPO service providers will too, in order to deliver for their customers in a better way.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

The technology behind recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)

It&rsquo;s been a tough few years for US procurement teams. The labour market has presented a wealth of both challenges and opportunities. Skills shortages and an increased reliance on the extended workforce has altered the resourcing demands for most businesses. In this environment, we&rsquo;re seeing ever-increasing desire for a shared services MSP model &ndash; and it&rsquo;s the future of truly strategic solutions in my view.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Getting off the island&nbsp;</h3>
Historically an MSP solution gave an end client a dedicated programme team. That team only worked on that account. There were certainly pros to this approach: you knew who was working on what and you had faces you could put to names. The challenge is that this team is often sitting isolated on their own island.&nbsp; This has worked in the past and even today there&rsquo;s merit to this approach for some businesses and situations. But, in a fast-paced and ever-evolving environment, the ability to flex and pivot at a moment&rsquo;s notice is putting pressure on this island approach.&nbsp; As we expect in any time of economic uncertainty, there will be ebbs and flows of demand. An MSP solution will need to grow or contract with both corporate demands and wider market conditions. Having restrictions around who is delivering a programme will create some limitations.&nbsp;
<h3>Drivers of change&nbsp;</h3>
It&rsquo;s not just the current economy and the fall out of the pandemic that&rsquo;s driving this mindset shift. We&rsquo;ve seen this movement picking up pace for some time now and many of those I speak to are referencing a range of influencers, including:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The &lsquo;norm&rsquo; is being questioned (rightly so!): We&rsquo;re no longer operating in survival mode meaning that procurement leaders have the head space to start reviewing and challenging current suppliers and ways of working. It&rsquo;s been difficult to grab a moment to step back and assess what improvements can be introduced. But with the economic future uncertain across most major markets, now is the time to question why services are being delivered in the way they are, and what return they really offer to your business.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Knowledge centres deliver more value: A transactional approach to talent solutions isn&rsquo;t viable in today&rsquo;s talent economy. MSPs should be demonstrating their value beyond resourcing numbers &ndash; and if you&rsquo;re not seeing that from your MSP, you need to ask. Removing the island approach gives access to broader expertise and insight.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>MSPs have staff turnover too: As much as it&rsquo;s been a tough talent market for you, suppliers have felt it too. If an MSP model has a small team on a programme, the loss of one member will be felt.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Goals are constantly moving: At Guidant Global, our solutions are bespoke because we know that every firm&rsquo;s talent challenges are different. While the right team might be attributed to a client today, that doesn&rsquo;t mean they&rsquo;ll be the right team in six- or 12-months&rsquo; time. A shared services model means you get the right people, working on the right deliverables, at the right time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Those looking at a second-generation model need more: There&rsquo;s also the simple reality that moving from a first- to second-generation MSP programme requires an evolved approach that the island team approach won&rsquo;t always deliver. If you&rsquo;re looking at evolving current processes, change is a given. That change includes how the service is delivered. Check out our guide to <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/building-a-business-case-for-second-generation-msp">building a business case for 2nd generation MSP</a> for a detailed guide that serves as a roadmap for organisations to help decide the future of your MSP programme.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h3>The benefits of a shared services model&nbsp;</h3>
One thing that all of the above-mentioned drivers of change have in common - real benefits can be seen by shifting to a shared services model of delivery. You have access to greater insights, from a greater number of individuals and subject matter experts, gained from their experience of other global programmes. The solution is completely scalable. It&rsquo;s possible to benefit from the input from more suppliers (for Guidant Global customers that means access to the knowledge of thousands of organisations). And much more.&nbsp; But the crux of the message from me is this: a programme needs to deliver real value to your business and you. If you&rsquo;re becoming frustrated with results, not seeing the return on investment, aren&rsquo;t feeling heard by your partner or feel as though things have stagnated, maybe it&rsquo;s time to get off that island and jump ship.&nbsp; Want to find out more about our shared services approach to MSP programmes? <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact-us">Contact us today</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The shared services MSP model. More appropriate for today’s talent market?

&nbsp;
Talent management is currently amidst a digital revolution &ndash; this is happening to a backdrop of changes in skills demand, candidate sentiment, and where work gets done. With the power of workforce analytics, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can provide all information in the contingent workforce lifecycle - from market conditions to supplier performance, benchmarking data, and granular details on staffing operations. With this data, actionable intelligence through the identification of problems and opportunities is created, and solutions - based on data - can be implemented. 
&nbsp;
Data-driven hiring is by no means a new concept, but in recent years the quality and availability of insight have improved exponentially. With a data-driven contingent workforce strategy, you can ensure that you have the right talent at the right time. However, without the tools to guide this strategy, there is always the risk of overspend and potential compliance issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Informed decision making&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Everest Group Research firm <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/workforce-management/everest-next-era-in-talent-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">highlights</a>&nbsp;that data and analytics-driven decision-making is key to achieving superior outcomes in contingent workforce management programs.&nbsp; Dashboard reporting
&nbsp;
At Guidant, we provide industry-leading dashboard reporting, accessed through our online Client Relationship Management tool. These dashboards utilize monthly VMS (Vendor Management System) information, transforming static reports and manual processes that describe historical transactions into interactive dashboards that we use to identify unconventional correlations and provide predictive insights to drive improvement actions and initiatives.&nbsp; This management information is used to analyse performance, constructively identify issues, and inform recruitment strategy through long-term trend analysis. In addition, dashboards provide the mechanism to conduct root cause analysis on SLAs or KPIs.&nbsp; Advanced workforce analytics
&nbsp;
Capturing all contingent labour utilization activity allows an MSP to conduct continuous analysis and provide recommendations for improvement. Guidant delivers management information suites detailing granular metrics including spend, headcount, average time to fill, and tenure &ndash; among many others, filtered by job category or location.&nbsp; In addition, we provide innovative contingent workforce analytics that optimizes workforce planning and predicts specific outcomes, resulting in better performance from initial requirement to assignment end.&nbsp; As a result, customers operate with increased agility and ideally position themselves to compete for the best talent&mdash;utilizing predictive analytics algorithms to assess multivariate predictors of contractor performance. These include ratings, skills, education, experience, and knowledge. Supply chain reporting
&nbsp;
We ensure our customers have access to the best candidates in the market by providing the right staffing supplier mix per location and labour category, with jobs appropriately defined with competitive prices. Guidant has developed a proprietary interactive decision support system, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/suppliers/vision">VISION</a>, that aggregates supplier data globally across our workforce programs. VISION delivers supplier performance and program benchmarking insights, enabling users to monitor and explore key influencers through root cause analysis. For customers, VISION offers the opportunity to have total visibility of the performance of your supply chain, facilitating supplier optimisation by identifying low/high performers.&nbsp; For suppliers, it can give access to their performance data, where they are performing well and where there is an opportunity for improvement and provide a benchmark comparison against other suppliers to encourage healthy competition throughout the supply chain. Supporting technologies
&nbsp;
Within each program, Guidant utilizes a unique mix of proprietary and preferred technology to create the most efficient and effective tech-stack for our client&rsquo;s environment.&nbsp; Thanks to big data, talent leaders can now map the broader talent landscape to aid organizational efficiency and gain competitive advantage through additional services. <a href="https://www.brightfield.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brightfield Talent Data Exchange</a>&nbsp;(TDX) is a secure online platform benchmarking key criteria within a managed service program against the market. It allows users to test new resourcing strategies on a role-by-role basis and at a program-wide level by utilizing and comparing against anonymous, real-life market data. Guidant&rsquo;s competitive rate structure methodology utilizes multiple data points to establish a rate card, including specialized market analysis tools such as TDX, supplier RFIs, aggregated data from our VMS channel partners, and comparable client experiences.&nbsp; Today, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) intersect with talent analytics to offer a whole new dimension of visibility and control to programs. Analytics-enabled AI will bring exponential efficiencies and benefits for businesses as capabilities evolve. AI-based candidate matching brings multiple business benefits. It not only enables MSPs to quickly match the best talent with open roles, by drawing on a wide range of sources to create candidate personas, but it also has the potential to boost DE&amp;I by removing unconscious bias in the recruitment process. Meanwhile, predictive analytics offers insight into the probability of filling a requisition on time, ensuring better organizational oversight, while chatbots can aid engagement and vetting. The human touch
&nbsp;
An MSP brings the personal approach, a human touch and program experience to the data. . No algorithm or data set, no matter how complete or advanced, will capture the actual complexity of work without the additional context and expert interpretation an MSP can provide &ndash; unlocking the potential of data and tech. Therefore, a strategic MSP partner must have a broad data analysis capability to find solutions, fix processes, and make adjustments to drive long-term workforce strategy. As MSPs use technology to present more mature insights, our role will continue developing as consultative advisors from assisting business leaders in better curating, retaining, and forecasting talent needs, to improving decisions on workforce diversity and solving complex business issues.&nbsp; Your MSP workforce partner must provide visibility into your contingent workforce activity and have the human problem-solving expertise to utilize data to plan and manage future-fit workforces in an increasingly competitive environment.&nbsp;

The power of Contingent Workforce visibility through data analytics

When it comes to in-house vs outsourced workforce management, each approach has its merits. Technically, smaller Managed Service Provider (MSP) programmes can be managed internally, particularly if the organisation has a sizable talent acquisition team &ndash; and many decision makers feel like they retain a greater sense of control over a programme by keeping things in-house. However, there are challenges that come with homemade MSP. These are some of the most common pitfalls associated with &lsquo;do-it-yourself&rsquo; managed service programmes.
Programme stagnation
Many of the clients we speak to admit that programmes can get stagnant when MSP is managed internally. This is inevitable when you consider that the team is focusing heavily on tactical and operational tasks, and prioritising getting the urgent needs filled. They reach a status quo, and it&rsquo;s easy to get stuck in a rut.&nbsp;
In my experience, levels of innovation are also usually lower when MSP is managed in-house. This is presumably because the view of the wider workforce that internal practitioners have, through no fault of their own, is limited to the current challenges they face. An external provider, on the other hand stays abreast of emerging trends &ndash; and can consequently move quickly to disseminate fresh ideas across their client base.
You&rsquo;re sitting on your own island
Internal talent management professionals have limited visibility over the wider market, and this doesn&rsquo;t just impact levels of innovation, it also means that stand-alone programmes don&rsquo;t benefit from the wider advantages that the networks of an external MSP bring.
If you are running a &lsquo;DIY MSP&rsquo; you have autonomy and a level of control which you may feel comfortable with &ndash; but you are also sitting on your own island.
With a DIY MSP programme, it&rsquo;s likely that you won&rsquo;t have the extensive support network or power needed to keep ahead of the curve and react accordingly when it comes to issues such as incoming legislation and other external factors that may influence your programme positively or negatively. You&rsquo;re unlikely to have the bandwidth to focus on factors outside of your peripheral vision that will impact your business until much too late &ndash; resulting in a rushed, reactive approach that is exposed to a number of risks.
A large MSP provider, managing billions in spend for a multitude of clients, on the other hand, has its own experts with specialist skills as well as a tight network of staffing suppliers, industry partners and tech providers. At Guidant Global, managing over 130 programmes globally and have 20 years of experience &ndash; the level of reach we have in the market is unrivalled. What&rsquo;s more, no two clients or programmes are the same: we&rsquo;re working across neutral vendor, master vendor, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/benefits-of-using-sow-in-msp/">statement of work</a> and tiered supplier networks and, as a result, are perfectly placed to advise on the best way to structure your programme.
Furthermore, MSP design, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/data-for-msp-implementation/">implementation</a> and management is also more detailed and dynamic than many decision makers imagine. It touches every part of an enterprise that uses contingent labour &ndash; and if you make even the smallest of mistakes, it creates ripples. Managing contingent workforce in this way is comparable to enterprise resource planning (ERP). It involves change management, coordination, and communication.
It&rsquo;s complex: a project plan is typically 400 line items when you build an MSP from scratch &ndash; it can be unfair to burden one or two people with such a challenge. And that is before you even consider who&rsquo;s available and qualified to step up to the plate when your &lsquo;DIY MSP&rsquo; team is impacted by annual leave, unexpected absence or a key player handing in their notice.
Questions around funding
When managing MSP in-house, it&rsquo;s crucial that you consider &ndash; and agree, whose budget the DIY programme will fall under, not only at implementation stage, but also into the future. If you&rsquo;re setting up a DIY MSP programme, ask yourself, how will it be funded? What is the budget? And how will ongoing costs associated with the programme be covered?
Bear in mind that every time you make a change or expand the programme, the cost of updating your <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/msp-to-configure-vms/">VMS technology</a> could be significant.
Most MSPs in the US and UK are supplier-funded with very little to no out-of-pocket cost to the client. An MSP also has resources to make changes to your programme as need dictates - where no extra budget is needed.
Access to technology &ndash; and data
When running an MSP programme in-house, it can be expensive to licence the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/harnessing-the-power-of-automation-in-recruitment/">technology</a> you need to compete for talent. There are some great commercially available tools which can help map the market and benchmark salaries &ndash; but they come at a cost.
Partnering with an external MSP, on the other hand, gives you instant access to valuable data which can be harnessed to power your own programmes. Here at Guidant Global, for example, we work with over 2,600 suppliers &ndash; and each of our clients has a subset of partners which is curated just for them based on need. We laser-target the suppliers that are doing a good job and recommend others that specialise in sourcing a specific type of worker or resources within a specific geography as your business grows and develops.
We place everyone from rocket scientists to picker/packers &ndash; and depending on your needs, we recommend the best staffing suppliers based on hard data.
VISION is Guidant Global&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/about/vision/">interactive platform</a> for assessing supplier performance. Using Microsoft Power BI and data from the clients VMS technology, VISION takes programme visibility to the next level - giving our customers the insight they need to make better, data-driven decisions about their workforce suppliers. It pulls real-time information on thousands of recruitment suppliers across hundreds of workforce programmes - past and present, and from all over the world - in a way that can be sliced and diced however you please.
This means our customers have a wealth of information at their fingertips, which we can use to make informed decisions about who should supply the talent they need. This technology is also useful for firms looking to boost diversity. Our technology, for example, can be used to identify LGBTQ+ owned suppliers, suppliers which specialise in placing military veterans, or those which successfully fill flexible shifts.
Compliance challenges
There are always <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/contingent-worker-classification-and-risk/">risks</a> where talent management is concerned, however this is something that is not given enough attention by those implementing their own internal MSP programmes.&nbsp;
A specialist, external, MSP provider has a team of lawyers and compliance experts who are continually monitoring legislation &ndash; and the insight of these experts can pay dividends, especially if you&rsquo;ve a large programme, a global programme, or you&rsquo;re managing lots of different labour categories. Your MSP&rsquo;s legal team offers an extra layer of protection and are always on hand to review policies &ndash;even job descriptions - to make sure that everything is as it should be. Of course, some DIY MSPs may benefit from the help of great in-house legal teams.
However, some corporate layers might not have the same level of watchfulness or deep expertise to offer the support which is required in this area.
Addressing common MSP myths
When it comes to working with an external MSP, there are several common misconceptions that can crop up:
You lose control with an MSP &ndash; Some organisations think they lose control if they outsource to an MSP &ndash; that&rsquo;s not the case. Think of the MSP as the &lsquo;operators&rsquo; &ndash; we do the day-to-day work, but the client always makes the final decision. Thanks to advanced technology, today&rsquo;s MSP solutions enable your business to retain real-time visibility and full control of the recruitment process, while still enjoying all the benefits that working with an external specialist brings.
MSPs can be expensive &ndash; Staffing suppliers enjoy many efficiencies that an MSP provides, and their cost of doing business decreases when working with an MSP. As a result, few clients experience rate increases during implementation. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/gated-content/the-msp-handbook-a-guide-for-first-generation-buyers/">first-generation MSP</a> clients enjoy cost savings once an MSP is implemented.
An external MSP will dilute EVP, culture, or brand &ndash; The best MSP providers will help your business to define its value to potential candidates. With experts solely devoted to creating <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/complete-guide-to-building-a-unique-evp/">employer value proposition </a>(EVP) creation and employer brand strategists within their ranks, MSPs can effectively market your business to candidates &ndash; even in difficult, traditionally challenging industries.
In-house vs outsourced workforce management: what&rsquo;s the verdict?
It&rsquo;s worth noting that many successful internal programmes started as external programmes &ndash; which is something that needs to be considered if you&rsquo;re looking at MSP for the first time.&nbsp;
When choosing whether to develop your own &lsquo;DIY MSP&rsquo; or engage an outsourced provider, there are lots of things to consider. An external MSP leverages unrivalled staffing experts who have the knowledge, experience and the tools to manage best-in-class, strategic workforce programs that drive true business value.&nbsp;
Want to know more? <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Get in touch</a>!

The pitfalls of DIY MSP: in-house vs outsourced workforce management

Procurement and HR teams responsible for large contingent workforces are increasingly realising the business case for working with an experienced Managed Service Provider (MSP). However, for those that have yet to see the benefits, many come to us with a common misconception: Implementing an MSP takes a lot of time. For already time short teams, the idea of changing something they deem is already working understandably feels unnecessary. But truth be told, it takes less effort than you think to get and MSP off the ground, and it saves time and money in the long run.&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s what you need to know. The benefits of MSP recruitment
For those managing a sizable temporary workforce, <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/the-msp-handbook-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">partnering with an MSP</a> enables businesses to unmask unmanaged spend, eliminate invoicing inaccuracies, bring precision to worker classification, and implement process improvements. MSP programmes also bring an unrivalled level of visibility and control, with Vendor Management System (VMS) technology an MSP enables businesses to closely monitor supplier profit, oversee suppler usage, and collect and utilise valuable information. HR and procurement teams may find the thought of moving to an MSP overwhelming. However, the implementation is similar to IT implementation and should be viewed as akin to a &lsquo;refresh&rsquo; of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. You won&rsquo;t necessarily have to add resource &ndash; your MSP will work within your current structure. Less time and effort than you may expect
When it comes to actually implementing an MSP programme, the heavy lifting is around the business model that surrounds the VMS &ndash; but this software and its implementation will be managed by the MSP. Our clients are often pleasantly surprised that the amount of time we ask for from their personal resources is much less than they originally assumed. In fact, the two individuals who we require the most time investment from are usually the sponsor and the project manager, which is to be expected. And, from them, we only look to have less than 25% of their time over an average 18-week implementation phase. That usually translates to just five to 11 hours a week, on average. We may ask for 50 hours total from others in the team, such as a HR or procurement lead, however, over the same 18-week period &ndash; that equates to just a couple of hours a week for the entire project. To put the process in perspective, we typically have over 550 lines of implementation tasks on our project plan &ndash; and, of that, Guidant Global is responsible for 80%. Of course, this resource requirement tends to be weighted, with the &lsquo;discovery phase&rsquo; heavier for the client. By the time we move to the &lsquo;design phase&rsquo; - presuming there&rsquo;re no integrations &ndash; little effort is needed of our clients. When we reach the &lsquo;sign-off&rsquo; stage, the heavy lifting has been completed and you&rsquo;re ready to realise the benefits of MSP recruitment. The process
Just to recap, there&rsquo;re five stages to implementation:
1.&nbsp;Initiation &ndash; where we define the master service agreement with you, identify what clauses need to be flowed down into the supplier contacts, put in place a project team, governance structure, project charter and agree timelines 2. Discovery &ndash; where we learn about the key stakeholders and contractor populations, look at volumes, review the supply chain and identify who has been performing well Document existing process and establish areas of pain, inefficiency and begin to get a feel for what good looks like 3. Design &ndash; here we build workflows from start to finish and decide how these are reflected in technology, communications, and operational material 4. Build and test &ndash; the programme is constructed and tested to ensure that every element works seamlessly 5. Deployment &ndash; you&rsquo;re ready to go! Are you ready for MSP? For large organisations, or those managing a large contingent worker population, MSP makes complete sense. Having experts to focus on attracting difficult to find talent, managing legislative complexity while simultaneously saving costs is clearly beneficial.&nbsp;
For smaller organisations or those with a predominantly permanent workforce, an MSP is unlikely to be the best solution. To decide if an MSP is the right option for your firm, ask yourself:
- Is my contingent workforce becoming more complex? - Am I concerned about risk, control and visibility associated with temporary workforces? - Are contracts held between hiring managers and suppliers? - Am I using more contingent labour than previously? - Do I have concerns about the compliance of my temporary workforce? - Is having visibility of contingent workforce spend throughout the business a challenge? - Am I struggling to find the talent you need to drive business success? - Does recruiting and managing contingent workers distract my managers from their core priorities?
If your answers to any of these questions are a firm &lsquo;yes&rsquo;, then the chances are, an MSP solution could be the right for you. If not, it may be worth considering other options.
Defining a minimum viable product Once you&rsquo;ve identified that an MSP is right for your business, we need to determine an achievable starting point, or MVP. After success is demonstrated within that limited scope, then a programme can be expanded gradually in the future. By understanding what your core requirements are, and keeping the service offered as close to that as possible, businesses stand the best chance of building a programme that delivers benefits from day one &ndash; and matures into a programme that truly works for your organisation. Of course, you can add &lsquo;bells and whistles&rsquo; &ndash; but realistically do you need these from the off? Let&rsquo;s not overcomplicate the process: doing so detracts from the main requirements of why you need an MSP. Don&rsquo;t get bogged down with the challenge of trying to add all available components from the beginning. Instead, highlight areas where you can potentially grow in the future. If you&rsquo;re considering taking the first steps on your MSP journey, be assured that an MVP can be delivered with little investment of time and resources - on your part. What&rsquo;s more, you don&rsquo;t have to navigate this unfamiliar landscape alone: your MSP provider will lead the way so that you can begin benefitting from MSP recruitment quickly.

The MSP MVP - Why it takes less effort than you think to get an MSP off the ground

Effective management of your suppliers is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Knowing exactly what resources are available, where and at what cost is vital to ensuring you&rsquo;re investing in the right partners &ndash; getting the experience and skills you need, whilst getting value for money.
Perhaps more importantly, though, effective supply chain management (SCM) is key in a Covid-hit environment. Whatever the make-up of your supply chain, remaining agile in an increasingly uncertain world by having suppliers which can flex and adjust with your business will be critical for any swift changes that are needed, to keep your organisation competitive and able to solve customer challenges.
But why is supply chain management so important from a workforce perspective?
<h3>Meeting ever-changing business needs</h3>
The pandemic has truly changed the world of work as we know it. What a firm&rsquo;s workforce looks like today is significantly different to how it looked at the beginning of the year. And this will only continue to rapidly evolve as we work our way out of this crisis.
If we were to track on a graph how demand for contingent resources within many businesses has changed throughout 2020, it would look very much like a roller coaster ride at the moment, with local COVID-related restrictions increasing and decreasing the need for particular workers at a minute&rsquo;s notice.
As a result, procurement teams are facing the need to scale up or scale back resources swiftly across the supply chain. That&rsquo;s where effective SCM plays a critical role. Managing the contracts that you have in place with your suppliers and ensuring the flexibility you need is there will deliver significant value in the longer-term.
<h3>Streamlining resources</h3>
It can be all too easy once you&rsquo;ve engaged a supplier to let them carry on with the job at hand and review only when needed. However, supply chain strategies should include consistent and regular reviews or assessments of where resources can be streamlined.
As we&rsquo;ve mentioned previously, redeploying temporary talent to other areas of the business is much more efficient than carrying out a whole new recruitment effort. If transparency is built into your SCM, it&rsquo;s possible to identify where there are resources that are set to soon leave the organisation due to an end-date of a contract, for example, that may be able to fill an upcoming position in another area of the organisation.
Having the controls in place to manage this will have a positive impact on the company. After all, the individual or team in question will already have the knowledge and experience within your firm to hit the ground running.
<h3>Reducing operating costs</h3>
Arguably one of the greatest benefits of a well-thought out and prepared SCM strategy is the potential to reduce supply chain costs. Aside from effectively managing cashflow, supply chain strategies can help procurement teams identify where finances may need to be improved.
If a particular supplier is draining budgets, there may be the potential to reallocate work to another, more cost-efficient supplier. But without a strategic management plan in place that allocates responsibility for cost reviews &ndash; and is completely transparent no matter who is the main point of contact for the supplier &ndash; budgets could be impacted before you&rsquo;ve had a chance to react. In tough economic times, this is a particularly pertinent issue and really does demonstrate the importance of supply chain management.
<h3>Compliance</h3>
Having a structured management process in place for your supply chain is also crucial to drive compliance. As we mentioned in a recent <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=6FE3FD2FA26C40F0B0BCF305FEBE5D50&amp;_z=z">blog post</a>, engaging individuals under an array of models and through multiple suppliers presents risk. If a supplier isn&rsquo;t providing resources in a compliant manner, in many instances the associated risk transfers down the supply chain to the end-organisation and will come back to the procurement team in one way or another.
However, effective global supply chain management that includes complete transparency around how individuals are employed and how compliance is managed will reduce the risk for your business. That&rsquo;s not to say that procurement teams need to manage this alone, of course. A Managed Services Provider (MSP) will have the experience to drive compliance across your supply chain, for example.
<h3>Improves candidate experience</h3>
Just as in a retail setting, your SCM execution directly impacts the customer &ndash; or in this case, candidate &ndash; experience. An improved supply chain strategy will leave every worker engaged by your business, either directly, through a supplier or under an MSP model, with a positive view on your brand.
So, while your supply chain might not be delivering goods, ensuring it flows efficiently for the benefit of the workforce will provide longer term talent attraction benefits.
<h3>The importance of managing your supply chain: why a partner can help</h3>
While we certainly understand the importance of managing your supply chain (after all, we&rsquo;re highly experienced delivering this for procurement and HR teams!) we also know that it can be challenging and time-consuming for already over-stretched teams. And in such a volatile economic climate, the pace of change can present significant challenges for businesses that are managing global supply chains in-house without external support.
At Guidant Global, we have the expertise to manage temporary worker recruitment for an organisation and deliver end-to-end management solutions for your contingent workforce &ndash; from supplier management to strategic workforce planning.
If you&rsquo;re looking to better manage your talent supply chain, we have the knowledge and skills to help &ndash; why not <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact</a>&nbsp;the team today to find out more?
<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=73B8C48127B34FA792BD8345E85C747F&amp;_z=z">Download our free guide to first generation MSP solutions</a> for more information on how a Managed Services Provider model can work for your business

The importance of supply chain management

A Q&amp;A with Guidant Global's COO, Brian Salkowski.
International expansion used to be the preserve of mature businesses looking to build on local dominance by expanding into global markets. This expansion used to require significant investment. But with the rise of technology, even small startups with a slim share of their own market are searching for global opportunities. Geographic borders are not what they once were. The world is getting smaller. A key challenge of expanding into international markets, is finding the right talent during the expansion phase. Not just technically, but culturally. Whilst businesses in the United States share a lot of similarities with Australia, expanding into the Middle East, for example, is a far more complex affair. As a leader who has recently managed the strategic process of global expansion, we spoke to our COO, Brian Salkowski to understand the potential pitfalls and the undoubted potential of taking a business global. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager, Guidant Global:</h4>
Hi Brian, first of all, I&rsquo;d like to ask what, in your opinion, makes businesses choose to expand internationally? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO, Guidant Global:</h4>
Hi Tom. Good question. More often than not, business leaders make the decision to expand overseas to diversify risk and income streams, reducing their dependence on a single market. Many organisations want to expand internationally, but desires and readiness aren&rsquo;t always the same thing. To evaluate if their business is in a solid position for global expansion, leaders must question if they have developed a compelling business case, as well as a number of other factors such as change management, compliance, market maturity/readiness and organisational governance. The potential rewards of harnessing international revenue streams are huge. But there are, of course, many challenges, which can sometimes become lost in the planning process. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
It&rsquo;s easy to see, when you think of the potential short and long term financial gains, why even small businesses are thinking globally. But as you say, international business is not always plain sailing. What are the challenges you&rsquo;d expect businesses to encounter? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
There are a number of factors, but the ones most businesses encounter are local legislation, cultural contrasts and time and language differences. All of which need to be considered. Business decisions must be based on opportunities, profitability and a country&rsquo;s political/regulatory situation. But the availability of skills and wage differentiation are factors that also require close consideration. In emerging markets, in particular, scaling talent to business demand can be a challenge. For this reason, due diligence should be undertaken to ascertain the local landscape &ndash; especially with regards to the extended workforce, where local employment rules may differ from those in an organisation&rsquo;s domestic market. Established strategies and resource allocation models do not always align with the diversity of markets, customers, and channels that come with the expansion from local to global markets. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
One of the principal reasons why businesses are thinking globally before maturation is the rise of technology. What impact do you see technology having currently, and into the future, specifically in terms of talent management? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
In terms of talent management, HR technology is increasingly being used to plan and manage workforces strategically. Almost everyone in business is talking about the impact of big data. Our industry is no different. People analytics specifically, is enabling leaders to see the whole picture. From global resources, workforce mix, and international talent mapping, using big data effectively allows leaders to use their resources in the most efficient way. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
Interesting. And what impact does this have on managing international workforces? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
The insights harnessed through people analytics means that the location of a business function can be determined by the availability of local skills. However, there are, once again, some challenges that we face when using technology globally. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
But isn&rsquo;t technology meant to enable global workforces? What kind of challenges are there right now? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
In theory, yes. But there are, like I said, some challenges. Programs built for the specifically for the US market, for example, rarely work in the UK market. And these two regions share the same language and are relatively culturally aligned! Vendor Management System features may be business critical in one country, and next to useless in another. Some markets they could even be prohibited due to legislation or regulation. Take another example - the way data is harnessed. In the UK and EU, with GDPR regulations, businesses have to be very careful when collecting the data of individuals. And then there are differences in contract law, employment law -- it can be a minefield if there&rsquo;s not a thorough, strategic approach. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
I see. It makes one wonder when hearing this, why would a company even think about global expansion? Of course, that&rsquo;s a rhetorical question, as financially it makes a lot of sense! But logistically it sounds like it can be a real nightmare. Are local businesses more suited to their market than a global business could ever be? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
It&rsquo;s interesting you say that. Research by McKinsey shows that 40% of executives at global organisations feel that their product or service are stronger than local options. Yet other research shows the opposite - that local organisations are more effective at forging relationships with local partners and governments. For this reason, companies which are entering new markets must adopt a &lsquo;local&rsquo; approach to business, so that they are culturally aligned with the market they are operating in. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
Are there any best practice advice you could share for anyone reading this interview who is planning to take their business global? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
Best practice is different for different locations. There&rsquo;s no one-size-fits-all approach that can be taken. What&rsquo;s commonplace in one country might seem absurd in another, illegal even. For this reason, it&rsquo;s critical that you have a team of consultants working on localisation. To be a success in a new market, you need a full grasp of the laws, culture nuances and social norms. I&rsquo;ll give you a few examples in our world of talent management. In the US it is best practice for a Managed Service Provider to pay suppliers. In China, on the other hand, it is often not within regulation for most worker types. In the Netherlands, freelancers are a driving force in the labour market. But they also need to register with the national government, which can sometimes take up to 800 days! In the US, freelancing is hindered with regulatory uncertainty for the contracting organisation. And these differences present themselves even more vividly when it comes to local cultures and customs. In the UK, having dinner with a client is a nice touch, but not compulsory. In South Korea, it&rsquo;s incredibly rude not to have dinner with your clients. In both regulation and culture, it is critical that businesses do their homework before even thinking about global expansion. 
<h4>Tom Brooks, Marketing Manager:</h4>
Do you have any final advice for executives and business leaders with regards to achieving a successful global expansion? 
<h4>Brian Salkowski, COO:</h4>
In short, successful global expansion relies on a solid strategy and a plan of action around talent management. But it also needs a forensic and authentic understanding of local culture, so that workforces can be managed cost-effectively. Though this sounds like a contradictory thing to say, for a business to have a successful global expansion, it needs to think local.

The future is local: why cultural alignment is the key to successful global expansion

What is an employer value proposition, why should your organisation invest in one, and how do you create a compelling EVP?
Even as unemployment rates rise across the world, HR and Talent Acquisition professionals are finding that recruiting and retaining top talent still remains a challenge.
Though there are generally fewer permanent opportunities currently available, the most talented individuals remain in high demand. Indeed, in some cases, they are in higher demand than ever before.
Today, we see businesses across the globe undergoing rapid transformation as they adapt to meet the new normal. These firms are crying out for experts in business areas like digital, marketing, IT, project management, and in some industries, niche STEM skills - albeit, not necessarily on a permanent basis.
&ldquo;The talent landscape is constantly changing, and employers are no longer just concerned with how they appeal to traditional full time equivalent or permanent employees, but also to the ever-growing and highly skilled extended workforce. This is where the most transformative workforce lies and is arguably the future of how work gets done. Savvy employers are already realising this and are extending their talent strategies to consider how they leverage their EVP to include flexible non-employee talent.&rdquo; Brian Salkowski, COO, Guidant Global
Anyone with the high-demand skills that facilitate wide-ranging organisational transformation and success like those just mentioned is going to be highly selective when choosing to either stay with the company they&rsquo;re at or deciding which company to switch to. They know their true value, even in today&rsquo;s uncertain market.&nbsp;
To attract and retain this highly-skilled talent, and indeed others, you need to make your organisation an employer of choice within your industry and beyond &mdash; ensuring you can tap into the right talent and future proof this pipeline. So how can HR and Talent Acquisition leaders attract and retain talent in today&rsquo;s skill-short, competitive talent market? The answer: by creating a compelling Employer Value Proposition that facilitates the retention of your best current employees and attracts future employees who will drive real organisational change. In this piece, we&rsquo;ll address some of the most important questions for HR leaders today: what is an Employer Value Proposition, why should your organisation invest in one, and how do you create an attractive and unique EVP that will attract and retain top talent in the years to come? Read on to find out the answers.
<h3>What is an Employer Value Proposition?</h3>
An Employer Value Proposition, according to <a href="https://linkhumans.com/category/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link Humans</a>, can be defined as &lsquo;the unique set of benefits which an employee receives in return for the skills, attributes and experience they bring to a company.&rsquo; The most successful Employer Value Propositions are holistic, people-focused and culture-driven. Gone are the days when the core competencies of an EVP were remuneration, bonus, holidays and personal development. Expectations have changed dramatically &mdash; especially as millennials and Generation Z become an increasingly integral part of modern workforces. Aspects such as supporting a company&rsquo;s purpose-led mission, being part of a high performing team or working in an inclusive environment, flexible working practices, remote work opportunities, wellness programs and a desire to work for businesses that work for more than just profit have all come into play. In addition, many workers, particularly those that are highly-skilled, now demand the latest technology, innovative working practices, meaningful work, and a company that has a positive reputation both within their industry, and the wider community. Of course, no employer can be all things to all people. Your EVP should, therefore, be directed to your target market, while incorporating some of the elements just discussed. To answer demands effectively, companies need to clearly define where they stand. The EVP should be aspirational but also grounded in the reality and reflective of the genuine experience of your employees. Anything less will be called out as inauthentic! Broadly, positioning territories can be put into these nine categories:
<ul>
<li>Purpose</li>
<li>Teamwork</li>
<li>Autonomy</li>
<li>Innovation</li>
<li>Learning</li>
<li>Progression</li>
<li>Performance</li>
<li>Reward</li>
<li>Status</li>
</ul>
Source: <a href="https://universumglobal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Universum</a>&nbsp;
Employers usually select one territory as their core stance, with several supporting pillars that further reflect their EVP themes and priorities. These components then need to be brought to life and demonstrated by proof points, employer brand content and employee story telling. An EVP is useless if not effectively activated - it must be an integral part of how a company operates and proactively targeted towards relevant talent segments, not just how a company wants to be seen.
<h3>Why should your organisation invest in creating an Employer Value Proposition?</h3>
&ldquo;Your company needs a strong employer value proposition &ndash; a compelling answer to the question, &lsquo;Why would a highly talented person choose to work here?&rsquo;&rdquo; Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones and Beth Axelrod, The War For Talent
An effective talent strategy requires a clear and concise Employer Value Proposition (EVP). This is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it gives people a clear rationale to join the company and to stay. It also acts as a consistent platform for all employer brand communications to ensure that any potential new hires are absolutely clear as to what it&rsquo;s like to work at the business. It prevents mixed messages or potential increased attrition rates due to a miscommunication around the likes of corporate culture, for example. It is also a business&rsquo;s opportunity to be different and to positively influence how it is perceived as an employer. Without a clear Employer Value Proposition, businesses will find it increasingly difficult to attract, hire and retain the talent they need to drive success. But done well, an EVP can lead to real business benefits. According to research by <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/insights/employee-engagement-performance/employee-value-proposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner</a>, organisations that effectively deliver on their EVP can reduce the compensation premium by 50%, and reach 50% deeper into the labour market when candidates view an EVP as attractive. In other words, by defining a clear, compelling and attractive EVP, a business can attract more highly-skilled workers, without needing to break the bank to do so. As businesses look to hire in-demand talent to drive transformation, while simultaneously cutting costs in response to an uncertain global economic outlook, investing in an EVP should, in this light, be business-critical. The same Gartner study also reveals that organisations that effectively deliver on their EVP can decrease annual staff turnover by 69%, and increase the commitment of new hires by almost 30%. Though some businesses are laying off non-essential workers, they still need to ensure they don&rsquo;t lose their best talent, particularly if they want to develop and grow their business. Once again, investing in an EVP makes good business sense. It&rsquo;s now increasingly vital that your EVP shouldn&rsquo;t solely be seen as an investment exclusive to your permanent workforce. <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2018/contingent-workforce-management.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Today, external workers comprise more than 40% of workforces</a>. With the demand for remote and flexible work set to increase in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and as businesses look for greater agility and flexibility, this is set to rise. Given this, it&rsquo;s vitally important that businesses invest in an EVP for both their permanent and contingent workforce. A remote DevOps engineer or a cybersecurity expert working on a six-month contract may not ever come physically in contact with your business &mdash; especially if they are engaged through a managed service program &mdash; but they are still likely to be interested in how well your company remunerates, how their work with your business can help them develop their career, and increasingly, how your business is seen in the wider world (and thus, on their CV). For businesses, it&rsquo;s vital to be seen as an outstanding employer for contingent workers, particularly as contingent worker engagements grow in the years to come.
<h3>How to design an outstanding Employer Value Proposition</h3>
Having defined what an Employer Value Proposition is, and why your business should invest in an EVP, we&rsquo;re now going to discuss how you can create an outstanding Employer Value Proposition for your business.
<h4>Understanding your current position</h4>
Understanding how powerful your offering is to present and potential employees is an essential first step to designing an outstanding EVP. To do this, you need to assess what it&rsquo;s actually like to work at your organisation, how attractive your current working environment is, and how communicable your company culture and vision currently is. By doing so, you will be able to get a better understanding of what your company is and isn&rsquo;t, and learn which of these elements are currently strong. This process should not be done by HR professionals and leadership teams alone. It&rsquo;s important that you get critical feedback from current employees, former employees, and even candidates who have turned your company down. By going through this process you can get a true understanding of your current standing. The most common approach is utilising employee surveys, workshops and focus groups. In the case of current employees, asking questions such as &lsquo;what motivates you at work&rsquo;, &lsquo;what improvements would you like to see&rsquo; &lsquo;how important is career growth to you&rsquo; and &lsquo;how important is the company culture to your work&rsquo; is a good place to start. This is by no means the full extent of questions you could be asking, and you should, of course ask different questions to those in different positions, and tailor them to your own business.
But through assessing some of the key drivers for workers today (as alluded to in the &lsquo;What is an Employer Value Proposition section), and creating questions that align with these motivations, you&rsquo;ll be able to gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses in the eyes of current, former and potential employees.
<h4>Defining the individual points of your EVP</h4>
Once survey results and focus group sessions have been analysed, you can start building your new Employer Value Proposition. This should, done well, truly reflect who you are as a business. It&rsquo;s also worth analysing the careers pages on your competitors&rsquo; websites at this stage, to learn how they address the concerns, wants and ambitions of people working in your sector. Ideally, your EVP should be able to flex in order to suit different audiences you need to appeal to. A technical director is likely to have very different priorities to an accounting intern, for example. Likewise, workers who are permanent or contingent will have differing priorities (though there is often some overlap). Creating an Employer Value Proposition is far from a straightforward process. As with all strategic endeavours, it takes time. But done well, it can set your business on the right path for years to come, allowing you to continually attract, hire and retain the best talent
<h4>Write and promote your Employer Value Proposition</h4>
Once you&rsquo;ve fully defined what matters to people in your industry and organisation, how you differ from your competition, and what sets you apart, the logical thing to do next is write a statement that encapsulates your Employer Value Proposition. Importantly, you need to ensure that your EVP statement is unique to your business. While it&rsquo;s fine to research and learn from best practices, your EVP statement needs to be truly authentic. It also needs to be clear, positive and inspirational &mdash; in alignment with what your ideal employee desires, and what your business actually offers. Put simply, it needs to be memorable and grounded in reality. Once your EVP is clearly defined, activating and promoting it to the wider world is the next step. Failing to do this renders the whole process a potential waste of time. After all, if no-one is aware of your EVP, what is its purpose? Even businesses who do go to the effort of investing in an EVP often communicate it solely on their careers page, which is a mistake. To create an exceptional EVP, you need to take things a few steps further. Start by promoting your EVP on your company blog, social media accounts and company newsletters. At the same time, share your EVP internally through internal communications platforms, and assign employee ambassadors to communicate your EVP with their own personal social networks. Ultimately, your EVP should be a core component of your business&rsquo; content, social media and communications strategies.
<h4>Regularly review your Employer Value Proposition</h4>
As we know, companies shift direction on a regular basis. Your business might undergo a rebrand, for example. Equally, it could be acquired or merged, or a newly appointed CEO or People Director might arrive with a new vision for who you are as an employer. As a result, it&rsquo;s important to periodically review your Employer Value Proposition to ensure it continues to reflect who you are as a business, and also, to reexamine the priorities of talent within your business and the wider industry. As before, feedback from surveys and focus groups are key to this. Regularly measuring the impact of your EVP is also vital. Are you getting higher quality and a higher volume of candidates for roles? Are you seeing a positive impact on employee attrition? Is your EVP content gaining traction through your blog and social media posts? These are all important factors to consider to ensure your Employee Value Proposition is leading to a real-world impact.
<h3>How Guidant Global help our clients create great EVPs</h3>
Our Talent Marketing Team at Guidant Global are well-versed in helping our clients to define their EVP, or refine it for specific talent categories such as future talent or contingent labour. We run comprehensive workshops with HR and procurement communities to help identify aspects of an existing EVP that can be strengthened or tailored to a new audience. We can help to consider which aspects of a company&rsquo;s culture can be used as proof points to illustrate new elements of an EVP.
We are also able to support the creation of a unique visual identity that captures EVP messaging in an innovative and attention grabbing way. Again, this can be designed to appeal to a particular talent audience such as contingent or graduates. In addition, we often build employer brand toolkits of assets to help our clients articulate and activate their EVP. These play an active role in delivering proactive recruitment marketing campaigns designed to source the volumes and quality of talent exactly where it&rsquo;s needed.

The complete guide to building a unique Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

The first instalment in our Direct Sourcing blog series outlined <a href="../../../../../../news/how-we-re-re-defining-direct-sourcing-in-2024/">why 2024 is the year for Advanced Direct Sourcing</a>. As experts in building employer brand-led, technology enabled talent communities, this time we&rsquo;re uncovering the blueprint for building a robust talent community. &nbsp;
The first thing to clear up is that a talent pool and a talent community are not one and the same. A talent pool and a talent community are both essential components of talent acquisition, but they differ significantly in their scope and engagement.&nbsp;
How does a talent community differ from a talent pool or database? &nbsp;
A traditional talent pool typically refers to a database of potential candidates who possess specific skills or qualifications. It serves as a repository of resumes and contact information, allowing recruiters to quickly source and fill positions. However, it tends to be transactional, focusing on immediate hiring needs rather than fostering long-term relationships. &nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a valuable resource, filled with leads you&rsquo;ve already invested the time and money to acquire and consists of people who have already shown interest in your company. Despite this, many employers don&rsquo;t leverage the full potential of their talent database. &nbsp;
The key to unlocking its full potential, is taking steps to turn your talent database into a talent community via a more proactive, strategic, and relationship-based approach. &nbsp;
Building an engaged talent community goes far beyond a mere legacy database and involves actively engaging and nurturing individuals who share common attributes, interests, or connections with a company. Building a talent community is about creating a network of engaged talent over time, which aligns with the organization's values, culture, and industry.&nbsp;
Building a talent community &nbsp;
Building a successful talent community of people who want to work for your organization is an iterative process. It&rsquo;s not one and done. However, keeping your company name and employer brand in front of candidates, even when you are not hiring is worth the effort in today&rsquo;s competitive talent landscape. We already know that the ability to quickly attract and deploy (or re-deploy) high quality talent on-demand provides a competitive edge.&nbsp;
By investing in your talent pool over time, it means that when the right role comes up, your nurtured candidate will be more open, informed, and likely to engage with a recruiter. &nbsp;
The role of automation technology &nbsp;
The latest AI, automation and recruitment marketing technology has thankfully made the process of building and nurturing communities of known and new talent significantly easier. For example, Guidant&rsquo;s own Advanced Direct Sourcing technology, built on an industry-leading CRM, enables us to; deliver automated outreach and personalization at scale; leverage AI and machine learning for superior candidate matching; manage the complete lifecycle ​of a candidate, from engagement and placement to offboarding ​and redeployment; create an end-end suite of client-branded communications; and provide comprehensive reporting and dashboards for full talent community visibility. It takes the pressure off recruiters and freeing them to focus more on the relationship building and strategic aspects of their role. &nbsp;
Where to start &nbsp;
Despite the obvious benefits of building an engaged talent community, it can be a daunting task. &nbsp;
Building relationships with top talent doesn&rsquo;t stop. It&rsquo;s a full lifecycle effort &ndash; from initial attraction to ongoing nurturing and involves people as well as technology. &nbsp;
Remember, you can start small &ndash; with one job family or location &mdash; and scale over time. Choose the talent attributes you need now and grow from there, or focus on high volume, repeatable roles. &nbsp;
6 steps to build your talent community:&nbsp;
1. Define the Community Purpose:&nbsp;
Clearly articulate the purpose of the talent community. Whether it's centred around a specific industry, job-category, diverse characteristic or shared interest, having a clear purpose and focus will help to attract the right individuals.&nbsp;
2. Invite Known and New Talent: &nbsp;
The first step in building your talent community is to make people aware of it. It&rsquo;s a great opportunity cleanse and segment your existing database and to generate new leads by inviting suitable candidates or those your already know such as former employees, freelancers, statement of work (SOW) labor, retirees, referrals, interns, and &ldquo;runner up&rdquo; applicants, to join your talent community. It&rsquo;s also important to set expectations and make it clear what people are opting in to. &nbsp;
3. Create Engaging Content:&nbsp;
Regularly share relevant content such as industry updates, thought leadership articles, good news stories, videos and company news. This not only keeps the community informed but also establishes the organization as a valuable resource. This content should be authentic and aligned with your EVP. A quarterly newsletter driving traffic to your community content is a great place to start. &nbsp;
4. Personalized Communication:&nbsp;
Where possible further tailor communication to the interests and preferences of community members. Personalized job opportunities, messages, newsletters, and updates show that the organization values the individual and their contributions to the community.&nbsp;
5. Facilitate Networking Opportunities:&nbsp;
If possible, foster deeper connections within the community by organizing career related events, or webinars where you can interact, share insights, and build relationships with members of the community. Networking is a key element in cultivating a thriving talent community.&nbsp;
6. Feedback Loop:&nbsp;
Ask for feedback and input from the community members. This not only helps in understanding their needs but also empowers them, making them feel like active contributors and shows you care about their point of view. This can be easily done by asking about their specific areas of interest, to complete regular NPS surveys or via community ambassador initiatives. &nbsp;
Building a talent community is an ongoing process that requires commitment and consistency. By fostering meaningful connections, providing valuable resources, and actively engaging with members, organizations can create a vibrant talent community that goes beyond immediate hiring needs and contributes to long-term success.&nbsp;
At Guidant Global, we have been successfully building talent communities and delivering employer brand-led direct sourcing strategies to our customers for over 10 years. That&rsquo;s why you can trust us to help build your direct sourcing strategy for smarter, faster and better access to the talent you need to thrive.&nbsp;
If you want to find out more about this innovative solution, download our <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/the-complete-guide-to-direct-sourcing/">Complete Guide to Advanced Direct Sourcing</a> or request a discovery session with one of our experts. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Blueprint for Building a Robust Talent Community  

How businesses employ talent has changed drastically in the last year. COVID-19 has undoubtedly inspired a shift towards greater workplace flexibility and has encouraged more organisations to rethink how resources are engaged and deployed. And as more employers begin to plan for 2021 and beyond, the anticipation is that contingent workers will be used more often to support business recovery, without the commitment or liability that comes with scaling up permanent headcount once again.
So, with this in mind, what are the benefits of contingent and non-contingent workers? We take a look at the main advantages of each, and therefore how important it is to strike the right balance between them, based on the key criteria for today&rsquo;s employers:
<h3>The five benefits of contingent and non-contingent workers</h3>
<ol>
<li>Access to wider talent pools: Being able to access the right skills at the right time is vital for businesses. Permanent staff do bring a level of security to a company as you know exactly what resources you can access immediately. But in an ever-changing economy, there will be a need for skills that aren&rsquo;t available in-house and are not necessarily needed on a long-term basis. That&rsquo;s where contingent workers are hugely valuable. HR teams can bring in temporary resources when they are needed to fill gaps, often much quicker than they would be able to going through the necessary approval, sourcing, interview and on-boarding processes for permanent staff. And where businesses are battling skills gaps &ndash; across digital and technology, for example &ndash; tapping into contingent workforces will widen the talent pools your business is engaging with.</li>
<li>Cost efficiency: In relation to the point above, hiring contingent workers can often prove more cost-efficient, particularly when shorter-term resourcing needs arise. Having a permanent workforce may provide your business with a clearer picture of headcount and salary budgets in the future, but permanent employment comes with additional costs including training investment. For the non-permanent workforce, employers are only paying for the skills required as and when they need them, without the additional long-term costs.</li>
<li>Scalability: When it comes to scaling up your business there are benefits of both contingent and non-contingent workers. For the latter, having a team that already knows the business inside and out is valuable when planning to scale-up. However, this permanent section of the workforce will unlikely be able to completely support rapid scaling &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s due to a seasonal increase in demand, a change of business strategy or a one-off project. A permanent workforce will traditionally take longer to get up to speed and ingrained in your business because employer&rsquo;s will invest in more extensive training and induction activities. That&rsquo;s where contingent workers are incredibly valuable. By partnering with the right suppliers and engaging with the procurement team, it&rsquo;s entirely possible to rapidly and swiftly scale up your people resources to meet temporary demands without impacting business as usual activities. Crucially, the contingent workforce then affords employers the flexibility of quickly and cost-effectively scaling back down when spikes in demand are over.</li>
<li>Flexibility: While an employer can be flexible in how full-time staff work, the agility of the contingent workforce is far greater. Non-permanent resources can be engaged and redeployed across the business to support an organisation&rsquo;s changing needs. In an uncertain economy, this is particularly beneficial as demand and supply of skills sees peaks and troughs in line with global, regional and national economic developments.</li>
<li>Outputs-based approach: With a fixed permanent headcount, the challenge in today&rsquo;s environment is that it isn&rsquo;t as interchangeable and adaptable as workloads can be. However, one of the <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=608D59C592EC4DCFB7F25892A63B73AD&amp;_z=z">benefits of a contingent workforce</a> that is becoming increasingly valuable is that it can be used on a Statement of Work (SOW) or outputs-based model. No matter what type of contingent worker you&rsquo;re deploying, you only pay for the work that is needed. This is a highly valuable benefit at a time when budgets are likely to be tight, and one that perfectly suits project-based work such as large IT implementations.</li>
</ol>
There are definitely a mix of benefits for both contingent and non-contingent workers. However, in today&rsquo;s economic climate and in the future &lsquo;better normal&rsquo; that we&rsquo;re all moving towards, a more agile workforce presents numerous opportunities that businesses simply can&rsquo;t ignore. There is a type of resource engagement that can suit all business scenarios and flexibility should extend into your workforce and the way it operates. It&rsquo;s important that you grasp this opportunity now to drive competitive advantage and hold on to your flexibility, agility and scalability by seriously considering what your future workforce should look like and when to use each type of engagement.&nbsp;
<h4>Find out how to <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C4DCE21CA4D94F66924FF8866B893A6E&amp;_z=z">best manage your contingent workforce</a>&nbsp;today &ndash; and why not <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact </a>our team of experts to learn more about Guidant Global and how we can support your talent needs.</h4>

The benefits of contingent and non-contingent workers

The rise of the contingent workforce has made day-to-day workforce management increasingly complex for HR and procurement departments. Could working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) be the answer? 
Businesses across the globe are experiencing uncertainty. Whether it be increasing skills gaps, market pressure, or technological disruption, driving consistent business growth has never been so challenging. But one business trend that looks set to stay is the rise of a dynamic, flexible contingent workforce. In <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/at/Documents/human-capital/at-2018-deloitte-human-capital-trends.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deloitte&rsquo;s Global Human Capital Trends report</a>, only 42% of 11,000 respondents reported that their business was primarily made up by permanent employees. Meanwhile, 50% were using a significant number of contracted workers, 23% were using a significant number of freelancers, and 13% of businesses using a significant amount of gig workers. This new, flexible workforce is, of course, a double-edged sword &ndash; especially for HR leaders. While greater flexibility allows businesses to adapt to changing needs, it also vastly increases the complexity of managing an unstable, shifting workforce. HR experts are employing a number of tactics. Some are utilising existing in-house technology services, some are seeking to increase collaboration between HR and procurement, but many are resigned to dealing with the increasing pressure head-on. Adjacent to this, we are also seeing a significant increase in the utilisation of Managed Service Programmes. Market analysis by <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/590884/worldwide-managed-services-market-size/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Statista</a> indicates that the global managed services market is expected to grow to US$296 billion by 2023 &ndash; a 70% increase from 2018. So what are the drivers behind the expected growth, and what are the fundamental business advantages of working with a Managed Service Provider?
<h3>Benefit 1: Time, resource and cost efficiencies</h3>
When a business outsources its contingent workforce management to a Managed Service Provider, HR teams find themselves with more time on their hands. While some senior managers may see a reduced workload in a negative light, the reality is HR finds that it is easier to focus their time and skills on activities which have greater value to their business. Businesses that work with Managed Service Providers also experience significant cost efficiencies. With predictable pricing models, outcome-based pricing, reduced third-party recruitment fees and a more strategic approach to staffing, MSPs are proving to be hugely beneficial for organisations adapting to the new world of work.
<h3>Benefit 2: Workforce agility</h3>
Managed Service Providers not only enhance efficiencies, but they also facilitate greater agility within an organisation. With digital transformation coming in often unexpected waves, it&rsquo;s important for all businesses, in almost every sector, to be able to react to a changing market. MSPs ensure that a business can attract the right talent, at the right time, even in highly competitive environments.
<h3>Benefit 3: Access to the latest recruitment tech</h3>
Implementing technology in an organisation is expensive, especially when it comes to recruitment tech. It&rsquo;s not surprising to see that most businesses aren&rsquo;t willing to invest millions of pounds in technology that only has one purpose. For most, they&rsquo;re not commercially viable. But by engaging with a Managed Service Provider, a business can access the latest tech without making huge technology investments. Why? Because a Managed Service Provider is able to focus all of their attention on technology that is only applicable within their specialisms. Though no two MSPs are the same &ndash; a business should look at multiple options when deciding on the MSP that is right for them &ndash; a Managed Services solution can enhance an organisation&rsquo;s data analyses capabilities and ensure that their workforce is fully optimised.
<div class="lg-embed-shortcode lg-embed-seamless" data-code="KMEUHjbH">&nbsp;</div>
<h3>Benefit 4: Global reach</h3>
For large organisations, accessing talent worldwide can be an issue &ndash; especially when expanding into new, unchartered territories. Managed Service Providers that operate on a global scale have the capabilities to attract, onboard and retain the best staff across multiple domains. Another advantage is that global Managed Service Providers ensure that all contingent labour hired complies with local laws and cultural norms. Even the most developed businesses can struggle in this regard, so handing over to the experts can save an organisation time, money and potential legal damages.
<h3>Benefit 5: Industry knowledge, expertise and insight</h3>
As a business, you know your industry inside out. Unless your industry is workforce solutions, however, the chances are that your specialist knowledge doesn&rsquo;t stretch to the complex working world. If you work in HR, you&rsquo;ll likely have some knowledge, but working with a Managed Service Provider means you&rsquo;ll be able to harness its years of experience working exclusively on attracting, hiring and retaining talent. In addition, your Managed Service Provider will have accrued knowledge across multiple sectors while working with other clients. This deep, cross-sector intelligence allows an MSP to understand great swathes of the market, ensuring that they can build deep talent pools packed with contingent candidates who can enter your business and drive positive change &ndash; both culturally and economically.
<h3>To sum up</h3>
Working in partnership with a Managed Service Provider carries a whole host of benefits for a business &ndash; especially those that want to operate effectively in an increasingly complex talent market. The world economy is in flux and the way people want to work is evolving, but by acquiring an MSP solution, you can ensure that you have all of the knowledge, technology and industry expertise in place to make sure that your business succeeds &ndash; even if the odds are stacked against it.
<h4>To find out what an MSP solution really means for your business, download our MSP handbook <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/outsourcing-guides-and-insights/the-msp-handbook-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.&nbsp;</h4>
<h4>If you&rsquo;re looking for more information about Managed Services, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">check out our &lsquo;What is MSP&rsquo; guide here</a>.</h4>
<h4>Want to speak to someone about implementing an MSP solution in your business? <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Get in touch today</a>.</h4>

The 5 benefits of working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP)

A comprehensive overview of the shortage of talent in key sectors of the US economy, and what employers can do about it.&nbsp;
All over the world, organizations are struggling to fill vacancies for a whole host of roles, from systems architects and administrators to janitors and pilots. In the US, the tightening labor market is affecting both blue and while-collar roles indiscriminately.&nbsp; &nbsp; The recent Business Conditions Survey by the National Association of Business Economics found that 47% of respondents reported a shortage of skilled workers in the third quarter of this year: that's up from 32% in the second quarter of 2021.&nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Talent-shortages-state-of-US-labor-market-2021">So what exactly is happening, and what can employers do about it?&nbsp;</a> &nbsp; In this report, Talent shortages: state of the US labor market (November 2021), we examine the impact of talent scarcity on key sectors of the US economy - and offer tips for finding the right people when the competition for talent is so tough.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Talent shortages: state of the US labor market 2021 

A comprehensive overview of the state of the UK talent market and what employers can do about it.&nbsp;
As the UK grapples with a supply chain crisis affecting everything from fuel to fruit, and from microchips to milkshakes, the underlying cause is quite clear: an acute shortage of labour in sectors as diverse as retail, hospitality, and logistics.&nbsp;
In September 2021, the number of unfilled job vacancies passed the one million mark for the first time since records began. The demand for labour is far outstripping the supply of it, and the result is empty supermarket shelves and petrol pumps.&nbsp;
So what exactly is happening, and what can employers do about it?&nbsp;
In this report, Talent shortages: state of the UK labour market (September 2021), we examine the impact of talent scarcity on six key sectors in the UK - and offer tips for finding the right people when the competition for talent is so tough.&nbsp;
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Talent-shortages-state-of-UK-labour-market-2021">Access your copy&nbsp;</a>
Key features include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>A comprehensive overview of the state of the UK market for talent</li>
<li>Deep dives into aerospace, defence, hospitality, retail, logistics, and social care</li>
<li>Expert tips on managing talent shortages in a sustainable, long-term way&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Talent-shortages-state-of-UK-labour-market-2021">Click here to access your copy&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Talent shortages : state of the UK labour market 2021 

The acute talent shortages that businesses across the world are facing have been well documented in recent months. A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/aug/03/call-for-action-as-uk-driver-shortage-hits-supermarket-shelves" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shortfall</a> of HGV drivers in the UK, for example - which is currently creating noticeable gaps on supermarket shelves - has been covered extensively by the UK media. For those on the frontline of recruitment and procurement, however, candidates required to fill a whole myriad of other permanent and contract roles are proving equally elusive, with hospitality professionals, logistics experts and digital skills all difficult to source.
This talent-scarce market is the result of a number of external forces: a boom in demand due to lockdown easing; in the UK, an exodus of European workers post-Brexit; and the fact that professionals retrained or switched sectors when employment opportunities were thin on the ground at the height of Covid-19 disruption.
As a result, many employers are finding their talent pools dry - especially in the US where Amazon has been on an unprecedented recruitment drive, offering wages and signing bonuses that other firms simply can&rsquo;t match (at time of writing, Amazon&rsquo;s jobs page has more than 57,000 vacancies listed worldwide).
Against this backdrop, how can employers stand out from the crowd when everybody is trying to attract the same scarce talent?
<h3>Talent shortages: no quick fix</h3>
It seems that some businesses believe offering &lsquo;golden hellos&rsquo; is a quick way to overcome talent shortages. It has been widely reported that Asda and Tesco are currently <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/jobs-offering-staff-thousands-pounds-24634104" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">offering</a> a &pound;1,000 signing-on fee for HGV drivers amid a shortage in qualified workers. Arla, meanwhile, is offering a &pound;2,000 bonus. And it seems this practice is becoming increasingly widespread: in August 2021, a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/01/employers-offer-golden-hellos-of-up-to-10k-amid-worker-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">survey</a> by job search engine Adzuna found that almost 5,000 vacancies across the UK were offering signing-on bonuses of up to &pound;10,000 for in-demand roles such as care workers, chefs and nursery staff.
But attraction bonuses are not the solution to plugging skills gaps.
Hiring managers are clearly turning to these measures out of pure desperation. However, for businesses seeking talent, this is not a sustainable resolution for the long term. Aside from the additional costs incurred at the point of hire, stunts like this are unlikely to attract talent that is the right fit for your business. At the most basic level, individuals attracted by a one-off cash incentive will likely leave for another employer offering a similar perk as soon as they are contractually able to. More importantly, candidates sourced in this way are unlikely to have considered if the company they are joining meets their needs as an employee, shares their values, or if it is a place where they can grow and thrive professionally.
In order to secure scarce skills, decision makers would be wise to direct time and resources into building a robust long-term talent attraction strategy instead.
<h3>Building a strong EVP: the power of employer brand</h3>
Rather than simply throwing money at the problem, businesses must position themselves as an employer of choice &ndash; and building and communicating a strong <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;(EVP) is key.
A strong employer brand should connect an organisation&rsquo;s values, people strategy and policies, and be linked to the company&rsquo;s corporate brand. A key part of an organisation&rsquo;s culture and values are the ethical standards that the employer upholds through the practice of its employees. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=6F970ED9CF4445C5AE1CDF8DE359B5E4&amp;_z=z">Employer brand</a>&nbsp;is, therefore, influenced by the ethical perspective that prospective and current employees take, as well as through business actions.
Even during times when talent is plentiful, the benefits of investing in your EVP are hard to ignore. According to research by <a href="http://https//www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/insights/employee-engagement-performance/employee-value-proposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner</a>, organisations that effectively deliver on their EVP can reduce the compensation premium by 50%, and reach 50% deeper into the labour market when candidates view their EVP as attractive. What&rsquo;s more, 50% of candidates <a href="https://everyonesocial.com/blog/employer-branding-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">say</a> they wouldn&rsquo;t work for a company with a bad reputation &ndash; even for a pay increase.
With this in mind, a focus on EVP, harnessed alongside complementary recruitment strategies &ndash; such as offering a first-class <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=E13B7CA86EF04CBB9EC6DA043D02F667&amp;_z=z">candidate experience</a>&nbsp;and tapping into underutilised talent pools &ndash; is vital to persuading people to join you over the competition.
<h3>Actioning your long-term talent attraction plan</h3>
When it comes to defining and communicating a strong and authentic EVP, understanding the experiences of existing employees is crucial. For HR professionals and hiring managers taking the first steps on their EVP journey, gauging sentiment across the organisation will paint a realistic picture of:
<ul>
<li>where you are now</li>
<li>where there is room for improvement, and</li>
<li>where there are great stories to be shared.</li>
</ul>
Only then can strategists begin to build a solid employer brand, and reap the associated benefits. Drafting a statement which encapsulates your EVP will provide a consistent platform for all employer brand communications, but this alone is not enough. Real value comes from sharing authentic stories of your people, which are accessible to audiences both inside of the recruitment process and beyond. Celebrate your corporate culture across every potential touchpoint by giving a voice to those within your team.
Remuneration will always be part of what draws people to your organisation, but there are other forces at play - especially in the current climate. Factors that jobseekers increasingly value include:
<ul>
<li>purpose</li>
<li>autonomy</li>
<li>progression, and</li>
<li>innovation.</li>
</ul>
So, share case studies of individuals who are relishing these aspects of working with you on your website, across your social channels and on third-party platforms. In a post-pandemic world, when people have had time and space to reflect on what is important to them, incentives such as wellness programmes and the option to work flexibly are becoming increasingly important for many individuals - so this may be an area to focus attention to begin with.
At a time when, <a href="https://www.recruitment-international.co.uk/blog/2021/07/drastic-shortfall-in-candidates-spreading-across-sectors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to Broadbean Technology, the number of people applying for jobs has fallen for three consecutive months, it is clear that hiring managers must up their game when it comes to talent strategy if they are to have any hope of plugging skills gaps for the long-term.
As recruiting becomes increasingly challenging amid ongoing talent shortages, it may be tempting to seek quick-fix solutions. However, here at Guidant, we like to do things in a better way and know that promoting a genuine and compelling EVP is the only way to differentiate your employer brand in today&rsquo;s tough, candidate-scarce market.

Talent scarcity: here’s what a long-term candidate attraction strategy looks like

The search for talent is not getting any easier. Existing skills shortages have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the idea that there&rsquo;s a large pool of skilled workers just waiting for a job offer is little more than a myth. The reality for many organisations is that vacancies far outnumber available, qualified candidates.
How can we solve these urgent sourcing problems? What creative ideas will organisations need to embrace to get the talent they need? And what will be the right balance of external hiring, internal mobility, and better use of non-permanent workforce? To find out, I joined Louise West, Guidant Global&rsquo;s Director of Client Solutions, and Debra Sparshott, Employer Programme Director at <a href="https://talintpartners.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TALiNT Partners</a>, to host a roundtable discussion with talent acquisition (TA) leaders from across the business landscape. Here&rsquo;s what they told us about their resourcing challenges, and how they plan to solve them.
<h3>Hiring managers must be prepared to accept work-in-progress candidates and to move more quickly</h3>
Multiple panel members told us it&rsquo;s unrealistic to expect to have three or four gold-standard candidates per vacancy to choose from in the current climate. Many TA leaders said it&rsquo;s more common to need to jump in and make an offer once you&rsquo;ve one found just one fully-qualified candidate who meets most of the requirements of the job description - and that&rsquo;s in a range of sectors, from pharma and healthcare to retail and travel. Why? In a word: choice. Job seekers have an abundance of choice right now, with their skills more in demand than ever before. They can afford to be much more selective about what they apply for, and far more discerning when it comes to choosing an employer. Employers that wait for a greater selection of candidates and expect that eventually they&rsquo;ll have the power of choice will lose out on top talent. Hiring managers must increase their appetite for candidates who are more &lsquo;work in progress&rsquo; than &lsquo;finished article&rsquo; if they want to avoid a situation where vacancies remain open and unfilled for months. What&rsquo;s more, recruitment processes must be streamlined to compete with competitors who can issue interview invites, shortlist candidates, and make job offers more quickly.
&ldquo;One of our panellists shared a brilliant example of making a quick hiring decision on a great candidate who was 75% of the way there, and then leveraging existing skills and capacity within the business to ensure that, at the end of the day, the hiring manager&rsquo;s requirements were all being met. Not only did this organisation draw from internal resources to cover the gaps, they recruited with a clear mentorship plan in mind so that the new hire would quickly be upskilled and able to perform the role in its entirety.&rdquo; -- Louise West, Guidant Global
<h3>WIP hires will expect and demand a commitment to their learning and development</h3>
Getting the right balance of external hires and internal development remains as difficult as ever, and our panel discussed the differing expectations between generations. What previous generations may have viewed as a &lsquo;reward&rsquo; for loyalty or hard work, younger workers may expect upfront as part of an employer&rsquo;s attraction strategy. What does this mean for employers? For one panel member it means providing a consumer-grade candidate experience, with <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;given equal weighting with pay rises and promotions. For another, it&rsquo;s a commitment to growing their own talent by investing in market-leading L&amp;D. But this approach isn&rsquo;t without risk. Panel members highlighted that a focus on internal moves over external hires can make it harder to achieve diversity ambitions, while others raised concerns around investing in developing a generation of talent that&rsquo;s considered more flighty than its predecessors. How do you ensure that your investments in people don&rsquo;t ultimately benefit a competitor?
<h3>Internal development won&rsquo;t fill the skills void unless early careers programmes improve too</h3>
Most large organisations operate some form of graduate employment scheme, an early careers programme that typically lasts for two years and sees participants experience multiple business units on a rotation. How much value are employers getting from these schemes? According to our panel, not enough. The feeling among our TA leaders was that too many early careers programmes are producing workers who are quite good at doing a few different things, but not great at doing anything in particular. If more employers want to &lsquo;grow their own&rsquo; talent, these graduate and school-leaver schemes will need to start producing &lsquo;desk-ready&rsquo; members of staff who aren&rsquo;t effectively starting from scratch after two years in the business.
<h3>Attraction tactics adjustments are a good start, but employer propositions must evolve too</h3>
For one panel member in the public sector, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=350B733E002F4BF4A0AA0E4E16C51C1B&amp;_z=z">staff retention</a>&nbsp;is proving to be a huge challenge in the wake of Covid-19 and the effects of Brexit legislation on overseas workers. As a result, they&rsquo;re looking at building a more generalist - and in theory more flexible - workforce. In the hospitality sector, we heard from one employer who&rsquo;s trying to tackle retention issues with cash incentives in the form of service bonuses and referral fees. Other panellists spoke of potentially offering &lsquo;pick your own hours&rsquo; terms, or creating more niche and appealing roles by breaking a single full-time vacancy down into three or four part-time roles. What&rsquo;s clear is that, for most employers, simply looking for new talent in new places will not be enough. More significant changes to employer propositions, that reflect the fact that people want to work in different ways, will have a more transformative impact on their ability to find the right people.
&ldquo;With the way the world of work is evolving, I see this point being evermore important. Organisations can turn over every stone to unearth candidates, but if their proposition doesn&rsquo;t meet candidate needs and wants they&rsquo;ll always be facing an uphill battle. Considering business requirements from an output perspective (i.e. boxes packed, pallets delivered, contracts audited, sales calls made, etc) rather than an input perspective (i.e. number of on-payroll, 40-hours-a-week FTE) means that the fundamentals of &lsquo;getting work done&rsquo; can be flexed to appeal to a much wider audience.&rdquo; -- Louise West, Guidant Global
<h3>What does the workforce solution of the future look like? Get the guide</h3>
As our panellists&rsquo; comments have shown, the world of work has changed. Previously successful talent acquisition strategies are not fit for current and future challenges. TA leaders and their organisations must adapt and evolve their workforce solutions to protect their ability to find the talent they need. But how? <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A7D36C22FDF94FC3BE488730AC08CC70&amp;_z=z">Is your contingent workforce management strategy prepared for a post-pandemic future?</a>&nbsp;is our attempt to answer this question with our friends at Coupa, the leaders in business spend management. Get your copy to see the scale of the challenge, and to see what a fit-for-purpose workforce management strategy looks like in 2021 and beyond. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A7D36C22FDF94FC3BE488730AC08CC70&amp;_z=z">Get your copy</a>

Talent acquisition and the skills gap: roundtable reveals top employer concerns

All of us at Guidant Global are saddened by the events in Ukraine. As part of Impellam Group, we want to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK in the best way we know how &ndash; by helping to find good jobs for people and people for good jobs.
We understand it may take time for Ukrainian refugees to settle into their new life in the UK. When they&rsquo;re ready to take their first steps towards getting a new job, we&rsquo;ll be here to support them. We&rsquo;ll help them find a job that reflects their experience and expertise and best suits their needs.
We believe we need to do our bit in this difficult time, and we&rsquo;ll be donating 100% of the profits made from job placements to the International Red Cross.
If you know of a Ukrainian national now residing in the UK who is looking for a job, please share our designated &lsquo;<a href="https://www.impellam.com/jobs-for-ukraine-en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jobs for Ukraine</a>&rsquo; page, part of our Impellam website, to help us spread the word.&nbsp;
These are cost-neutral activities (beyond the time taken to achieve them) that will help to cement the initiative&rsquo;s importance and demonstrate a singular, cooperative response to this situation. Усі ми в Guidant Global засмучені подіями в Україні.
Як частина Impellam Group, ми хочемо підтримати українських біженців, які прибувають до Великої Британії, найкращим способом, який ми знаємо &ndash; допомагаючи знайти хорошу роботу для людей і людей для хорошої роботи.
Ми розуміємо, що українським біженцям може знадобитися час, щоб освоїти своє нове життя у Великобританії. Коли вони будуть готові зробити перші кроки до отримання нової роботи, ми будемо тут, щоб підтримати їх. Ми допоможемо їм знайти роботу, яка відображає їх досвід та знання та найкраще відповідає їхнім потребам.
Ми вважаємо, що нам потрібно зробити свій внесок у цей важкий час, і тому 100% нашого прибутку отриманого від працевлаштування, ми передамо Міжнародному Червоному Хресту.
Якщо ви знаєте громадян України, які зараз проживають у Великобританії, і які шукають роботу, будь ласка, поділіться нашою спеціальною сторінкою <a href="https://www.impellam.com/jobs-for-ukraine-ua" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Вакансії для України</a>, частиною нашого веб-сайту Impellam, щоб допомогти нам поширити інформацію.
Це нейтральні щодо витрат заходи (за межами часу, витраченого на їх виконання), які допоможуть закріпити важливість ініціативи та продемонструють єдину, спільну відповідь на цю ситуацію.
&nbsp;

Support for Ukrainian jobseekers in the UK

We take a look at how to effectively manage staffing suppliers &ndash; and who best to provide this information than our very own Supplier Relationship Management Team. We spoke to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-armesto-b809a419/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beth Armesto</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-620b971b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Danni Clarke</a> to gather their advice.
<h3>What are the top challenges of managing staffing suppliers?</h3>
Beth: For the likes of a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">Managed Service Provider (MSP)</a>&nbsp;like Guidant Global, one of our biggest unique selling points is the fact that we manage relationships with a wealth of suppliers. We&rsquo;re proud to say that we work with over 2300 unique suppliers globally &ndash; but this does present a few challenges. Honing in on the suppliers that need more support or relationship building to help them expand their footprint, for example, requires a significant time investment.
With such an extensive supply base in a typical MSP model, there does need to be an optimisation programme to support both the end client and hiring managers in streamlining their supply base, as well as aid those within the supply chain itself.
Danni: I agree the optimisation of staffing suppliers is one of the biggest challenges. Quite often you can find that the majority of the spend is centred around a small proportion of suppliers, which means that the chain itself can probably be streamlined.
And with more clients looking at cost-savings at the moment, striking the balance between reducing costs to keep employers happy, without compromising supplier rates and ensuring we&rsquo;re keeping the supplier engaged, is becoming a bigger challenge.
<div class="lg-embed-shortcode lg-embed-seamless" data-code="N88nrhS1">&nbsp;</div>
<h3>How has managing staffing suppliers changed during COVID-19?</h3>
Beth: There hasn&rsquo;t been a real change in how we&rsquo;ve managed staffing services suppliers, but there has been a shift in the services these businesses provide. There have been a number of entities that have refocused or retargeted their efforts into new sectors out of simple necessity in the current environment.
Interestingly, though, there has also been an increase in collaboration across the supply chain. We&rsquo;re seeing more of the larger, generalist suppliers offering to support smaller ones by bringing them in under a sub contract for big projects. This wasn&rsquo;t uncommon prior to the pandemic, but it&rsquo;s certainly more obvious now.
Danni: Covid-19 has definitely sped up the shift to leaner supplier models, but it&rsquo;s also diversified what our suppliers do. We&rsquo;ve seen a number of those we have relationships with adapt their offering to support services where there is demand &ndash; the delivery or production of PPE, for example.
But we have also noticed that there&rsquo;s been a lot more interest in digital platforms where there may have perhaps been some scepticism before. The integration of crowd sourcing platforms into a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=EB8A0A448A1E42E1847184B64C11DE1D&amp;_z=z">Vendor Management System (VMS)</a>, for example, has been increasingly of interest throughout the pandemic.
<h3>What would your top supplier management tips be?</h3>
Danni: The most critical advice I can give is to talk to your supply chain. We deliver a number of supplier events and regularly communicate with them to provide a platform to engage and really build valuable relationships.
Having an open dialogue helps to make sure roles are being filled, suppliers are engaged and the entire chain is being managed effectively. Alongside this, those in our supply chain are usually the first to see any trends or market changes and the information they provide is invaluable both for Guidant Global and its clients.
Beth: I second that. We&rsquo;ve always been a very &lsquo;high-touch&rsquo; business and will reach out for feedback and to share intel both ways. We focus on building trust across the chain and our teams ensure suppliers have all the support they need.
And this approach delivers results for Guidant Global. We have developed strong relationships with our suppliers, we&rsquo;ve built up trust &ndash; in fact we give our strategic partners direct client access. As a result, our Net Promoter Score is significantly high &ndash; in fact, it&rsquo;s currently +50 globally &ndash; and 90% of our suppliers ranked us as one of the top MSPs they work with. All of this results in better solutions for the clients and suppliers.
<h3>Why is effective management of staffing suppliers so crucial in today&rsquo;s environment?</h3>
Beth: Our customers know that our strategy is to take their supply base and adapt it to their current needs &ndash; which in this environment is constantly changing. And with budgets increasingly tight, a lack of effective supplier management means it is almost impossible to identify how each supplier is performing, remove any inefficient links in the chain and increase opportunities for higher performing partners.
Danni: A lot of the clients that engage us, initially have zero visibility of who they&rsquo;re paying or who is working in their business from a contingent perspective and that not only has an impact on costs, but also screening and compliance. With IR35 soon to be rolled out, more effective management of staffing suppliers really is crucial now.
<h4>Want to know more about how Guidant and our supplier relationship management team can support your business? <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Contact us</a>&nbsp;today.</h4>

Supplier management: how to effectively manage staffing suppliers

<h1>Why is work experience important for school aged students to ensure there is fresh new talent in the pipeline?</h1>
According to a recent survey by UCAS, as many as <a href="https://www.simplyacademy.com/why-do-we-need-work-experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two thirds of employers prioritise job applicants</a> that possess relevant work experience, stating that it is an indication that they are prepared for the role. However, for students just coming out of education &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s at school, college, or university level - they will have spent their time to date in an academic environment. They will potentially possess none of the desired experience in a work environment or relevant role, which is where work experience can be invaluable.
Work experience is a popular way to learn new skills, try out careers a student is interested in, and gain invaluable hands-on experience. Many universities and colleges include it as part of a course, but work experience at school level is equally important.
It is during school that many young people decide on a career path, however vague the direction. Impressions they have of a career second hand or through TV, films or books might be inaccurate and not give them the full picture, which is why work experience is important for school-aged students. Recently, we welcomed Zia, a school-aged work experience student, who joined us for a week to expand her knowledge of the &lsquo;working world&rsquo;. Zia is a GCSE student at a secondary school in Hatfield. She is learning and exploring possible career options for the future but is interested in design and technology. She is passionate about video games as well as reading books. In her spare time, she usually revises/goes over school material that she has learnt and goes out with friends and family. We&rsquo;ve asked her for Zia&rsquo;s input: Question: Why is work experience important for students who are still at school? Zia: Work experience is a fantastic opportunity for students who are still in secondary school as it allows them to have a taste of what life in a workplace is like. Working with others in an unfamiliar environment can help students develop their teamwork skills as well as their confidence. Allowing students to do this before getting a real job prepares them for the expectations they need to meet in the workplace and gives them a chance to explore different fields of work; which will help them decide what they would like to be in the future. Employers will also be more inclined to hire someone who has work experience as they are familiar with the work environment and know what to expect. I believe work experience is a chance for school kids to understand what life is like outside of school, since we will be able to communicate with people who we do not know and get out of our comfort zone. Some people will also experience the commute to their workplace which allows them to experience an even more realistic work life. Question: What have you been hoping to get out of experience in the workplace? Zia: During my time at Guidant Global, I am working in the Marketing department and would love to learn more about what it entails. I have always been interested in Marketing and by doing my work experience here, I am hoping to learn about the several types of skills needed for companies to run successfully. Additionally, I would love to learn about the different software that is used to create websites and all the behind-the-scenes processes of making a successful merchandise, websites, blogs and more! Before coming here, I was not sure what was involved in marketing but as I continue to do tasks I have been set, I have developed my knowledge of what marketing is and the aspects it includes. Some of the tasks include making/editing social media posts for Guidant Global by using different editing apps and tools and writing this very blog! Question: How do you think having work experience students is good for employers? Zia: Employers allowing students to work at their company for work experience gives them the chance to have new, fresh ideas from an outsider's point of view. Having students help with innovative ideas and initiatives for the business can bring diversity to the business, especially if there are no restraints on the student's creativity. Employers are also able to practise their mentoring skills and supervisory skills. Students are able to help with any task you give them - within their ability range - so having an extra pair of hands can help greatly and take some stress off of the employer. Question: How can employers provide the best possible work experience placement? Zia: To provide an amazing, enjoyable work experience placement, employers should be very cheerful and nice to the students as they could be nervous about working there, especially if it is their first day. If the student is struggling on a task they have been given, employers should try to re-explain it, in a different way, so the task becomes clearer for them and while doing so the employer should remain calm/respectful since the student may be finding it challenging. Students should be treated as if they were a regular employee but also understand that they may not be as experienced, which is why they are provided with added supervision.

Student work experience helps refresh the talent pipeline

Ask any CEO or HRD about their biggest current challenge, and chances are they&rsquo;ll say it&rsquo;s something around talent attraction, retention and acquiring the skills and capabilities they need to navigate an uncertain business environment.
During what&rsquo;s been called the Great Rehire, many firms have needed to quickly bolster their workforces as business demand spikes. Aligning talent needs to the company strategy and corporate goals is imperative if companies are to react in an agile way and meet the changing needs of their customers.
But how can organisations use effective strategic workforce planning to deliver results in a post Covid world, where the war for skills is rife and the nature of work itself has been transformed?
<h3>What is strategic workforce planning?</h3>
<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=B4A5825D2F37481EB5F011558B639EF8&amp;_z=z">Strategic workforce planning</a> in its simplest form is about understanding future workforce needs. This typically involves:
<ul>
<li>comparing the current talent situation in your organisation against the skills you need</li>
<li>using people analytics to identify the critical gaps</li>
<li>making a strategic plan for the mid to long term, with room to manoeuvre factored in.</li>
</ul>
Taking this approach means that, when unforeseen events such as a global pandemic strike, the business can easily pivot and adapt without having to take drastic people decisions.
Scenario planning involves human resources scrutinising the numbers, such as turnover and attrition rates, but also zeroing in on the hard to source skills that are crucial to achieving organisational objectives. Digital transformation and cybersecurity are two such areas that have greatly impacted business performance during the pandemic; the former to boost online sales, the latter to prevent lost trading days.
The input of business leaders will be key in establishing timeframes and providing a clear understanding of the hiring volumes needed, and what those mission critical roles are. It will also help to budget for staff salaries and external supplier costs, so that these can be factored into the financial planning process.
Having the right technology will allow organisations to adopt a data driven approach to talent, which is crucial given that many businesses often lack detailed people data, the kind of intelligence that will enable them to instantly know which skills are in ready supply and which are lacking. Assessments and surveys can help you learn more about the skills you have and the training you might want to provide to upskill and reskill your workforce. This will boost engagement, as investing in the long-term growth of employees is a huge personal motivator, while also helping with your <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=94FECB40170240C58BA0018B23364179&amp;_z=z">equality, diversity, and inclusion</a>&nbsp;(ED&amp;I) efforts.
<h3>Strategic workforce planning minimises business disruption</h3>
The other point to consider in a strategic workforce plan is quality, which is why it&rsquo;s so important to know who your high performers are across any segment of your workforce &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s permanent staff or those who make up your temporary resources.
But you also want to uncover talent further down your pipeline, individuals who you see as having high potential for future leadership roles or even one-off projects. In these cases, it&rsquo;s important to design training and development programmes to give these people the experiences and stretch assignments that will prepare them for leadership roles in the future.
Your talent acquisition strategy shouldn&rsquo;t just look at external talent pools &ndash; there may be people internally who could be redeployed. In other words, you might want to focus more on talent building than talent buying to address any scarcity of talent. This is one reason why it is so important to track data on diversity and inclusion. For example, how many women or people from ethnic minority backgrounds are being promoted or choosing to stay with the firm? What message does it send out to your own employees about their opportunities for advancement if you always hire externally for critical roles when the ideal people may already be in the company?
There is no right and wrong answer, but the Covid-19 pandemic has provided a stark reminder that talent building is a critical part of strategic workforce planning. Conducting a skills audit can help build the business case for redeploying people. In some cases where you need niche specialist skills quickly, looking outside your organisation may well be your best bet.
<h3>Getting specialist support with strategic workforce planning</h3>
Whichever option you go for, the workforce planning process will need to be regularly reviewed as variables constantly change and you may have to adapt to different situations. An external talent acquisition or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">managed service provider</a>&nbsp;can help you develop a truly holistic view of your talent and the best way to approach the management of your workforce.
Any successful workforce strategy requires careful planning to incorporate every segment of the workforce &ndash; including the non-employed. A data driven approach that takes a deep dive into the talent capabilities and skills that you have at present, compared to what you need to meet future workforce demands, is the starting point.
HR professionals, aided by line managers and expert advisors, must analyse their business&rsquo;s critical skill requirements now and decide how they will address and overcome the skills shortages that so many are experiencing. Whether buying externally, building talent from within, or redeploying workers, a plan of action based on in-depth talent analytics is the key to future proofing and protecting your business from unprecedented events.
<h3>Want to learn more? Get our guide</h3>
Our beginner&rsquo;s guide to workforce planning explains in greater detail how HR, TA and resource management professionals can leverage strategic hiring to improve talent acquisition and drive growth. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=B4A5825D2F37481EB5F011558B639EF8&amp;_z=z">Get your copy here</a>.

Strategic workforce planning: what have we learned from the Great Rehire?

Strategic workforce planning software is helping to drive the change needed to achieve a truly optimal workforce.
The most important cog in any organisational machine is its people. If business goals are to be achieved, people with the right skills need to be in place. These two statements are hardly groundbreaking. The issue? In today&rsquo;s market, many businesses are struggling to attract and retain the human capital needed for consistent growth.
For HR professionals, these shortcomings are placing increasing pressure on their workload. Labour dynamics are complex, there&rsquo;s a vast shortage of skilled workers out there, and it&rsquo;s hard to plan for the long term when people are moving jobs more frequently than ever before.
<h2>The move towards strategic workforce planning</h2>
Inevitably, this has led to a big drive toward implementing workforce plans &mdash; strategic plans in particular. This is far from a simple progression. Strategic workforce planning often requires a skill set that is increasingly rare in today&rsquo;s talent market: data analytics.
Though the situation may appear unrelenting, the rise of digital technology has handed HR professionals with digital mindsets and data analytics skills the tools they need to effectively interpret data and plan ahead to build an optimal future workforce for their organisation.
For many businesses, however, finding these high-skilled, digitally adept experts is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
<h3>Outsourcing digital expertise</h3>
Increasingly, advanced workforce management is being outsourced to organisations with high-level MSP, RPO and SOW capabilities. Not only can these organisations afford to invest in these technologies, but they also work with workforce analytics and performance analytics platforms every day. They also have a budget to attract and hire experts who are solely devoted to unpicking complex data to deliver effective strategic plans.
In the rest of this piece, we&rsquo;ll share our expertise &mdash; exploring what impact these workforce planning tools and software have, and how they contribute towards ensuring maximum workforce efficiency.
<h3>Workforce analytics platforms</h3>
The most innovative MSP and RPO providers (and occasionally large tech-focused organisations) are expanding their armoury with advanced workforce analytics technology.
Some of the most recognisable analytics platforms used in this sector of the market are IBM&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/products/cognos-analytics">Cognos Analytics,</a> <a href="https://peopleinsight.co.uk/">People Insight</a> and <a href="https://www.brightfieldstrategies.com/platform/">Talent Data Exchange (TDX)</a>. The latter, used by our team, is a secure online platform that anonymously benchmarks key criteria within a staffing programme, and directly against the market.
In an MSP, TDX facilitates the testing of new staffing strategies on a role-by-role basis, as well as at a programme-wide level by comparing against anonymous, real-time market data.
Workforce analytics platforms like TDX also create insights into how a workforce planning strategy will perform based on key metrics, aiding continual optimisation of volume, quality, type and mix of workers within the operating constraints of a business. Though utilising workforce analytics platforms is not a simple process by any stretch, with the right expertise, workforce planning can be strategically optimised to ensure that no talent gaps exist within an organisation. In economies with full employment and technical skills gaps (like the UK, US and Australia), such an approach is becoming increasingly vital.
<h3>Performance analytics portals</h3>
A fully engaged supply chain is an integral part of any strong managed service programme. To meet this need, some MSPs are embracing supplier performance analytics portals. Few effective off-the-shelf SaaS or cloud-based products exist, which makes it difficult for in-house teams to utilise such technologies (unless they have extensive digital capabilities to build their own, of course).
Most talent management providers are unable to offer these capabilities, too &mdash; especially those which have yet to progress from providing basic cost savings and tactical execution.
Despite the difficulties in utilising these portals, they are indispensable. Through aggregating supplier data across multiple client programmes, they give businesses and suppliers clear performance insights with regard to providing skillsets for each market. In turn, this directs both clients and suppliers to build more strategic partnerships with entities that support their delivery model &mdash; vital for effective strategic workforce planning.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
&ldquo;As a result of detailed analytics, organisations are able to move forward with purpose, supporting responsive action, improving talent pipelines, and assigning the right resource for future growth&rdquo;
&mdash; Beth Przywara, VP Consulting, Analytics &amp; Outsourcing, Guidant Global
Across every industry and every sector, the collection and utilisation of data and analytics are fundamental to optimised output.
Whether it be targeted marketing, or in this case, strategic workforce planning, developing a granular understanding of data can help drive decisive decision making. In an increasingly talent-focused market, it is these analyses that will ensure long-term business success.
To better understand the complicated world of strategic workforce planning, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=BBBAF613931F4D22BFFF2FD0498B1C56&amp;_z=z">download our free strategic workforce planning guide</a>.
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Strategic workforce planning tools: the tech changing the talent industry

Strategic workforce planning: the building blocks of success

Guidant Global are delighted to announce that Marie France has been appointed Senior Vice President of Guidant Global and BarPellam, promoted from her previous position of Vice President, Programme Management. 
Marie is an industry specialist with a vast range of expertise in contingent workforce management, procurement operations and sourcing, program management, and change management. Her career has crossed multiple verticals including finance, technology, and media, and it is this experience that has enabled her to structure strategic, efficient, and successful global contingent labour programs that have delighted our clients over the last few years. Marie was born in Philadelphia and raised in a small town outside of Pittsburgh; an African American in a predominantly Caucasian area. Marie has used the racist encounters she faced throughout her upbringing as a source of information for others, and in sharing her experiences, she has been able to educate and highlight the fact inequality still exists to business leaders, employers, and educators. She is proud to be a driving force in our employee ambassador group and inclusion council, Unity. In her time at Guidant Global, Marie has established DEI as a critical priority, working closely with clients to bring DEI expertise based on their needs. In working with one major financial firm, Marie&rsquo;s efforts with this specific customer have increased supplier diversity spend from 12% in 2019 to over 30% eligible spend in 2022. Marie also spearheaded DEI with a major manufacturing client to expand wallet share of a small diverse supplier. Since 2020, placements for the agency increased by 767%, and the vendor achieved a Top 5 diversity status in Q3 2021. Most recently, in May 2023 Marie was named in <a href="http://dei.staffingindustry.com/2023-dei-influencers-list-us-and-canada/">Staffing Industry Analysts' 2023 list</a> of &ldquo;Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion Influencers &ndash; US and Canada&rdquo;. The elite list is made up of 49 professionals in the workforce solutions ecosystem that stand out in their commitment to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their organisations and communities. &ldquo;Since joining Impellam Group in 2019, Marie has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication, strategic thinking and an unwavering focus on customer success,&rdquo; states Simon Blockley, CEO, Impellam Group, Global Managed Service.
&ldquo;During her tenure, she has made significant contributions to our business growth. Always generous with her time, she has become a trusted partner to clients and colleagues alike. I am especially proud and appreciative of her forward thinking, proactive approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Marie has been an advocate of DEI throughout her entire career and was recently recognised for her extensive work by Staffing Industry Analysts. Congratulations Marie on this well-deserved promotion; I know she will continue to push the boundaries and drive further success for customers and colleagues.&rdquo;
Read more here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.staffingindustry.com/About/Media-Center/Press-Releases/SIA-Announces-2023-DE-I-Influencers-List#:~:text=Premier%20sponsors%20of%20the%202023,Consulting%2C%20Rangam%2C%20and%20WorkLLama.&amp;text=SIA%20is%20the%20global%20research,on%20staffing%20and%20workforce%20solutions.">Staffing Industry Analysts' 2023 DEI Influencer list</a>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Strategic Contingent Workforce Expert and Diversity Champion Marie France promoted to Senior Vice President of Guidant Global

To help you stay on top of the latest legislation recruiters and employers need to be aware of, we&rsquo;ve teamed up with <a href="http://icexps.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICE</a>, specialist providers of international compliance consultancy to the staffing industry. Together we&rsquo;ll bring you news of the latest legal updates that impact the world of work. Here&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s been happening over the past few months:&nbsp;
<h3>United Kingdom</h3>
<h4>IR35 updates&nbsp;</h4>
During his Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced that the off-payroll rules will be extended to most private sector businesses from April 2020 (small business clients of 50 individuals or less will be excluded). A further consultation on how the reforms will be rolled out in practice will be launched by the government. Many feared the new rules would be in effect from April 2019, however it seems that the many problems associated with the public sector rollout as well as Brexit happening at the end of March next year had an influence in delaying the private sector reform.&nbsp; The news follow another embarrassing story that hit the headlines in September involving a contractor who was engaged by HMRC. In the recent court case, HMRC had to settle the full amount claimed by one of its own contractors for unpaid holiday after it was determined that she was an employee. Using the CEST (Check Employment Status for Tax) tool, it was concluded the engagement was inside IR35, and that the contractor &ndash; a marketing and business development consultant &ndash; had to go onto an agency payroll. Following that decision, the contractor claimed that she was therefore an agency worker under the regulations and, as such, entitled to holiday pay and to the same entitlement as comparable HMRC employees. This case has once again highlighted the complexities surrounding employment status as well as the unfairness associated with the taxation of contractors as employees without granting them any employment rights or benefits, something the government is still to address.&nbsp;
<h3>Austria</h3>
<h4>New regulations on flexible working time</h4>
The new working hours regulation came into effect on 1 September 2018, increasing maximum daily working hours from 10 to 12 and from 50 to 60 hours per week. Overtime hours exceeding 10 hours a day or 50 hours a week are referred to as special overtime and are subject to the following:
<ul>
<li>These overtime hours are voluntary in nature, therefore the employee may refuse to work these hours without having to provide any reasons, and they are to be protected from discrimination or being served noticed due to their refusal;</li>
<li>The compensation for the special overtime is to be chosen by the employee &ndash; monetary remuneration or time off in lieu. The new regulations also provide exceptions from working time provisions to employees with significant autonomous decision-making authority, and introduces a new exception for work on weekends and public holidays, among other changes.</li>
</ul>
<h3>China</h3>
<h4>Employment law update</h4>
The Chinese authorities have announced a series of changes that affect employment in country, and here we highlight two of them. Residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (HMT Residents) are no longer required to obtain a work permit in order to work in mainland China following a new nationwide policy announced in the summer. Effective from 1 September 2018, a residence permit (Mainland Residence Card) will have to be obtained instead. Eligibility is based on residence in mainland China for more than 6 months and either: a) having a stable job; b) a legitimate and stable residence, or c) an education course that is attended continuously. While this will enable companies to hire HMT employees more easily, and the workers will receive extra benefits, there are still grey areas, especially regarding employer and employee obligations under the new scheme. Employers are therefore advised to obtain further clarification before proceeding with the hiring of new HMT residents to avoid exposure to risks. Another reform plan that should be noted relates to the collection of social insurance contributions. Up to now local governments have been able to determine who would collect such contributions &ndash; whether the local tax authority or the local social insurance authority. The challenge has been that the local social insurance authority does not have access to employee salary information, consequently many companies have been underpaying social insurance contributions. According to the plan announced in July, from 1 January 2019 the local tax authorities will be responsible for collecting all social insurance contributions across the country &ndash; it is hoped that by having an uniform approach the level of compliance will increase.
<h3>France&nbsp;</h3>
<h4>Right to disconnect compensation</h4>
Back in August 2018 the French Labour Court awarded &euro;7,500 to an employee who had exceeded her statutory maximum working hours by sending and receiving work-related emails outside normal work hours. According to the Court, the employer failed to monitor and manage her work pattern as well as keep appropriate records of her working hours &ndash; therefore allowing the employee to work excessively, in breach of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. While the award amount may not have been significant, employers should not ignore the fact that not only France has introduced the Right to Disconnect law, but similar approaches have been adopted in Germany and Italy; a similar bill was also proposed in New York earlier this year. Not only should employers consider the employees&rsquo; right to disconnect, but also ensure that correct records are being kept and, when excessive hours are being worked, this situation should not simply be allowed to continue, but, instead, be addressed accordingly.
<h3>India</h3>
<h4>Draft Data Protection Bill&nbsp;</h4>
The government of India proposed a draft data protection bill, but there are fears it has serious implications for technology and digital services companies that do business in the country. One of the main concerns is that the new law may require firms to store at least one serving copy of personal data on a server or data centre located in India. The bill would also allow the processing of personal data in the interest of the security of the state, if authorised, as well as for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of any offence or any other contravention of law, which could represent a threat to the right to privacy considering the weak safeguards currently in place. Finally, the bill creates a regulatory structure that is under significant control of the central government, which translates as an uncomfortable insufficient level of independence. The Bill&rsquo;s provisions suggest a close alignment to positions taken in the GDPR adopted by the EU in May 2018, however critics say that is not enough and that the lack of clarity in some areas and the concerns highlighted above should be addressed by the Indian government prior to passing the Bill.
<h3>Russia</h3>
<h4>New rules for address registration by foreign employees</h4>
As of the beginning of July 2018 foreign employees are not allowed to register with migration authorities at the address of their employer&rsquo;s office anymore, unless that is the actual address where they reside. The address of the dwelling or hotel where the foreign citizen actually lives in Russia is the one to be registered &ndash; with the process being performed by the hosting party, that is, the owner of the dwelling or the hotel. In case the owner of the dwelling is also a foreign citizen, he or she can only carry out the registration if he/she is a residence permit holder. Those who are categorised as highly qualified foreign specialist can act as hosts for members of their own families. Failure to comply with the rules can result in an administrative fine of up to 7000 rubles, or even worse, the deportation of the foreign worker. &nbsp;
<h3>Spain</h3>
<h4>Ryanair pilot was employee not contractor</h4>
At the beginning of September a Spanish judge ruled that a former Ryanair pilot should have been considered an employee and not an independent contractor. The same lawyer that supported the former pilot in this first case has confirmed he is preparing lawsuits for other pilots, also engaged by the airline, for allegedly violating the Spanish labour and tax laws. Back in August a collective lawsuit was filed by the pilots&rsquo; union (Sepla) in the High Court against the company over contracts. At the end of September the airline had to cancel 250 flights due to pilots and cabin crew staging a 24-hour walkout in six European countries &ndash; while pay was also a contributing factor to the protest, the biggest dispute is over working conditions and the fact that Ryanair engages their workers under Irish contracts and subject to Irish legislation instead of their own countries&rsquo; labour laws. For more legal news in other areas of the world including Australia, Finland, Portugal and South Africa please <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">contact us</a>&nbsp;for further information.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Staffing industry legal news – November 2018

See how our partnership with Beeline, the leading contingent workforce management platform, helped our customer respond rapidly to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;
Contingent labour plays a crucial role for our customer, the world&rsquo;s largest direct selling company, thanks to the flexibility it brings to their workforce - enabling the organisation to respond quickly when demand fluctuates.&nbsp; &nbsp; But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, they faced a supply-demand challenge like never before.&nbsp; &nbsp; By shifting their operations to different locations, our customer was able to weather the early-pandemic storm. But this shift meant that new workers were needed, and fast. To find them, they turned to their trusted workforce partners: Guidant Global and Beeline.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Download the full story to learn how:&nbsp;
Guidant Global and Beeline worked with contractors to reduce costs for services&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>we adjusted the staffing supply chain to find quality candidates in new markets</li>
<li>the customer met production levels required to support their worldwide distributors</li>
<li>the right MSP/VMS partnership can make your workforce more flexible and resilient</li>
<li>to cost up an MSP/VMS implementation (and build a business case for doing it)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/o6pd3tc1yaa4klf0ys14tj82hg4z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download your copy here&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Solving an unprecedented contingent workforce challenge in partnership with Beeline 

Ongoing skills shortages, along with a desire to build more diverse workforces, are arguably the two of the biggest challenges facing in-house talent acquisition teams today.
According to the Future Workplace 2021 <a href="https://futureworkplace.com/ebooks/2021-hr-sentiment-survey/">HR Sentiment Survey</a>, more than half of leaders say talent acquisition is a top strategic priority this year, while 67% cite diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&amp;I) as a main concern. Meanwhile, Mercer&rsquo;s latest <a href="https://www.mercer.com/our-thinking/career/global-talent-hr-trends.html">Global Talent Trends</a> report paints a similar picture, with DE&amp;I analytics and &lsquo;defining future workforce needs&rsquo; highlighted as top priorities.
However, while these distinct issues are often tackled separately, taking a joined-up approach could hold the key to success in both areas.
<h3>Acute skills shortages</h3>
It is no secret that employers across the UK are grappling with unprecedented talent shortages. Official <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/job-vacancies-top-1-million-as-economy-rebounds-from-crisis-12383497">figures</a> released in August 2021 show that unfilled job vacancies have now topped one million for the first time ever. In July alone, the number of permanent vacancies advertised by recruitment agencies rose by 43%, while contract roles increased by 53%, compared with the previous year, according to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/532cdbc2-b86f-4944-9fac-ec8d99654446">data</a>&nbsp;released by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies.
Beyond these headline numbers, skills gaps are having a tangible impact on both our everyday lives and the wider UK economy. Small businesses are limiting operations because of staff shortages, hospitality venues are restricting opening hours, and a shortfall of HGV drivers is leaving gaps on supermarket shelves.
The reasons behind this evident lack of candidates are, unsurprisingly, complex. Insufficient talent pipelines, an exodus of EU workers post-Brexit, and the fact that many professionals retrained or switched sectors to find work during the pandemic have all helped to contribute to the current situation.
But many businesses are also struggling to source staff because they are fishing for talent in the same small pond as their competitors. There simply aren&rsquo;t enough people to go around. In order to do things in a better way, organisations must explore the potential of untapped <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0A64FC831B814E948B940D1F1AAED1E6&amp;_z=z">talent pools</a>.
<h3>Untapped talent pools</h3>
While businesses across the UK scramble for talent in skills-scarce silos, there are entire groups of people who, for one reason or another, completely rule out certain career paths or find it difficult to access employment altogether. Archaic recruitment processes, outdated job specs, and even the channels used to communicate opportunities can all act as a barrier to applicants.
Specific sectors can unintentionally deter jobseekers depending on their gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Meanwhile, disabled talent, former military personnel, ex-offenders, individuals returning to work after a career break, older professionals, and care leavers are just some of the groups who statistically find it more challenging to secure a role. What&rsquo;s more, the individuals most likely to be inadvertently sidelined by legacy hiring practices are also most likely to be able to bring new and valuable skills and perspectives to teams.
<h3>Engaging a diverse workforce</h3>
Actively seeking out individuals from these underrepresented groups will not only have a positive impact on the volume of jobseekers available, but also on the breadth, depth, and quality of your talent pools.
There is a wealth of evidence that supports the fact that companies with diverse workforces outperform the competition. Make no mistake, even in times when talent is plentiful, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=1FAEA3D2C35148F7B4871AC1CACC454D&amp;_z=z">DE&amp;I initiatives</a>&nbsp;aren&rsquo;t just &lsquo;nice to have&rsquo; &ndash; they have a positive and measurable impact on a business&rsquo;s bottom line.
Diversity breeds innovation. People with a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experiences will all approach challenges in dynamic ways, see different opportunities, and bring unique insights. Plus, only companies with a diverse range of talent can honestly claim to be truly representative of the customers and communities they serve.
However, in order to tap into new or underutilised talent pools, engage with a wide range of jobseekers, and take advantage of the benefits that diverse workforces bring, talent acquisition teams and hiring managers must identify why they are not reaching these people already. Unnecessary role requirements, your ability to upskill and retrain applicants, use of language or imagery, and job ad placement all need to be reviewed and reconsidered. Get it right, and your reward will be access to a whole new world of quality candidates.
An experienced <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">MSP</a>&nbsp;or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3247651558BE4168A49D96245C7137E2&amp;_z=z">RPO</a>&nbsp;provider is perfectly placed to support businesses in exploring and engaging with the whole array of talent available as they reach beyond their conventional &lsquo;go to&rsquo; candidate personas - particularly when hiring in volume.
<h3>Lessons from The Very Group</h3>
The Very Group is the parent company of big-name brands Littlewoods and Very. During their peak recruiting period, which runs from late August to the end of November each year, the business requires additional workers to cope with the demands of Black Friday, Christmas, and the January sales.
In 2017, when the company was known as Shop Direct, Guidant was responsible for its &lsquo;All we need is you!&rsquo; <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D655A4AEE6FF4166AD5DE5028D3146FB&amp;_z=z">recruitment campaign</a>, which was centred on candidate personas. We researched our previous peak workforce to establish four key target audiences. Three of these reflected existing worker trends: Daytime Dave, Nightshift Nick, and Weekend Wasim. The fourth persona, Female Farah, was designed to target a potential gap in applicant demographics and increase the number of female workers through challenging stereotype perceptions of a warehouse environment &ndash; and, in turn, increase diversity.
Both the design and messaging of job adverts were tailored to each persona rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Communications included persona-focussed imagery and targeted social media posts. As a result, we filled 1,500 roles &ndash; at a total cost of just &pound;10 per head. What&rsquo;s more, 69% of all temporary female hires at Shop Direct in 2017 were placed in the three months our campaign was live. The project <a href="https://recruiterawards.co.uk/most-effective-recruitment-marketing-campaign-2018/">went on to win</a> the 'Most Effective Recruitment Marketing Campaign' category at the 2018 Recruiter Awards.
<h3>Seize the opportunity to build a diverse workforce</h3>
By doing things in a better way, we are able to reach previously overlooked segments of the workforce. Today, we work closely with our clients to make the best use of Apprenticeship Levy funds to create programmes that give individuals from all walks of life equal opportunities. At the other end of the spectrum, we partner with the Fuller Working Lives team to support longer careers.
We are the only recruitment provider that has achieved a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader status and are founding members of the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI). We have also pledged to ban the box on asking for criminal convictions in the early stages of the application process, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to find work.
We know that while the skills shortages employers are facing are less than ideal, they provide a perfect opportunity to build a more diverse workforce. By joining the dots, and seeking help from the experts, talent acquisition professionals can take a fresh look at recruitment practices and build better processes to boost not only applications, but also inclusion.
<h3>Need a workforce diversity and inclusion partner?</h3>
Thanks to our award-winning inclusive recruitment practices and network of diversity-specialist recruiters, our customers are building workforces and workplaces where everyone can thrive.&nbsp;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=1FAEA3D2C35148F7B4871AC1CACC454D&amp;_z=z">Access our D&amp;I guide here</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">get in touch</a>&nbsp;to learn how we can support you.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Skills shortages: the perfect opportunity to build a more diverse workforce

Guidant Global is delighted to announce that for the third year running, our CEO, Simon Blockley, has been featured in SIA&rsquo;s highly-renowned list of European Staffing Leaders 2019. Simon, who joined Guidant in 2014 before becoming Managing Director in 2017, and CEO in 2019, is joined by three other Impellam leaders, Lord Michael Ashcroft, Julia Robertson and Claire Marsh. The SIA list celebrates influential Entrepreneurs, CEOs, reformers, lawyers and business people that have made a difference in the world of work. In October 2018, Impellam merged its US and UK talent acquisition and managed solutions businesses &mdash; rebranding them as Guidant Global. Following the merger, Simon became CEO in January 2019. He is now responsible for overseeing the brand on a global basis, which includes 220,000 contingent worker assignments in the field on behalf of 100-plus clients across 80 countries. Following the announcement, Simon commented: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m incredibly honored that my team members and I have been featured amongst so many established entrepreneurs in the SIA European Staffing Leaders list. It&rsquo;s fantastic to see that our hard-work is being recognised, and that we are being supported to change the quick-fix, profit-first, impersonal approach that prevails in our industry. We are committed to collaborating, thinking creatively, and delivering new and better solutions for the workplace of today, and being on the list shows how dedicated we are to this.&rdquo;

Simon Blockley features in SIA's list of European Staffing Leaders for third year running

Guidant Global and Impellam Global Managed Services CEO, Simon Blockley has been appointed as Employment Advisory Chair of His Majesty's Prison (HMP) and Young Offenders Institute (YOI) Chelmsford. His appointment will see Simon steering employment strategy, helping get prisoners job ready and encourage local businesses to engage with the prison.
The appointment is part of a wider UK government <a href="https://newfuturesnetwork.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Futures Network</a> initiative, designed to create 91 Employment Advisory Boards (EABs), to connect employers with resettlement prisons. Spearheaded by James Timpson through the <a href="https://www.timpson-group.co.uk/timpson-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Timpson Foundation</a>, each Board has appointed a local business expert to act as Chair, as well as offer advice and guide prisons on the local employment landscape.
Simon is an ideal candidate for this employment advisory role. He is a recognised staffing industry leader and has appeared on SIA&rsquo;s <a href="http://si100europe.staffingindustry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Staffing 100 Europe list</a>, which recognises outstanding contribution to take the recruitment industry forward, for six consecutive years. He is Chief Executive Officer of Impellam&rsquo;s Global Managed Services portfolio, which includes the Guidant Global, Comensura and Flexy brands and provides a diverse range of digitally enabled, multidisciplinary workforce solutions to organisations around the world.&nbsp;
An Essex-born native, Simon resides in Ingatestone, just 10 minutes&rsquo; drive from Chelmsford, jumped at the chance to support his local community by chairing the prison&rsquo;s Employment Advisory Board. Speaking of his appointment, Simon comments:&nbsp;
&ldquo;At Impellam, we believe in the power of work. Through the power of work, we build better businesses and help people lead more fulfilling lives. I am extremely proud to work for an organisation that is committed to driving social value in the communities we serve. In my new role as EAB Chair, I will spearhead the campaign to get Chelmsford&rsquo;s prison leavers into stable jobs so they can break the cycle of crime.
Prison Employment Advisory Boards, play a vital role in our society and economy because prison leavers with a job are much less likely to reoffend. They are crucial in tackling the &pound;18 billion cost of reoffending, cutting crime and boosting public protection, as ex-offenders in steady jobs within 6 months of leaving prison are nine percentage points less likely to commit further crime. I&rsquo;m looking forward to the challenge and to acting as a link between Chelmsford prison and employers in the region.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Garry Newnes, Governor of HMP Chelmsford since 2021, is also pleased to have Simon on board and looks forward to expanding links with a vibrant business network:&nbsp;
&ldquo;Having someone with Simon&rsquo;s background and expertise in the employment sector on-board is a real boost to the prison. We need more employers to be open-minded when it comes to hiring ex-offenders. Surveys have shown that employers believe the ex-offenders they employ are &ldquo;motivated, reliable, good at their jobs and trustworthy, with over 80% of employers of ex-offenders having positively rated their reliability, motivation, attendance, and performance. 
Despite this positive endorsement, negative stereotypes of ex-offenders prevail, and we need to proactively change these perceptions to help match more serving and former prisons with suitable jobs. I am confident that the Employment Advisory Board, led by Simon Blockley will open more doors and create exciting opportunities for partnership within the business community.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h3>Employer Engagement Event - May 11th 2023</h3>
One of the first initiatives Simon will oversee, in collaboration with Rebecca Coughlan, Prison Employment Lead at Chelmsford Prison is an Employer Engagement Event, taking place on May 11th to help create links between HMP Chelmsford and the local business community to provide a better future for ex-offenders. To find out more and register please visit: <a href="https://forms.office.com/e/pCBf3AwMqC" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://forms.office.com/e/pCBf3AwMqC</a>
<a href="https://forms.office.com/e/pCBf3AwMqC" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img style="height: 627px; width: 1200px;" src="-/media/32625c935b1e4829b54e2b0bec382152.ashx?h=627&amp;w=1200" alt="Tap into the potential of Prison Leavers"></a>Impellam Group&rsquo;s support for the prison Employment Advisory Board initiative and local communities is further evidenced by the involvement of two additional senior executives. Hoa Ngo, Managing Director of Comensura UK is Chair of the EAB for HMP and YOI Drake Hall, a progressive resettlement prison that promotes a culture of hope and aspiration to the women it serves, while Joscelin Conrad, Impellam&rsquo;s Group Director of Investments &amp; Innovation is a Board Advisor at Downview Women&rsquo;s Prison and Young Offender Institution in Surrey.&nbsp;

Simon Blockley, CEO of Guidant Global and Impellam Global Managed Services appointed Employment Advisory Board Chair for Chelmsford Prison

Guidant Global COO Brian Salkowski has again been named for the 5th year in a row, by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), the global research and advisory firm focused on staffing and workforce solutions, in its prestigious <a href="http://si100.staffingindustry.com/">2023 Staffing 100 North America</a> list.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The annual list recognizes influential staffing leaders throughout North America who helped their businesses successfully emerge from one of the most difficult periods in recent world history. The list shines a spotlight on those executives making the world of work, work better.&nbsp; Brian was recognised for his committed to helping Guidant Global and parent Impellam Group, Global Managed Services on its journey to become the world's most trusted workforce and specialist recruitment solutions group.&nbsp;&nbsp; During 2022, he led the transformation of Guidant Global&rsquo;s business operating model, driving program efficiency, improving collaboration and optimizing service delivery to clients and candidates. He also championed the development of an industry-exclusive Performance Growth Intelligence (PGI) dashboard, designed to measure and assess program performance against extensive industry data points, with a view to improving transparency, embedding best practice and powering continuous improvement across all Guidant Global programs.&nbsp;&nbsp; When it comes to social value, Brian is committed to driving social mobility through his involvement with RacquetUp Detroit, an out-of-school program focused on education, health and fitness, and youth development.&nbsp; Salkowski commented, &ldquo;I am of course honoured to be included in the Staffing 100 North America list once again and would like to congratulate all those whose contributions to our industry have also been recognised. There has been a lot to overcome this year, with tough economic conditions, talent scarcity and global instability. I&rsquo;m extremely proud to see our Guidant Global virtuosos partnering with customers to solve some of their biggest workforce challenges and help them build better businesses in a changing world. SIA&rsquo;s recognition is a testament to the entire Guidant Global team and their dedication to helping our customers find a better way to work.&rdquo;&nbsp; Barry Asin, SIA president commented &ldquo;Despite a devastating pandemic, war overseas, global inflation and a constantly evolving world of work, the staffing industry not only recovered but grew substantially past pre-pandemic levels. Seeing how the industry achieved such success merely requires a look at the Staffing 100 North America, who faced and leapt high over those obstacles. As we look ahead to an uncertain period, we salute those who guided the industry through an often turbulent 2022. Congratulations 2023 honorees!&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

SIA recognises Guidant Global COO, Brian Salkowski for the 5th consecutive year

Impellam Group is proud to be a gold partner at this year&rsquo;s <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:8f7d36bd-4857-447f-bcee-330cb1442f51">Contingent Workforce Strategies </a>(CWS) Summit Europe from Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), meaning our Guidant Global, Lorien and Comensura teams will be there in force to welcome you. The event returns to the Royal Lancaster, London, where it has been held for the past 5 years.&nbsp;&nbsp; We also have a limited number of free guest passes for existing customers and those looking to drive more innovation and value from their contingent workforce in 2023 and beyond. Read on for details.&nbsp;&nbsp; CWS Summit Europe promises to be an action-packed few days, with thought-provoking keynotes, interactive panel discussions, and plenty of opportunities to network with other industry MSP leaders. We can't wait to engage in conversations with other attendees and hear about the latest trends and best practices in contingent workforce management.&nbsp;
Whether you're interested in learning more about MSP services, Direct Sourcing, RPO, or SoW management and Services Procurement solutions, we'll be onsite to help. Our team is passionate about delivering real value to our clients, and we are looking forward to connecting with other organisations that share the same drive for excellence.&nbsp;
So, if you're looking for a high-energy, dynamic event that's packed with insights and networking opportunities,&nbsp; join Guidant Global and our fellow Impellam managed services brands <a href="https://www.lorienglobal.com/">Lorien</a> and <a href="https://www.comensura.com/">Comensura</a>, alongside your peers at the premier European event for contingent workforce professionals.&nbsp;
<h3>Free guest passes&nbsp;</h3>
We have a very limited number of free guest passes. If you are a senior Procurement, HR or contingent workforce leader and would like to attend as Guidant&rsquo;s guest, please email us on <a href="mailto:enquiries@guidantglobal.com">enquiries@guidantglobal.com</a> requesting our free guest pass code to use at <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:8f7d36bd-4857-447f-bcee-330cb1442f51">registration</a>. Without the code early-bird tickets are &pound;990 +VAT.&nbsp;
<h3>Why attend CWS Summit Europe 2023?&nbsp;</h3>
Expand your horizons, forge new connections, and evolve your contingent workforce management strategy in an interactive and collaborative conference setting. Expert industry speakers will discuss opportunities for talent sourcing and engagement management, current and future technologies across the workforce solutions ecosystem, and strategies and innovations for contingent workforce programme improvement and programme maturity.&nbsp; Whether your programme is new and you&rsquo;re in search of tools to get started, or mature and ready to evolve to the next level, CWS Summit Europe offers content for all.&nbsp;
<h3>When?</h3>
9th to 10th May 2023.
<h3>Where?</h3>
<a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:2f80d779-e259-4a0b-b4f6-65fafafcfacf">Royal Lancaster Hotel</a>, London, United Kingdom.

SIA CWS Summit Europe 2023. Request your free guest code

Despite all the rhetoric and good intentions, diversity, and inclusion (D&amp;I) strategies developed more than 10 years ago are still being repackaged and passed off as innovative - regardless of their limited impact in driving real results.&nbsp; &nbsp; The pandemic has affected the D&amp;I landscape too, so how will employers drive change and inclusivity in 2021?&nbsp; &nbsp; On 28 April 2021 Guidant Global&rsquo;s Karina Townley, Managing Director for EMEA, took part in an online conference hosted by <a href="https://www.talint.co.uk/">TALiNT Partners </a>- joining DE&amp;I specialists from leading public and private sector organisations to discuss the present and future of D&amp;I.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the report of this UK-based event, we summarise the panel&rsquo;s discussion on the key themes:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The impact of the pandemic on gender equality</li>
<li>The power of detail in D&amp;I transformation</li>
<li>Does flexibility create better access for all?</li>
<li>What comes next for D&amp;I initiatives?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/d0ipq673acdy2wneidfwbtnspfd7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download your copy of Shaking up D&amp;I in talent acquisition for all the insights.&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Shaking up D&I in talent acquisition 

The COVID-19 crisis very quickly highlighted what organisations did and didn&rsquo;t know about their people, particularly when it came to the extended workforce. An overnight shift to remote working patterns revealed where there was a lack of flexibility, visibility and control of the extended, distributed workforce - whilst also increasing the need for these things. In this <a href="https://youtu.be/Kl2HWLgy93Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in-depth session</a>, Guidant Global COO Brian Salkowski looks at why businesses are turning their attention to services procurement and Statement of Work (SoW) in a bid to drive better value from their non-employee workforce. Brian is joined by Justin Sellers, Global Category Leader - Professional Services and Temporary Labor at Amway, to show how, with Guidant Global&rsquo;s support, they introduced a complex SoW management process alongside their existing contingent labour MSP program - leading to impressive results and enabling them to stay ahead of the curve. In this session, you will learn:
<ul>
<li>Why managing services providers holistically brings a competitive advantage vs working in silos</li>
<li>How you can drive greater agility, quality and ROI from services procurement and SoW</li>
<li>The Amway journey &ndash; key results and lessons learnt</li>
<li>How to build a business case for services procurement and SoW</li>
</ul>
<h4>You can watch the recording below:</h4>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kl2HWLgy93Q" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe> To find out more about how Guidant delivered agility and cost savings through our SoW campaign for Amway, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0091CCD057D84286AA4C5B734B66F846&amp;_z=z">read our full customer success story</a>.

Services procurement in the new normal: how COVID-19 bolstered the business case for statement of work

Waletzke to steer growth of Direct Sourcing and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions 
Guidant Global, part of Impellam Group, has appointed Scott Waletzke to lead Talent Fulfilment for Guidant Global&rsquo;s North America portfolio. As VP of Talent Fulfilment, Waletzke has been tasked with building direct delivery capability across the organization&rsquo;s well-established MSP and RPO portfolio, elevating its already significant direct sourcing proposition in the market. Commenting on his new role, Waletzke says he looks forward to collaborating with industry leading colleagues across the Group and creating best in class talent acquisition strategies for customers: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m privileged to have been asked to lead and further enhance talent fulfilment and workforce solutions for Guidant Global. Guidant&rsquo;s strong, and inclusive culture was evident to me right away and we share a passion for finding a better way to deliver talent solutions for our customers, as they navigate the ever-changing world of work.&nbsp;I look forward to working with and supporting my colleagues, and to creating strong, meaningful relationships with our outstanding portfolio of clients.&rdquo;
 Simon Blockley, CEO of Impellam Group&rsquo;s Global Managed Services portfolio believes Scott is the ideal person to drive talent fulfilment forward for Guidant Global and Impellam. &ldquo;We are thrilled to welcome Scott to our team as the new executive leader for talent fulfilment in direct sourcing and RPO. He is a collaborative, innovative, and boundary-pushing talent acquisition leader with a passion for reimagining the art of the possible. With his impressive background in the recruitment industry, he will play a pivotal role in helping us achieve our strategic growth objectives for direct sourcing and RPO, as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional service to our clients.&rdquo; Scott Waletzke is a recruitment Industry executive leader with over 25 years&rsquo; experience designing, implementing, and operating successful contingent workforce and RPO programs across multiple industries. He is a thought leader and influential business partner focused on customer success and profitable delivery outcomes. His career history includes previous roles with Adecco Group, Hire Velocity, Career Builder, and Spherion.

Scott Waletzke appointed VP of Talent Fulfilment

If we&rsquo;ve learned anything recently, it&rsquo;s that geopolitical forces can have a rapid and significant impact on business and only those which can successfully ride the waves of change will thrive in today&rsquo;s uncertain climate. 
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s crucial to ensure that your MSP can adapt and evolve in response to your developing business objectives with the capability to support rapid fulfilment with shifting skills demands, support seasonal volume hiring, advise on cross boarder geographical expansions, and new talent.
&nbsp;
Make no mistake, scalability is vital. Here are four areas where your MSP must be able to change when you do.
&nbsp;
<h2>1. Role specification</h2>
Regardless of the people you require today, the roles you will need to fill within your business are likely to change drastically in the medium to long term. Choosing an MSP now that has the ability to fulfil your future needs will pay dividends.
Skills demand is shifting at lightning speed and talent management programmes must change in response. The World Economic Forum <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/6-world-of-work-trends-that-will-shape-2022/">reported</a> that 66% of workers believe they need to gain new skills to stay employable in the years ahead, and only 37% of non-managers feel their company is investing in their skills and career development.
Our experience of managing thousands of programmes across hundreds of accounts means we know who the best suppliers are for your business and have the established relationships you need. Through leveraging your MSP&rsquo;s past successes, you can ensure that you won&rsquo;t be starting at ground zero.
<h2>2. Volume demand</h2>
You may only need a handful of workers now, but what happens if you need hundreds of seasonal or temporary staff at short notice in the future?
Scaling up sheer numbers can be difficult, even in times when candidate pools are rich. In today&rsquo;s talent-tight market, there&rsquo;s no guarantee that your current recruitment partner will continue to deliver the people you need as your business grows and diversifies.
A managed service business, on the other hand, is both strategic and efficient. By choosing an MSP, you&rsquo;re no longer restricted by a single staffing partner&rsquo;s limited bandwidth. We can leverage our network to ensure you get the volume of quality talent you need quickly. We also know that businesses make use of contingent labour so that they can expand and contract workforces with ease as demand dictates&mdash;all without impacting other organisational needs. You need people, but you also need the capacity to onboard fresh talent so they can begin delivering rapidly.
By working with an MSP, you also gain all the support you need behind the scenes. Our internal support team can also grow quickly to support expanding workforces, so you have the solid foundations necessary for hiring at scale.
<h2>3. Geography</h2>
With the rise of remote working, outdated regional restrictions around hiring are falling away. Could your provider source top overseas talent? Could they help you expand into new territories?
In a post-covid, hyper-digitally connected world, a growing number of businesses are exploring international opportunities. However, diversifying across country borders&mdash;whether physically or digitally&mdash;brings risks.
Businesses looking to scale globally can benefit greatly from partnering with an MSP with international experience. What&rsquo;s more, they should bring their managed service provider into conversations at the earliest opportunity.
By drawing on intelligence from their established client base, your MSP will provide invaluable advice around cross-border operations. Here at Guidant Global, we&rsquo;ve experience and exposure to the rules and regulations of different countries that employers need to be aware of.
We&rsquo;ll help you create an appropriate workforce solution for your specific geographic regions and consult on where you should be looking to expand next. An MSP will extract and share the experiences of different clients already operating in those regions so that you can take a proactive rather than reactive approach to international talent management.
<h2>4. Solution</h2>
Sure, your current provider may support contingent hiring, but can they offer direct sourcing solutions? RPO? <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/benefits-of-using-sow-in-msp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SOW</a>? Talent marketing? Can they help with <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/what-does-dei-look-like-in-2022://" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DE&amp;I efforts</a>?
&nbsp;
The best MSPs provide a truly holistic talent management service offering, which can be scaled in every direction. They&rsquo;ll look at where you are now as a business, where you plan to be in five years, and advise on the best way to get there through a fully integrated <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7E2E0E9156A141B1BC878F31A1D77AA3&amp;_z=z">total talent management</a>&nbsp;(TTM) solution.
&nbsp;
Here at Guidant Global, we can quickly adapt our solutions to fit your changing needs. We can advise when a programme should expand to include a statement of work (SOW), and what new talent channels you may want to consider. We know how to tap into underutilised candidate pools, create a compelling <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/complete-guide-to-building-a-unique-evp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">employer value proposition</a> (EVP), and market your brand effectively. We&rsquo;ve access to the best talent management technology, and this tech&mdash;coupled with our experience&mdash;can be leveraged to ensure that you always have access to the skills your business needs to thrive.
&nbsp;
Working with multiple staffing partners can create a scenario where talent, and the systems that manage human resources, are siloed. By rolling everything together though an MSP, you will achieve a bird&rsquo;s eye view of where talent is within your business, where there are skills gaps, if you are working with the right suppliers, and if existing resources are engaged in the best way. 
&nbsp;
<h2 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">Making sure your MSP can change when you do</h2>
<h2 style="background: white; margin: 0cm;">&nbsp;</h2>
&nbsp;
When looking to engage any new staffing partner or MSP provider, consider not only the level of service they can provide now, but also if they are agile enough to grow and flex in response to your own business&rsquo;s evolving needs.
&nbsp;
Advanced MSPs, like Guidant Global, have a distinct advantage over specialised talent providers, and at a time when employers and recruiters alike are struggling to source skills, the value that an advanced MSP can bring are not to be underestimated. Our network, relationships, technology, and talent pools mean that we can scale our service offering as demand dictates. The fast pace of hiring that an MSP provides also creates additional cost-savings, which leads to leaner recruitment spend.
&nbsp;
Want to find out how Guidant Global can support your growing talent needs? <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Contact us today</a>

Scalability: why your MSP must be able to change when you do

A closer look at the pandemic&rsquo;s impact on the retention and development of the internal talent needed to deliver revised business goals and change programmes.&nbsp;
Retention and internal mobility: staffing the new workplace&nbsp;
The world of work has changed. Enforced remote working has paved the way for hybrid work patterns in companies that would not have entertained the idea two years ago. Rapid digitalisation has transformed organisations, and the employee-employer relationship has become one of greater equality and reciprocation.&nbsp; &nbsp; What will all this mean for efforts to retain, develop and promote people?&nbsp; &nbsp; On 31 March 2021 Louise West, Guidant Global&rsquo;s Director of Client Solutions, hosted a virtual conference in collaboration with TALiNT Partners. Global and national leaders in HR and talent acquisition discussed the pandemic&rsquo;s impact on the retention and development of the internal talent needed to deliver revised business goals and change programmes.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the report of this UK-based event, we summarise the panel&rsquo;s discussion on the key themes: &nbsp;
<ul>
<li>The emergence of new roles and the competition for new skills</li>
<li>The importance of EVP in becoming an employer of choice</li>
<li>Finding the right balance of office, remote and hybrid working</li>
<li>Leveraging HR tech for greater visibility of skills (and skills gaps)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/-/media/guidant/guidant-global-pdfs/retention-and-internal-mobility.pdf">Download your copy of Retention and internal mobility: staffing the new workplace for all the insights.&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Retention and internal mobility: staffing the new workplace 

Although there are obvious differences in the way you engage temporary and permanent workers, they often play an equally important part in an organisation&rsquo;s long-term talent strategy. In many businesses, temporary workers play a crucial role in filling skills gaps and are rehired and redeployed time and again for future assignments. Keeping this pool of talented contingent workers engaged and loyal to your brand, then, is crucial.
But retaining temporary workers isn&rsquo;t as simple as replicating the engagement strategies you use for permanent staff.
So, what can organisations do to fully engage and &lsquo;retain&rsquo; this crucial segment of the workforce?
<h3>Consider the contingent worker experience from day one</h3>
Hiring temporary workers requires robust recruitment processes, from thorough screening and vetting to in-depth skills assessments, all of which reduce the risk of making an expensive hiring mistake. However, the process is a two-way street and the individuals will be looking to form a connection with your brand from the start.
Be open and transparent about the nature of the assignment while communicating and behaving consistently. Along with making a good first impression, these are key factors in creating positive psychological effects on temporary workers. Organisational engagement and commitment begin long before the person has started work, whether they are a full-time member of staff or supporting on a project basis.
It is crucial to onboard new temporary workers thoroughly and make them feel part of the team and organisation. Introduce them to everyone and set up meetings with relevant people across the organisation. Take them on a tour of the office or site so they know where to find things such as stationery, breakout areas, and tea and coffee. If you&rsquo;re managing temporary workers remotely, welcome them into the virtual team as you would a full-time employee. Remember, the first days and weeks will set the tone and will be a key factor in an individual&rsquo;s view of your employer brand.
<h3>Break down barriers to retain temporary staff</h3>
Think about assigning a &lsquo;buddy&rsquo; to your temporary workers, someone who knows their way around and can help them become familiar with the surroundings. Managers should lead by example and involve temps in their team meetings, and ensure they are accepted and welcomed by other team members. When it comes to contribution, there should be no distinction made on contractual grounds &ndash; everyone is part of the team and everyone&rsquo;s time is valuable. Temps add to the diverse mix of skills and opinions, are able to provide a fresh perspective, and can be just as motivated as permanent employees.
A happy employee who feels like an integral part of the team, and who is supported by their manager and colleagues, is far more likely to give you maximum effort rather than just coast along with little dedication to the cause. This is where the environment and company culture are so important to the integration process. Small gestures count. Do you keep a list of team member birthdays so you can send them cards and gifts? Add your temporary workers&rsquo; birthdays to the list so they feel included and cared about. If you&rsquo;re organising a team get-together, don&rsquo;t forget your temps. Establishing these personal relationships is critical in fostering connectedness, loyalty, productivity and wellbeing.
<h3>Create a sense of belonging for temporary workers</h3>
Any hire that doesn&rsquo;t work out &ndash; whether temp or permanent &ndash; can add substantial cost to your recruitment budget. Organisations need to think long term, even with temporary staff, as the contingent workforce is becoming an increasingly important pool of specialist skills that can be engaged and rehired at short notice. You might need to use that person again and extend their contract or even hire them in a full-time capacity. If you&rsquo;ve treated them well and shown your support and appreciation, they&rsquo;ll jump at the chance to continue working for you and bring their expertise and talent back into your company.
When temporary workers say they would likely stay on with their temporary employers, they often say that a sense of friendliness and inclusion is the reason why. It&rsquo;s that positive attitude to temps, acknowledging that their contribution is just as important as that of permanent employees, that will encourage people to come back to your business again. Provide your temp staff with an environment in which they can feel a valued member of the team and you&rsquo;ll get loyalty and hard work in return.
<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact/">Contact us to find out how Guidant Global&rsquo;s contingent workforce solutions experts can help your organisation boost its retention of temporary talent.</a>
&nbsp;

Retaining temporary workers: how to build an engaged talent pool

For those who need to recruit regularly or at scale (or both), recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) can be a smart solution. But thanks to a number of myths and misconceptions, it can be hard to sort fact from fiction when weighing up the pros and cons of an RPO solution.
So, what are the disadvantages of RPO compared to other workforce solutions? Is RPO really a cost effective approach? And isn&rsquo;t RPO just another name for MSP? Let&rsquo;s debunk 10 of the most common RPO myths.
<h3>&lsquo;We&rsquo;ll lose control and visibility over our recruitment&rsquo;</h3>
Thanks to advanced VMS and applicant tracking technology, today&rsquo;s <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=3247651558BE4168A49D96245C7137E2&amp;_z=z">recruitment process outsourcing</a>&nbsp;solutions enable businesses to retain full visibility and control of the recruitment process - while still enjoying all the benefits that working with an external specialist brings. When you have multiple business units managing multiple recruitment suppliers, it becomes a real challenge to keep track of spend, resources and performance. An RPO partnership removes this logistical and administrative burden, and provides real-time data so you can make informed decisions about your workforce.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO is an expensive recruitment solution&rsquo;</h3>
Finding talent is a time-consuming process, even for the best talent acquisition and HR professionals. This is especially the case when recruiting at volume or for hard-to-fill roles. Every day a vacancy stays open means higher costs and lower productivity.&nbsp; RPO providers are typically measured on time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and quality-of-hire. A huge part of their job is to ensure that vacancies don&rsquo;t remain open for months at a time. With RPO, you get the right person, quickly, and at a better value than the DIY alternative.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO means we have to outsource ALL of our recruitment&rsquo;</h3>
There&rsquo;s no &lsquo;one-size fits all&rsquo; approach to recruitment process outsourcing. With businesses now able to choose between end-to-end RPO, project RPO, or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C15E5BCB43A040AFB0FFE587CD4A7C28&amp;_z=z">on-demand RPO</a>&nbsp;to best suit their needs, they can &lsquo;pick and mix&rsquo; from the full suite of services on offer. This means an RPO contract doesn&rsquo;t have to be all-encompassing or long-term. On-demand RPO provides hiring managers and internal recruitment teams with all the benefits of &lsquo;traditional RPO&rsquo;, but on a short-term basis. It is a completely viable model for urgent hiring needs. We once helped a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=45CCEA9BBD47419EA197317400C3E0DA&amp;_z=z">customer</a>&nbsp;in the life and pensions industry who suddenly needed hundreds of new staff across 10 UK locations following a successful contract win. The initial project was for 400 vacancies within a year; we filled 500 positions within nine months.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO delivers quantity but not quality&rsquo;</h3>
There is a misconception that RPOs simply sift CVs and send you a shortlist. This couldn&rsquo;t be further from the truth. When you engage an RPO you benefit from the provider&rsquo;s relationships and talent pipelines, as well as the specialist market insights they can offer. An RPO provider&rsquo;s main purpose is to ensure that your business gets the best hires, even in markets that are notoriously difficult. You should get a dedicated relationship manager who will work with both your sourcing teams and hiring community. They&rsquo;ll ensure that the talent attraction strategy and <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>&nbsp;(EVP) for each programme is designed to appeal to, and engage with, the very best candidates around.
<h3>&lsquo;We&rsquo;ll need expensive new technology to implement RPO&rsquo;</h3>
For internal talent acquisition teams, recruitment process outsourcing transfers all or part of the hiring process to staffing experts with the knowledge and experience to implement recruitment campaigns that would be impossible to handle internally. Most of the <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=A7784E01D0CE49EC8036E300E3B2DA39&amp;_z=z">technology behind RPO</a>&nbsp;is actually quite commonplace and straightforward. And even if you don&rsquo;t have the necessary systems in place already, most RPO providers have built the latest talent technology into their service offering. So whether your business is high-tech, low-tech or no-tech, you can still fully embrace RPO.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO is just another name for MSP&rsquo;</h3>
An RPO solution and a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BBDEF02CA3042E8BA27F0A1892A63DE&amp;_z=z">managed service programme</a>&nbsp;(MSP) are both examples of outsourced recruitment solutions, and they offer many of the same cost-saving and efficiency benefits. But there are important differences between MSP and RPO. The biggest difference is that an RPO provider embeds a talent acquisition team onsite within your business. With MSP, this doesn&rsquo;t usually happen (although here at Guidant we do put our people onsite for customer MSP programmes). The other big <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=7BCFD458B2B0480187723D6FD1AB22BC&amp;_z=z">difference between MSP and RPO</a>&nbsp;is that MSP is traditionally about hiring contingent workers while RPO is usually concerned with permanent staff. Although&hellip;
<h3>&lsquo;RPO is just for hiring permanent employees&rsquo;</h3>
Contrary to popular belief, RPO is not only for permanent hiring. Contingent RPO takes all the benefits of the best permanent RPO solutions - such as <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=6F970ED9CF4445C5AE1CDF8DE359B5E4&amp;_z=z">employer branding</a>, EVP, and technology implementation - and uses them within a contingent programme. Crucially, with a <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=02FF23F7542A4D2191C6BA24B85782D5&amp;_z=z">contingent RPO</a>&nbsp;solution, you get a direct sourcing team who are solely dedicated to finding non-permanent talent for your business. This gives you access to recruitment experts singularly committed to your organisation&rsquo;s success.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO is only about reacting, not planning ahead&rsquo;</h3>
To be prepared to respond to changing demands and the evolving global market, employers need to develop strategic <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=0A64FC831B814E948B940D1F1AAED1E6&amp;_z=z">talent pools</a>&nbsp;- a task that an RPO is well-placed to deliver. The best RPO providers ensure your business has the people it needs today, while simultaneously planning for future talent needs behind the scenes. They do this through building brand awareness and a strong EVP alongside sustainable pipelines and working talent pools, packed with former employees, silver and bronze medallists, contingent talent and others who have expressed an interest in joining you.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO will dilute our culture and employer brand&rsquo;</h3>
Not all businesses have the in-house expertise to create an engaging <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=59889A6BC6144BB595DB838931E9F2AE&amp;_z=z">employer value proposition</a>. By providing them with a dedicated team of brand advocates, an RPO solution helps many employers strengthen and enhance, rather than dilute, their culture and values. The best RPO providers help businesses define their value to potential candidates. With experts solely devoted to EVP creation and employer brand strategists within their ranks, they are able to market a business to candidates - even in traditionally challenging sectors.
<h3>&lsquo;RPO only works well for large enterprises&rsquo;</h3>
It&rsquo;s true that RPO solutions were, in the early days, more commonly used in large organisations. But over recent years, more medium-sized businesses are discovering the benefits of RPO solutions - as are smaller firms that are experiencing rapid growth. Depending on the dynamics of your business and what you want to achieve with outsourcing, engaging an RPO can add real value - particularly for any business that hires staff on a fairly regular basis, or is enjoying a growth spurt.
<h3>Could RPO be right for you? Let&rsquo;s discuss</h3>
If you&rsquo;re looking for a workforce solution that offers flexibility, speed, quality and cost-efficiency, some form of RPO solution could well be the answer. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=053206475CBD45F5819A45C2EB8EEEFC&amp;_z=z">We&rsquo;ve won awards for our on-site RPO</a>&nbsp;solutions, and we&rsquo;d be happy to discuss ways we can support you too. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Contact us</a>&nbsp;to start a conversation about your needs.
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Recruitment process outsourcing: 10 popular myths busted

A job ad is not just a list of skills or experiences &mdash; it&rsquo;s about creating a positive first impression of your business. In today&rsquo;s hyper-competitive talent market, it&rsquo;s vital to write recruitment ads that attract the quality candidates you need to drive business success. &nbsp;
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Recruitment-advertising-guides-writing-job-ads-that-work/1">Click here to access our in-depth guide to writing job ads that work.&nbsp;</a>
Why is recruitment advertising important? &nbsp;
Spending so much time at the start of the recruitment process might seem like an inconvenience, but it will pay the dividends in the quality and fit of the applicants you attract. Writing an effective job ad is a vital part of the recruitment process. &nbsp;
If you get it right, you&rsquo;ll attract applications from sought-after talent, positioning your brand as an employer of choice. Get in wrong and you can risk making a poor hire &mdash; a bad hire can cost your company up to 30% of a yearly salary. &nbsp;
Every job is different, every ad should be too. &nbsp;
Identifying your audience &nbsp;
To correctly identify your target audience, you need to consider the following; &nbsp;
<ul>
<li>What are their behaviours, skills and priorities?</li>
<li>Where are they likely to work now?</li>
<li>What form of messaging will they respond to?&nbsp;</li>
<li>What type of media can we potentially use to reach them?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
A job ad isn&rsquo;t just a list of skills and experience you want the candidate to have. It&rsquo;s an opportunity to sell the role and to tell candidates what makes your business unique. &nbsp;
It&rsquo;s increasingly vital to get your job ads right and create a positive first impression of your business. Job ads are employer brand content you control. When you have a clear idea of your target audience you can start thinking about the wording of your ad.&nbsp;
Writing effective job ads to attract high-quality talent &nbsp;
An effective job ad is not just a job description. It is a carefully crafted message with the aim of attracting the best qualified candidates for your job. To start you need to identify who you are trying to recruit. <a href="https://www.cv-library.co.uk/recruitment-insight/candidates-put-off-jobs-whitepaper/">20% of job seekers </a>revealed they&rsquo;d be put off applying to a role with an unclear job description, indicating just how important they are. &nbsp;
Writing recruitment ads that work&nbsp;
Writing an effective job ad is a vital part of the recruitment process. But it can be a challenging and daunting task. &nbsp;Get it right and you&rsquo;ll attract potential candidates from sought-after talent while positioning your brand as an employer of choice. Get it wrong and you risk making a poor hire or even worse, damaging your wider employer brand. &nbsp;
<ul>
<li>What to include in your job ads</li>
<li>What (is the role, including a job title?)</li>
<li>Where (is the specific location?)&nbsp;</li>
<li>When (working hours and shift patterns)</li>
<li>Why (should candidates apply?)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Even if you have written the perfect job advert, for people to read your job ad you need to know where to place it. Today&rsquo;s jobseekers are very active on digital, mobile and social platforms. According to indeed, 9 out of 10 jobseekers now use their mobile phone in their job search. &nbsp;
It may seem like there is a lot to consider when writing the perfect recruitment advert, but taking the time to properly plan, identify you audience, write your job ad and share it across the most effective channels will prove invaluable. &nbsp;&nbsp;
For more information on how to attract the best talent via your job advertisements, <a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/Recruitment-advertising-guides-writing-job-ads-that-work/1">download our guide, writing recruitment ads that work.&nbsp;</a>

Recruitment advertising guides: writing job ads that work 

An in-depth look at the top trends transforming talent procurement today, produced in collaboration with Raconteur&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s at the top of the mind for today&rsquo;s enterprise CPOs and CHROs?&nbsp; &nbsp; What are the biggest priorities and challenges procurement and HR teams are facing in procuring talent today?&nbsp; &nbsp; How should HR and procurement professionals transform their approach to talent procurement to ensure future success?&nbsp; &nbsp; This report, published in collaboration with Raconteur, details the importance of agility during these uncertain times.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s inside:&nbsp;
The rising cost of human capital&nbsp;
Future-proofing contingent workforce management&nbsp;
Unlocking regional value with global workforce solutions&nbsp;
4 keys to the future of workforce planning&nbsp;
Rebranding as a people-first employer&nbsp;
<a href="https://insights.raconteur.net/procuring-tomorrows-talent">Access our report here&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Raconteur: Procuring tomorrow’s talent 

&ldquo;Society says being disabled is a bad thing. We&rsquo;re here to prove that wrong. It&rsquo;s the world&rsquo;s idea of what normal should be that creates negative perceptions of disability.&rdquo;&nbsp;
We spoke to Liz Johnson, gold medal-winning Paralympian and founder of <a href="https://www.theabilitypeople.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Ability People</a>, to find out about her work educating businesses on disability and to understand why disability inclusion languishes at the bottom of most corporate agendas.
<h6>Q: How did the idea to create The Ability People (TAP) come about?</h6>
The idea was sparked when I was watching the news one night and saw a feature on the disability employment gap. The first staggering thing was that the gap is enormous. There are <a href="https://www.scope.org.uk/media/disability-facts-figures/">13.9 million people in the UK with disabilities but barely half are employed</a>, compared to over 80% of non-disabled people. Secondly, and perhaps more shockingly, this gap hasn&rsquo;t improved in over a decade.&nbsp; Once I&rsquo;d seen these figures, I couldn&rsquo;t get them out of my mind. As a disabled person, I knew the bias that exists in society towards those who look and act differently yet seeing the overall effect of this was chilling. I was determined to do something about this bias and the disability employment gap. Around this time I also met my current business partner, Steve Carter, who has been a recruiter for over thirty years. He had similar interests and concerns to me, albeit for slightly different reasons. Steve was tired of being presented with the same talent pool, and instinctively knew that there was untapped talent out there.&nbsp; After some discussion, we decided to set up <a href="https://www.theabilitypeople.com/">The Ability People</a>, with a goal to improve disability awareness within businesses and the wider recruitment industry and make workplaces truly accessible to disabled people
<h6>Q: How has your own experience shaped TAP?</h6>
One of the reasons reason I have been as successful in my career, both as an athlete and as co-founder of TAP, is that I&rsquo;ve had a great deal of freedom and control over my work. I have been in control of the parameters of when and how I work and this has made a massive difference to my personal wellbeing and my motivation. This level of freedom was something I wanted to translate to TAP&rsquo;s structure and our consultants are able to flexibly work in the way that best suits them.&nbsp; Indeed, flexible working is a major way businesses can be inclusive to disabled people. Being able to work remotely or around different core hours has massively increased in popularity for non-disabled people, yet when a disabled employee is involved, it becomes an unreasonable adjustment for many managers.&nbsp; I also was supported throughout my swimming career by an amazing team of people in my corner - from my coach to my physiotherapists and team mates. Everyone needs a support network of people believing in them and empowering them to achieve their goals. This is completely lacking for disabled people and the aim of TAP is to make employers become that support network for their employers, disabled or non-disabled.
<h6>Q: How is the candidate experience different for disabled people?</h6>
If a non-disabled person applies for a job, neither the recruiter nor the person interviewing the candidate makes a judgement on whether or not the person is physically able to do the job. They assume the candidate can be a success because they&rsquo;ve submitted their application and their CV is up to scratch.&nbsp; But for a person of difference, hiring managers make subconscious judgements about what the candidate can and can&rsquo;t do and assume that different will negatively impact their work. While they often don&rsquo;t realise it's happening, more often than not, hiring managers end up employing non-disabled people who align with their inherent biases.
<h6>Q: As part of TAPs consultancy work, what recurring challenges have you found in organisations and recruitment businesses that are adapting to become more inclusive for people with disabilities?</h6>
In terms of the recruitment industry, we know there&rsquo;s plenty of brilliant recruiters out there that don&rsquo;t need help finding candidates or building talent pools. But what they do need help with is discovering more diverse talent, and, more importantly, understanding their needs. Recruiters also need help getting their clients to understand disability inclusion. Conventional processes aren&rsquo;t designed to enable recruiters to put forward diverse talent, nor are they set up to enable diverse talent to showcase their abilities.&nbsp; In many cases, making it through the recruitment process is particularly difficult for disabled people. But by ignoring diverse talent, businesses often end up settling for round pegs in square holes, especially in such a competitive talent market. For recruitment companies and their clients, the biggest impact we can have is to enable recruiters and clients to change their processes to allow diverse talent to travel through the recruitment journey without stigma, and with processes that empower them to shine. At TAP, we have access to thousands of highly talented, disabled candidates. But putting them through existing recruitment processes gives them a slim chance of actually landing a role. The reasonable adjustments that need to be made are believed to slow the recruitment process down. In the majority of cases, they don&rsquo;t to any great degree. But because hiring disabled people is often new to the hiring managers, disabled candidates are usually overlooked.&nbsp; For recruiters, it&rsquo;s easier to use a tried-and-tested approach. Engaging disabled talent can, at first, add a few more days to establish what reasonable adjustments need to be made, and then implement these changes. In the mind of the recruiter, those extra few days could mean losing out to a rival. This, without a doubt, is the biggest hurdle for recruitment businesses. For businesses, the situation is slightly different. Hiring disabled people is seen as something that is not only a bold step, but a step that is extremely difficult. This is where TAP can help.&nbsp; Despite what many people assume, not everyone within our organisation was born with a disability. Not everyone was a Paralympian &mdash; we have real equality throughout our business. Within our team, we have a healthy gender mix and diverse age range. There&rsquo;s a mix of cultural backgrounds, a mix of people who went to university and people that didn&rsquo;t, people who have got children and people that haven&rsquo;t. We&rsquo;re a very diverse group of individuals.&nbsp; &nbsp; We present real-life, authentic experiences to businesses. You don&rsquo;t know what you don&rsquo;t know, and you can&rsquo;t be blamed for not knowing &ndash; especially if you&rsquo;ve never previously needed such knowledge. Our team normalises difference. At TAP, we act as a medium for businesses to ask the questions they&rsquo;re worried about asking disabled candidates.&nbsp; As disabled people, we are constantly problem-solving, constantly adapting, and constantly having to think outside of the box, so any big problem within an organisation (or at least what most people perceive to be a big problem) isn&rsquo;t such a big hurdle for a disabled person. It&rsquo;s just another problem that needs to be solved, that needs looking at differently. In this way, it massively strengthens a team to have diversity. Businesses need to realise this. Businesses also benefit from a diverse workforce by gaining new perspectives and voices. Different backgrounds and experiences bring with them different ways of looking at the world and new ideas. These things are crucial for innovation in any industry. The biggest challenge for organisations is actually setting the wheels in motion. It&rsquo;s relatively easy to have that initial chat and get excited about diversity and inclusion, but to actually move forward companies need to find the right people within their organisation who can actually make the necessary changes. Businesses often view inclusion as a &lsquo;nice&rsquo; thing to do, inspired by morality or the culture of increasing corporate social responsibility. In addition to this &lsquo;tickbox&rsquo; approach to inclusion being entirely ineffective, they completely miss the fact that their business directly benefits through employing disabled talent.
<h6>Q: Businesses increasingly talk about their diversity and inclusion efforts, but often these are related to gender equality and racial diversity. Why do you think disability inclusion is sometimes forgotten in these conversations?</h6>
Out of all the diversity groupings, disability is viewed as the biggest challenge. I quite often sit on panels and give talks. The fact that I&rsquo;m disabled is a far bigger deal for audiences than the fact I&rsquo;m a woman.&nbsp; There&rsquo;s the mentality of &lsquo;if a disabled person can do the job then a non-disabled woman can definitely do it&rsquo;. This is because there&rsquo;s misunderstanding about what disability is, what it represents, and how people should look and act if they&rsquo;ve got a disability.&nbsp; The common expectations of society and within the workplace are that any non-disabled person is more capable than a disabled person, in every situation. This bias is constantly being reinforced in society&nbsp; It was only very recently that the treatment of disabled children in schools has changed. People that I swam with on the swimming team earlier in my career at the Paralympics who were a generation above me had a very different experience of the education system than I had.&nbsp;They either went to a &ldquo;special school&rdquo;, where they were hidden away from most kids, or if they did go to a regular school, they sat at the back of classrooms, and left to their own devices &ndash; given menial tasks to perform by teachers, like colouring in. Inevitably, this has led to the widespread assumption that people with disabilities are intellectually inferior to able-bodied people. Because of this, when a disabled person achieves anything, it is seen as inspirational and awe-inspiring. People don&rsquo;t understand that disabled people just do things differently. Within society, there&rsquo;s an in-built, destructive ideal that everyone prescribes to. That ideal person has two functioning arms, two functioning legs, two good eyes, two good ears, no neurodiversity, no mental health issues.&nbsp; But the reality is, at a personal level, I love my life. There&rsquo;s nothing to say I would be better off if I had two &lsquo;normal&rsquo; arms and two &lsquo;normal&rsquo; legs. The same can be said for many disabled people. It&rsquo;s the world&rsquo;s idea of what normal should be that creates negative perceptions of disability. It&rsquo;s like when people say &ldquo;what&rsquo;s wrong with you?&rdquo;. There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with me, I&rsquo;m just different. If someone says &ldquo;what happened to you?&rdquo; that&rsquo;s a reasonably valid question, but to say &ldquo;what&rsquo;s wrong with you?&rdquo; &ndash; who is to say there&rsquo;s anything wrong with me? I&rsquo;m fine. It&rsquo;s the destructive societal ideal of what a human being should look and act like which makes people ask this question.&nbsp; To some extent, we&rsquo;ve moved away from the white alpha male being seen as the optimal human form. Gradually, thanks to increased social awareness and education, we are moving towards a widespread understanding that the world shouldn&rsquo;t be like that &ndash; though there are, of course, still hurdles to overcome.&nbsp; But when it comes to disability, both the stats and personal experience suggests that disability equality is not gathering the same widespread awareness as race or gender equality.&nbsp;
<h6>Q: How does this situation influence a disabled person&rsquo;s ability to get a job in the current market?</h6>
Society has constructed this seemingly impenetrable myth about disabled people so non-disabled people make automatic, negative assumptions about a disabled person&rsquo;s capabilities. So, if a non-disabled person is&nbsp; presented with a disabled candidate they instinctively think &ldquo;how could they possibly do this?&rdquo;, overly focusing on the way someone does something, not how it&rsquo;s done At The Ability People, we&rsquo;re on a mission to challenge and eradicate these assumptions and help people understand that a one-size-fits-all approach won&rsquo;t work. Just because someone does something differently to another that doesn&rsquo;t mean they don&rsquo;t get to the same outcome or goal.&nbsp;
<h6>Q: We are witnessing some progressive businesses taking action to increase female representation and racial diversity at senior and board level (which are, of course, very necessary), but discussions about senior representation of disabled people seem some way off. Why do you think this is?</h6>
There are some organisations who approach diversity authentically, and there are those that do it as a box-ticking exercise or to achieve a certain level of certification. It goes back to people&rsquo;s motives for doing it, and this again reverts to my previous point about educating the right people within businesses.&nbsp; An organisation can easily hire ten disabled people just to tick a box and meet a quota, but if they don&rsquo;t hire ten people who are actually a right fit for the job, then ultimately they&rsquo;re making the situation worse, not better. Hiring the wrong people just reaffirms negative associations and assumptions that surround disability.&nbsp; Inclusion must also work hand-in-hand with accessibility. If an organisation isn&rsquo;t accessible in its structures as well as it&rsquo;s hiring practices then it won&rsquo;t retain disabled talent and we won&rsquo;t see the progress we desperately need. What we&rsquo;re trying to do at TAP is increase people&rsquo;s level of understanding so that they are able to see a human being as a human being, not as a problem to be solved. With the right education, a business should get to the point where a diversity and inclusion policy is redundant. With authentic inclusion, diversity would naturally be everywhere. Of course, this is quite a big step for a business to reach this stage, and it takes somebody with a genuine understanding and willingness to make those big strides forward for it to happen.
<h6>Q: When you&rsquo;re working with clients, do you find that businesses just want to hire disabled people for entry-level roles, or are they also ready to hire at managerial level?</h6>
They are willing, and you bring up a good point actually. A lot of people with disabilities are either self-employed or in highly technical roles, because they&rsquo;re educated, or they&rsquo;ve stayed in technical industries. But for disabled people without a great level of education, things are more difficult. Most roles that don&rsquo;t require a strong academic background tend to require good motor skills or good vision. This is the reason why so many people with disabilities are un, or underemployed &ndash; because businesses frequently offer them these jobs where they&rsquo;re set up to fail.&nbsp;
<h6>Q: In the disability space, most organisations are charity-based. What makes TAP different?</h6>
One of the biggest questions we were asked when we first set up TAP was: is your organisation for-profit? And of course, my answer was: &lsquo;yes, why would it not be for-profit?&rsquo;. People assume that because we&rsquo;re a business staffed exclusively by disabled people, and one that focuses on disability awareness, we must be a non-profit. &nbsp; I&rsquo;m not denying that charities do an amazing job. But if everything related to disability is driven by charities alone, the belief that people with disabilities need charitable assistance from non-disabled people persists. It goes right back to that misguided idea that people with disabilities are not as capable, or competent as non-disabled people
<h6>Q: Which is, in essence, a very patronising way of looking at things, isn&rsquo;t it?</h6>
Exactly, so this education piece is incredibly important if we are going to level the playing field and remove unconscious bias.
<h6>Q: Over the past year, you&rsquo;ve been included in the BBC 100 Women list, and more recently, in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190718-liz-johnson">BBC Worklife 101</a>, how do you think being recognised in this way can help drive greater disability inclusion?</h6>
Ultimately, this recognition gets more and more people talking about disability, and this is what needs to happen. Of course, I&rsquo;m not the only person working on this. &nbsp; You personally understand why we need to speak more about disability, and <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/">Guidant Global</a> are helping to change perceptions within the recruitment industry. But in terms of reach, I&rsquo;m fortunate enough that my success as a Paralympian gets people&rsquo;s attention.&nbsp; Sport is something that everybody can relate to. My achievements in the swimming pool make people think: &ldquo;Oh actually, she knows what she&rsquo;s talking about; she&rsquo;s done it before, she&rsquo;s got a proven track record.&rdquo;&nbsp; It&rsquo;s very humbling to achieve such recognition, but ultimately, it&rsquo;s about shifting the conversation and getting more people talking about disability &ndash; moving disability inclusion to the forefront of people&rsquo;s minds.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h6>Q: Finally: which disabled person most inspires you?</h6>
It&rsquo;s not one individual disabled person that inspires me. Every day I am empowered, enlightened and encouraged when I see the people at TAP and in the wider working world who are making a contribution, taking on daily challenges, changing their world and developing the people they come into contact with. They&rsquo;re the inspirational people who are having the biggest impact. Ultimately, we are all on this journey together to educate society, drive disability inclusion and eventually, transform the world.&nbsp;
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Q&A with gold medal-winning paralympian Liz Johnson

If there were any doubts about the importance of agility to organisational success, the Covid-19 pandemic has surely put them to bed. Being able to quickly flex and adapt workforce management strategies, to meet wider organisational goals, is now a clear competitive advantage.&nbsp;
But what are agile businesses able to do that their competitors can&rsquo;t? And how can businesses make better use of the contingent workforce to improve their agility?&nbsp;
To answer these questions, we bring you Competing through agility: the role of the agile temporary workforce - a special white paper written by global CPO community Procurement Leaders in collaboration with Guidant Global&rsquo;s workforce solutions experts.&nbsp;
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mta6mobyYf_1wbG5m_4Aim25oqkgXMYd/view">Access your copy here&nbsp;</a>
With contributions and insights from Guidant Global COO Brian Salkowski, VP Client Services Marie France, and SVP Program Management Mike Mulder, this paper presents the compelling case for improving agility - and shows why businesses can&rsquo;t afford to wait.&nbsp;
Get your copy to learn how:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>contingent labour is empowering businesses to adopt a more agile approach</li>
<li>internal capabilities can be augmented by leveraging an external workforce</li>
<li>MSPs help businesses improve contingent workforce processes and deliver at pace</li>
<li>to think creatively in order to overcome the challenges of tight labour markets and niche role requirements</li>
<li>three Guidant Global clients have harnessed contingent labour to improve agility.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mta6mobyYf_1wbG5m_4Aim25oqkgXMYd/view">Access your copy here&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

Procurement Leaders: Competing through agility: the role of the agile temporary workforce 

2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, an important milestone for the gay rights movement, led by drag queens, trans women of colour and other marginalised members of LGBT community. June also marks the annual Pride Month celebrations around the globe; a time for people from the community and their allies to acknowledge the hard-won efforts of those who fought for their freedom and dignity.
We&rsquo;ve come a long way over the past fifty years and significant progress has been made. However, the annual Pride Marches also serve to remind us how much work there still is to be done.
In recognition of this historic year of LGBT history, we have updated our Guidant Global logo to include the iconic rainbow colours of the Pride flag. It&rsquo;s a nod to the hard work of activists and the contributions they made to the fight for equality, but it&rsquo;s also a signal to the world that Guidant is an employer that embraces and celebrates people from different backgrounds and communities.
At Guidant, we champion #ABetterWay of working, and part of this is ensuring that our people reflect the diversity of the modern world. We encourage people to bring their authentic selves to work and this includes a commitment to creating safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces for the LGBT members of our staff to work in.
There will be Pride events all around the UK and Ireland between June and September, below we have listed just some of the key dates.
Upcoming Pride Events
<ul>
<li>Dublin Pride &ndash; 20th June</li>
<li>Edinburgh Pride &ndash; 22nd June</li>
<li>London Pride &ndash; 6th July</li>
<li>Bristol Pride &ndash; 13th July</li>
<li>Brighton Pride &ndash; 3rd August</li>
<li>Manchester Pride &ndash; 23rd August</li>
</ul>
<img style="width: 913px; height: 445px;" src="-/media/ef6c2f6d4a184618930c012d768b48e6.ashx" alt="Guidant Global Pride Logo Gif" width="1024" height="512">

#Pride50 – Guidant Celebrates 50 Years of LGBT Pride

With skills shortages in almost every sector, private sector businesses should look to IR35&rsquo;s impact in the public sector to ensure they don&rsquo;t get disoriented and wind up losing their best contract workers
The confirmation of IR35 reform in private sector organisations, set to be rolled out in April 2020, has got many HR, procurement and talent acquisition leaders debating how they are going to approach IR35 rules. With so few businesses revealing their plans, it appears that everyone is waiting to make the first move. This is inevitable: in dynamic markets, no-one wants to plant their flag only to then be undercut by key competitors. However, while there is much frantic questioning within organisations, there are valuable learnings that we can take from the introduction of IR35 rules in the public sector back in April 2017. Personally, I have worked on IR35 legislation across a number of public sector bodies, and while private sector organisations are often structurally different, there are still things we can learn.
One advantage that the private sector has over the public sector is that the Check Employment Status for Tax (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CEST</a>) tool has been available for a couple of years now. Of course, there has been some criticism surrounding the tool, but compared to the situation we had back in 2017 with the public sector (whereby the tool was only active a few days before the IR35 reform was introduced), it does generate some clarity. Regardless of whether you believe the CEST tool to be fit for purpose, it does allow businesses to plan ahead.
<h2>Use the CEST tool to check the IR35 status of your current contractor workforce</h2>
One of the first steps that businesses should take is to put their existing contingent workforce through the CEST tool. This will give businesses the opportunity to map out the challenges that will arise next year. But rather than doing so for every individual contracted worker, contractors should be tested in the CEST tool on a role-by-role basis.
Why? Because there are inherent risks that could lead to precarious business outcomes.
As an example, one manager in a marketing department may put through their IT contractor and come to the conclusion that they aren&rsquo;t within IR35. Meanwhile, in a different department, a different manager may put a similar IT contractor doing the same day-to-day role through the CEST tool and arrive at the opposite conclusion.
Not only does this cause organisational confusion, but it could also lead to equality lawsuits. By putting the role of IT contractor (in this example) through CEST, managers can ensure consistency throughout an organisation. Contractors know where they stand, hiring managers aren&rsquo;t left to their own devices, and businesses are able to accurately assess their contingent workforce.
<h2>Build a library to optimise workforce planning</h2>
Putting contingent workers through the CEST tool on a role-by-role basis also gives businesses the opportunity to create a centralised library of which roles sit inside IR35 and which roles don&rsquo;t. From a workforce planning point of view, this approach makes a lot of sense. If, for example, a business needs to hire new contractors, having a library in place enables them to immediately know where IR35 applies and where it doesn&rsquo;t.
<h2>How the recruitment process will change</h2>
As one of the biggest work-related tax reforms this decade, IR35 is inevitably going to have a significant impact on the working practices in the staffing sphere. From next year, all contract roles will need to put through the CEST tool before going to market. While this may seem like a burden, the impact could be positive. First off, a contractor applying for a role with your business will know whether the role is within IR35 or not, and can decide if it would work for them financially (wit the full knowledge that they potentially would have to pay additional National Insurance and PAYE tax). Being upfront and honest in this way creates trust, and you won&rsquo;t get the rejections that will be inevitable for businesses who choose not to disclose the IR35 status of their advertised roles.
Moreover, by putting all contract roles through the CEST tool before promoting roles, a potentially messy process becomes seamless &ndash; speeding up processes and reducing time-to-hire. All of these factors lead to a better candidate experience, which is one of the most important factors in an employer brand. With a better employer brand, the more likely you are to attract highly desirable talent.
<h2>The key IR35 debates: what should businesses do?</h2>
There are many challenges that businesses will have to face in light of IR35. For starters, businesses will have to decide whether they will accept the additional costs of National Insurance and PAYE Tax, or pass the additional costs onto contractors through reduced rates. The first challenge will, as you&rsquo;d expect, increase the cost of hiring in contracted talent, while reduced pay rates are less likely to attract the same quality of candidate that businesses are used to. To put this situation in the context of the public sector, the majority of local authorities chose to pass IR35-related costs onto contractors due to increasing budgetary constraints. While this did prevent a rise in staffing costs, it also led to the most talented contractors moving to the private sector.
Though this may stop with IR35 rollout in the private sector, the pros and cons still need to be analysed. With small businesses exempt from IR35, we could see the best contractors moving in that direction. Likewise, if a business chooses to take the financial hit and accept NI and PAYE costs, they stand a better chance of attracting and retaining contractors. Businesses will need to ask the question: which is more important &ndash; talent or money? Even for those businesses who can afford to take the financial hit, the issue found within private sector businesses right now is that few know how their competitors will approach this conundrum. With the situation unlikely to change, there is another approach. If the &lsquo;who jumps first&rsquo; effect is to be overcome, businesses may have to start working together.
<h2>Industry focus groups</h2>
During public sector rollout, local authorities knew that the market for contractor talent would become more difficult. Here is what the situation could have looked like: local authorities competing with each other across county lines. Thankfully, this was rarely the case, with several local authorities deciding to work together in focus groups to ensure alignment. This may seem like an impossible scenario for private sector organisations. Getting into bed with the competition is not something you&rsquo;ll see in any business 101. It almost seems counterintuitive. But in the present situation preparing for IR35, it makes strategic sense for businesses operating in the same industry to work together in focus groups. While the option of being able to undercut your competitors&rsquo; strategies disappears, the chances of it happening to your own business are significantly reduced. There&rsquo;s also the opportunity to create a set template for everyone within the industry to follow. In this sense, the likelihood is that there will be reduced talent drain within your industry. If everyone is operating on the same playing field, there&rsquo;ll be fewer outliers willing to stick their neck out and threaten the status quo.
For more information on IR35 reform in the private sector, download Guidant Global&rsquo;s latest report by filling out the form below.
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Preparing for IR35: what we can learn from the public sector

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
Data-driven decision making is considered critical in the corporate world. Building a business case for new investment, strategic change and future growth plans often relies on statistics. But when it comes to a firm&rsquo;s most important (and often most expensive) asset &ndash; its people &ndash; data can be hard to come by.&nbsp;&nbsp; Back in 2013, leading HR commentator, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2013/10/07/big-data-in-human-resources-a-world-of-haves-and-have-nots/?sh=7bb2986200fd">Josh Bersin</a>, was spreading the word about big data in HR. The potential opportunity that data analytics presented HR teams with was seemingly endless. But almost ten years later, have we moved much further or is there still some resistance?&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Are people analytics important for your firm?&nbsp;</h3>
While my immediate answer to this question is a resounding &lsquo;yes&rsquo;, statistics cited in the recent <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/the-global-talent-economy-2022-special-report-in-association-with-the-times">Global Talent Economy</a> report from Raconteur, published in The Times, suggests more than half of employers don&rsquo;t agree. The special edition launched at the end of September revealed that 49% of organisations believed candidate analytics were important.&nbsp; This figure may represent almost half of global firms, but that still leaves 51% of businesses failing to recognise the value of data in their people strategies. Talent analytics plays a significant role in guiding business decisions, but in a global environment where reliance on gig and contingent workers is growing, data is critical.&nbsp;&nbsp; Statistics have tracked the growth of the gig economy for some time. In the US, data from <a href="https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/gig-economy-statistics/#gref">Gallup</a> revealed that around 36% of the American workforce are gig workers, with <a href="https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/gig-economy-statistics/#gref">forecasts </a>from Wonolo and Statista suggesting that more than half of the US workforce will be doing some form of freelance work by 2027.&nbsp;&nbsp; The UK is experiencing a similar scenario, with the Office for National Statistics revealing a rise in self-employed workers in the three months leading up to August 2022.&nbsp;
<h3>The importance of data for contingent workforce management&nbsp;</h3>
As the flexible segment of the workforce grows, the need to make <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/the-power-of-contingent-workforce-visibility-through-data-analytics">data-driven workforce decisions</a>, monitor success and track trends intensifies. Agile working may be the future, but it&rsquo;s more difficult to plan and control &ndash; particularly when it comes to spend and compliance.&nbsp;&nbsp; Global statistics will also be heavily relied on. We&rsquo;ve already seen borderless recruitment become normalised post-Covid. If your business is growing internationally, do you have the data on talent access across the globe to inform this expansion? If the answer is no, you will soon find that strategic decisions are being made that are unachievable due to unrealistic workforce expectations.&nbsp;&nbsp; HR teams will increasingly need to rely on data to build the business case for <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/what-is-outsourcing/what-is-contingent-workforce-management-cwm">contingent </a>spend and demonstrate success, and this will need to be aligned with the permanent workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Challenges with analytics&nbsp;</h3>
One of the reasons that firms haven&rsquo;t integrated people analytics effectively is that it isn&rsquo;t easy to do. Talent statistics are difficult to collect, tough to analyse and problematic to assess with an analytical and human hat on.&nbsp;&nbsp; The sheer scale of HR software available also makes people analytics a challenge. Data from Aptitude Research (cited by the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/the-global-talent-economy-2022-special-report-in-association-with-the-times">Raconteur report</a>) suggests that a lack of integration is the biggest frustration for 49% of businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp; Issues with the quality of data is a problem for a third of firms (33%), while a further 38% have a concern about poor user experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>What is and isn&rsquo;t working?&nbsp;</h3>
When we look at what type of analytics HR teams have to embrace effectively, the Raconteur report reveals some interesting trends. Encouragingly, 67% of human resources experts felt that their firm had been very or moderately successful at fostering a data-driven culture.&nbsp;&nbsp; A further 71% indicated that their business had successfully provided HR teams with direct access to the data and information they need. This suggests that the foundations are broadly in place to make people analytics work in most organisations.&nbsp; However, there&rsquo;s clearly room for improvement. More than half (53%) of respondents revealed that their company hadn&rsquo;t been successful in using predictive analytics to drive policies and actions, and 45% revealed that they weren&rsquo;t able to establish enterprise-wide metrics.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>How is data being used?&nbsp;</h3>
The <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/the-global-talent-economy-2022-special-report-in-association-with-the-times">Global Talent Economy report</a> also revealed interesting trends in when data is used. The Aptitude research showed that interview data is most used in hiring decisions, with 62% of business leaders using this information in recruitment decisions for 2022 so far. Assessment data ranked second (58%), while background screening analytics came third (52%).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While it wasn&rsquo;t listed as the least used data source, resume or CV analytics usage has seen the biggest drop over the last three years. While this information was used by 71% of businesses when making hiring decisions in 2019, this has dropped to just 41% in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>A better way to work: challenge yourself&nbsp;</h3>
It may be encouraging to note that the Raconteur report suggests that half of HR leaders believe their team is data literate. The fact that 35% of employers also stated that using data more effectively is a top priority shows a general recognition that people analytics can be improved.&nbsp;But clearly more can and needs to be done. In the next year, those 50% of HR professionals who aren&rsquo;t data literate need to be upskilled. Prioritising better data usage needs to be top of the agenda for every business, not just 35%.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; HR teams are used to dealing with the human aspect of business. While people need to remain at the heart of everything you do, data has a powerful role to play in shaping the future of workforce management.&nbsp;&nbsp; Want to know how to make people analytics work for your contingent workforce? <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/contact-us">Contact us</a> today for a no-obligation conversation. And don&rsquo;t forget to access your copy of the Raconteur report <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/the-global-talent-economy-2022-special-report-in-association-with-the-times">here.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;

People analytics: have we really evolved?

Recent <a href="https://www.businessleader.co.uk/common-myths-surrounding-todays-talent-shortages/">research</a> suggests that UK firms are spending &pound;1.2bn annually on temporary staff in an attempt to plug talent gaps, so it&rsquo;s no wonder that procurement and finance teams are feeling snowed under by an endless stream of invoices arriving from suppliers.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s not unusual for businesses to work with 100+ suppliers. Relationships can be managed between hiring manager and supplier and as you&rsquo;ll know all too well, procurement often doesn&rsquo;t have sight of this arrangement until someone has been on site for three weeks and an invoice bounces in with terms of business.&nbsp;&nbsp; However, this way of working is not only inefficient, but also unsustainable and fraught with risk. The good news is there is a solution.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>Overcoming the chaos&nbsp;</h3>
It&rsquo;s widely recognised that working with an MSP is more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/msp-cost-savings">cost-effective</a>&nbsp;than traditional or in-house recruitment strategies but the process improvements that managed service programmes also bring to a business can&rsquo;t be underestimated.&nbsp;
Procurement and finance teams who are contending with unexpected invoices landing at different times from different suppliers can quickly find themselves swamped. And at a time when skills shortages continue to impact almost every sector, it can be tempting for internal talent acquisition teams to engage with new recruiters to fill talent gaps which only adds to the chaos. This is not the answer.&nbsp;
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW206565581 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">The benefits of an MSP&nbsp;</h3>
As we&rsquo;ve highlighted before, the <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/5-benefits-of-working-with-an-msp">advantages of working with a managed service provider</a> are numerous. An MSP will rationalise your supply chain and narrow it down to a smaller number of suppliers, negotiate rates, and create a preferred supplier list. What&rsquo;s more, you will save money in the process. Your MSP will negotiate price reductions with your suppliers in return for increased volume.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thanks to the Vendor Management System (VMS) technology that works alongside an MSP, you&rsquo;ll no longer be exhausted by different invoices, contracts and terms. Pre-defined rates are built into the tech so you don&rsquo;t have to worry about your supply chain charging too much: you&rsquo;re drawing down from a rate card that&rsquo;s associated with job templates. The MSP picks up the heavy lifting with control and quality built in from the back end.&nbsp;
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW109104687 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">How does it work?</h3>
Typically, you&rsquo;ll receive a single, regular invoice from your MSP. Once paid, your MSP will automatically remit payment to supply chain so third-party providers won&rsquo;t even have to invoice, removing a huge amount of workload for both your finance team and suppliers.
What&rsquo;s more, thanks to your MSP&rsquo;s extensive network and strong relationships, when it&rsquo;s time to look for skills for a new project, market, or geography, there will be a pool of suppliers on-hand that can join the programme and meet your needs.
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW39870680 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">Spotlight on compliance&nbsp;</h3>
There&rsquo;s so much more to managing a supply base than reviewing candidates. For example, if you have 50 suppliers, you must manage and account for 50 certificates of insurance. You&rsquo;ll need to regularly change banking details within the AP system, make general amendments and manage relationships with a whole host of stakeholders. It&rsquo;s a lot of work for one person. And that&rsquo;s before you even scratch the surface of the compliance piece.&nbsp; Ensuring that your non-permanent workforce is managed in a compliant way throughout the supply chain is vital. However, without super-robust processes in place, it can be difficult to know if your suppliers are meeting their obligations under employment law, until it&rsquo;s too late. We&rsquo;ve seen several high-profile cases in recent years where big-name brands have had illegal workers, supplied through agencies, on-site without their knowledge. An MSP shoulders not only the heavy lifting around processes and administration, but also the risk and responsibility associated with governance and compliance.&nbsp;
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW39870680 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">Unrivalled visibility&nbsp;</h3>
There is often a misconception that businesses lose an element of visibility and control around their contingent workforce when they partner with an MSP. This couldn&rsquo;t be further from the truth.&nbsp;Managing your contingent workforce through an MSP and VMS means that you will have access to a level of data that would have been unimaginable previously. VISION is Guidant Global&rsquo;s interactive platform for assessing supplier performance. Using data driven through a PowerBI platform, VISION takes programme visibility to the next level - giving our clients the insight they need to make better, data-driven decisions about their workforce suppliers.&nbsp; Invoices will feed into your general ledger system and task or project codes on worker timesheets will need to match your own to allocate funds. This process ensures you&rsquo;re futureproofing at the very beginning: invoices will all be correct, not only in terms of costs, but also in how budget is allocated within your organisation. This both maximises visibility and reduces rogue spend and non-compliance.&nbsp;
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW39870680 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">Benefits for suppliers&nbsp;</h3>
There&rsquo;s a myth that MSP programmes benefit businesses at the expense of their staffing partners. Not true. If managed correctly, all parties can reap the rewards of the efficiencies, improved processes, speed of demand and increased volume that come with an MSP.&nbsp; Outside of a managed service programme, staffing suppliers are often frustrated by handling different projects in different places within the same organisation and dealing with separate hiring managers. Especially if this means submitting and chasing various invoices.&nbsp; Have you ever considered that your recruitment partners may also be overwhelmed by clients and invoicing?&nbsp; It&rsquo;s true that, for suppliers, payment terms may be longer when they&rsquo;re working through an MSP rather than directly with you. However, through an MSP, payment is guaranteed and consistent.&nbsp;Margins may also be lower for recruiters when working through an MSP. But when a business rationalises its PSL and removes redundant suppliers that are not performing, reduced margins can be balanced with an increased volume of roles. When a recruiter comes into the MSP, the pool of positions they can support is increased and they are elevated from engaged supplier to strategic partner.&nbsp;
<h3 class="Paragraph SCXW39870680 BCX0" style="color: windowtext; background-color: #000000; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px;">When is it time to make the jump?</h3>
We&rsquo;re often asked when is the best time to move across to an MSP solution. There&rsquo;s no set numerical benchmark of contractors or suppliers that warrants an MSP. Your needs will depend on the complexity and the administrative workload of your current programme, as well as your current exposure to risk.&nbsp; However, if you&rsquo;re becoming overwhelmed by suppliers and invoices, it may be time to make the jump.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Overwhelmed by suppliers and invoices? Here’s how an MSP solves that

June 3rd, 2023, saw the conclusion of #OperationLastPost, a 9-day event where sportsmen and women played 54 games of hockey and underwent 457 kilometers of endurance challenges, with a goal of raising &pound;100,000 for veteran charity <a href="https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/">Help for Heroes</a>. Guidant Global is proud to be Hockey for Heroes head tour sponsor.&nbsp; To date, over &pound;75,000 has been raised online, and when including offline fundraising efforts, the initial objective of &pound;100,000 has been surpassed, with a total of &pound;107,000 raised from this tour.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelforrester/">Joel Forrester</a>, Client Solutions Director UK &amp; Europe at Guidant Global and founder of Hockey for Heroes comments:&nbsp;
&ldquo;The sheer logistical madness of this trip was a lot to take on 8 months ago when planning began, however the culture and values that we have created over the last 12 years in Hockey for Heroes ensured this was an inevitable success. Every member of the 59 strong touring party played an integral part in planning and executing this trip, which demonstrates the value of their clearly defined purpose.&rdquo;&nbsp; "Hockey for Heroes was formed 12 years ago, when a group of hockey enthusiasts decided to use their sport to play their part and support military and former military personnel when they needed it. The core and only value of being a part of Hockey for Heroes is fundamentally showing the traits and values of being a good person".&nbsp; Joel continues:&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;There were challenges, broken bones, torn muscles, fatigue, damaged vehicles, tears, smiles and loads and loads of fun along the way, but to sit here looking back with such pride on how the members of Hockey For Heroes represented the fallen heroes and the heroes still in society fighting wars long after they returned from battle, speaks volumes about our passion and why we do what we do.&nbsp; I speak for every Hockey for Heroes member, past and present, soldier, airmen, sailor, marine and veteran when I send an enormous thank you to Guidant Global, Simon Blockley &amp; the Marketing team for their unquestionable support on this trip. Long may this relationship develop and continue.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-blockley-1264731/">Simon Blockley</a>, CEO of Guidant Global states:&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Guidant Global has a proud history of supporting the military, which is why we were so delighted to sponsor this tour. To see the team exceed their fundraising targets so confidently is testament to all the hard work they have put into the organisation of this ambitious event, as well as to their enthusiastic sporting efforts! Congratulations to everyone involved.&rdquo;&nbsp; As the dust settles on a remarkably successful #OperationLastPost trip, planning begins for a very exciting Guinness World Record attempt in 2024. *Watch this space*.&nbsp;
<img style="height: 200px; width: 1000px;" src="-/media/1d42cc25b9f2481b8c1bb529993a868e.ashx?h=200&amp;w=1000" alt="">

#OperationLastPost by Hockey for Heroes smashes their fundraising goals

Offploy supports Guidant Global to become a 'Ban the Box' employer

New Workforce Delivery Center launched

We&rsquo;re delighted that four Guidant Global leadership team members have been included in Staffing Industry Analysts&rsquo; (SIA) lists of recognition for 2020!
<h3>SIA&rsquo;s Global Power 150 &ndash; Women in Staffing 2020</h3>
Three Guidant Global female leaders have been included in SIA's&nbsp;<a href="http://si100women.staffingindustry.com/2020-global-power-150-at-a-glance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Power 150 &ndash; Women in Staffing 2020</a> list: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinatownley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Karina Townley &ndash; Managing Director EMEA</a>, <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexabradbury" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alexa Bradbury &ndash; Global Marketing Director</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-beard-149475/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pam Beard &ndash;SVP Technology &amp; Project Management</a>.
We would also like to congratulate fellow Impellam Group leaders, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarshlorien/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Claire Marsh &ndash; CEO of Global Technology Portfolio &amp; North America Corporate of Lorien</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-robertson-73739616/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julia Robertson &ndash; CEO of Impellam Group</a>, for their inclusion on this prestigious list.
In its sixth year, the list highlights 100 women from the Americas and 50 globally who have made significant contributions to the success of their companies and the ecosystem.
&ldquo;As we grapple with a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted women and minorities, these women in our industry are working to stop the dramatic backslide on workplace equality COVID-19 has wrought,&rdquo; wrote Subadhra Sriram, Editor and Publisher &ndash; Media Products at SIA. &ldquo;Our honorees are building new companies, products, divisions and creating a future of work where women and men can thrive.&rdquo;
<h3>SIA&rsquo;s Staffing 100 Europe 2020</h3>
In addition to this, SIA has also unveiled its <a href="http://si100europe.staffingindustry.com/2020/10/simon-blockley-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2020 Staffing 100 Europe</a> list and named <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-blockley-1264731/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guidant CEO Simon Blockley</a> as a standout leader.
The Staffing 100 Europe list is not a ranking but rather a way to celebrate a set of individuals whose accomplishments, dedication and drive are making a difference to work today, and to what work will look like in the future. Now it in its seventh year, the list is based on the impact and influence individuals have had on the workforce solutions ecosystem over the past twelve months.
&ldquo;The 2020 Staffing 100 Europe leaders stand out in an unprecedented year, going above and beyond in navigating the &lsquo;new normal&rsquo; as the world faces a global pandemic and a climate of intense uncertainty,&rdquo; said Sriram. &ldquo;We congratulate this year&rsquo;s honourees as they continue to lead theirs teams in a significantly changed world, staying ahead of the trends, meeting the disruption head on, and doing so with courage, compassion, creativity and commitment.&rdquo;
These recognitions celebrate the significant contributions and influence of Guidant&rsquo;s leaders within the staffing industry and are testament to their commitment to #ABetterWay for our people, client, suppliers and candidates. We&rsquo;re incredibly proud to have such inspiring leaders to guide and empower our people, especially during these challenging times.

Multiple Guidant Global leaders recognised as influencers in the global talent marketplace by Staffing Industry Analysts

MSPs establish the foundational structures that empower contingent workforce programs. As programs develop, MSP&rsquo;s should evolve from tactician to innovative strategist, transforming program excellence into real competitive advantage. &nbsp;
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/MSP-in-the-digital-age-report/1">Download our guide to MSP in the digital age here.&nbsp;</a>
The contingent workforce is increasing in size and importance. Not only is it the fastest growing segment of the US labour force post-recession, it&rsquo;s a global trend. &nbsp;
According to Deloitte, there are 77 million formally identified freelancers in India, Europe and the US. 40% of workers in the US are now employed in contingent, part-time or gig work &mdash; an increase of 36% in the past five years alone. &nbsp;
Deloitte&rsquo;s latest Global Human Capital Trends Survey showed 50% of businesses reported a significant number of contractors in their workforce. The tide is not just turning, it has already turned.&nbsp;
Managed Service Provide (MSP) programs are widespread. <a href="http://staffingindustry.com/">Staffing industry Analysts (SIA) </a>reports 63% of respondents in its US buyer survey use an MSP to manage their contingent workforce. &nbsp;
Given this trend, it is critical a true MSP innovator makes the leap from implementation to innovation in order to uncover strategic opportunities to generate new and ongoing value for workforce management programs. &nbsp;
Additionally, with a widespread talent shortage (especially in STEM professions), there is an increased focus on leveraging your MSP for a global total talent acquisition program. &nbsp;
MSP in the digital age &nbsp;
There is an evolving significance of managed services. MSP establish the foundational structures that empower contingent workforce programs. They implement procedures, manage technology and mitigate risk. They drive measurable and effective results. &nbsp;
As programs develop, however, the MSP should evolve from tactician to innovative strategist, transforming program excellence into real competitive advantage. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Taking your programs to the next level &nbsp;
Some MSPs are great at implementing the basics, but fail to take their programs to the next level. This is true of internal, as well as externally managed MSPs. &nbsp;
The MSP that fails to understand growing trends, and doesn&rsquo;t innovate to meet them, cannot drive effective change. &nbsp;
Insourced MSP programs start with industry best practices but can grow insular &mdash; losing pace with industry advances as workforce strategies continue to evolve to reflect the changing workforce of the digital age. &nbsp;
If your MSP is not at the forefront of strategic initiatives, you will not be able to attract the best talent for your business. Your MSP should be a trusted advisor that spearheads transformational initiatives to reconfigure the value proposition of your contingent workforce program. &nbsp;
Delivering MSP 2.0&nbsp;
When your MSP is a true consultant and strategic partner, rather than a tactical solution provider, you open up opportunities for greater overall value generation &mdash; increasing your ability to successfully access the best talent in an increasingly competitive world of work. &nbsp;
<a href="https://guidantglobal.pagetiger.com/MSP-in-the-digital-age-report/1">To find out how to take your MSP to the next level, download our guide here.&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

MSP in the digital age: from implementation to innovation 

Like our physical health, mental health is something we all have and a huge part of our wellbeing. However it&rsquo;s still a subject that isn&rsquo;t talked about enough due to the stigma attached to it despite the fact that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
Mental health problems are more common than we think and it is estimated that 45% of mental illnesses go undiagnosed because people still have a fear of being judged if they open up about their mental health. These worrying statistics show the true extent of mental health problems:
<ul>
<li>The death rate caused by mental health-related issues is six times higher than deaths from road accidents in the UK</li>
<li>Depression affects around 1 in 12 of the UK population</li>
<li>Rates of self-harm in the UK are the highest in Europe at 400 per 100,000</li>
<li>450 million people worldwide have a mental health problem</li>
<li>By 2030, it is estimated that there will be approximately two million more adults in the UK with mental health problems than there were in 2013</li>
</ul>
<h3>Addressing the elephant in the room</h3>
As a people-focused employer, it is in our duty of care to create a safe environment where our employees can thrive. Therefore, we&rsquo;ve recognised the need to address mental health and remove the fear in both people who are suffering from a mental health problem as well as those who want to help others but are scared or unsure of approaching it.
It needs to be recognised that the subject of mental health is not a taboo &ndash; we all have a mental health as much as physical health, whether it&rsquo;s good or bad, and need to treat both states of health with the same level of importance.
In order to remove the stigma attached to mental health and drive more conversations around this often uncomfortable subject, we&rsquo;ve invested in mental health first aid (MHFA) training for our employees, in partnership with our Impellam sister companies, Blue Arrow, Lorien and onezeero.
We were overwhelmed by the high uptake of the MHFA training course and were able to offer it to seven of our own employees, whose bases are spread broadly across the UK to ensure that MHFA and support is accessible to as many of our employees as possible. Our seven mental health first aiders put themselves forward for the course and it was warming to see that they had a real passion for mental health and, for some, mental health is something that is very personal to them.
<h3>Mental health first aid (MHFA) training</h3>
The two-day MHFA training course was run by Ruth Cooper-Dickson, founder of Champs Consulting and patron of the charity, <a href="https://www.nopanic.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No Panic</a>. The course enables our first aiders to recognise symptoms and behaviours related to mental illness that requite intervention and gives them the confidence to intervene and support them. Intervention could start with a simple &ldquo;are you ok?&rdquo; followed by diving into crisis situations using the ALGEE action plan, which is detailed below. ALGEE: The action plan
<ul>
<li>&nbsp;A: Approach, assess and assist with any crisis</li>
<li>L: Listen and communicate non-judgmentally</li>
<li>G: Give support and information</li>
<li>E: Encourage appropriate professional help</li>
<li>E: Encourage self-help and other supports</li>
</ul>
<h3>Our mental health first aiders</h3>
We are incredibly proud of our mental health first aiders, knowing that their actions can make the difference in someone&rsquo;s life. The feedback on the training course was immensely positive:
&ldquo;The two-day course provided great insights to various areas within mental health and mental illness, and helped broaden my knowledge on these subject matters. Ruth brought lots of examples, training materials and useful tips and guides to make sure we as mental health first aiders are able to support our colleagues when they need us and let them know that it&rsquo;s ok to talk about it! I&rsquo;m really looking forward to using my new skills and expertise in the work place, and help make a difference to someone who might be struggling.&rdquo;
Benjamin McGuinness, Supply Chain Consultant
&ldquo;MHFA training taught me that it&rsquo;s important to take time to focus on my own wellbeing and mind-set, as well as supporting others. As the old saying goes &lsquo;a problem shared, is a problem halved&rsquo; &ndash; this course rings true to that statement and has opened my eyes to the uncomfortable truth around mental health. I feel privileged to be a representative of such an important matter for our company and the course has given me the confidence to reassure anyone who may be dealing with a mental health issue that they are not alone. I urge everyone to talk openly and honest about how they are feeling!&rdquo;
Hannah Church, Recruitment Business Partner
<h3>Looking after the wellbeing of our people</h3>
Whilst our mental health first aiders are there to provide support to anyone who needs it, we understand that it&rsquo;s not &lsquo;one size fits all&rsquo; approach and appreciate that not everyone struggling with their mental health may not want to speak to their peers in the first instance.
Therefore, we also provide mental health support in other forms to ensure there is a suitable support medium for everyone.
This includes partnering with <a href="https://tlero.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tlero</a>, a bespoke mental health employee platform that provides tailored content and resources to each individual&rsquo;s needs. We also encourage open and honest conversations between managers and employees through <a href="https://openblendmethod.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Blend</a> sessions &ndash; a coaching tool which replaces appraisals and focuses on employee wellbeing.&nbsp;
Finally, we offer an employee assistance programme &ndash; a free 24/7 confidential service offering immediate information, answers and advice on a range of workplace and personal issues.

Mental health first aid – supporting the wellbeing of our people

The process of onboarding new employees can be one of the most critical factors in ensuring recently hired talent are productive.
Finding the best candidates for positions in your organisation is hard, but you mustn&rsquo;t sit back once this is complete. Finding the perfect candidate is only part of building an effective team.
At <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guidant Global</a>, we recognise the importance of engagement. Onboarding is a crucial part of this. It&rsquo;s one of the most critical factors for ensuring recently hired talent will be productive and happy at work. It also contributes to your <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/employer-branding" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">employer brand</a> which can help you ensure you can attract the best talent, both now and in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h5>Onboarding vs. Orientation</h5>
Onboarding and orientation are two terms often used interchangeably however have different meanings. To create a successful onboarding process, the terms need to be correctly defined to ensure that the two processes are not conflated.
<h5>Orientation</h5>
Orientation is necessary. It&rsquo;s the paperwork and other routine tasks that need to be completed.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s the process done immediately after an employee joins to make them aware of the company culture and the work they need to do. Orientation should be considered as a single, but vital part of the onboarding process.
<h5>Onboarding</h5>
Onboarding is a thorough process that can last up to a year. It begins when a new hire is made an offer for employment and continues until they are fully established in their new position.
<h5>Why is onboarding important?</h5>
There is no second chance for making a first impression. <a href="https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/employees-leaving-job-during-probation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One in five employees</a> leave their job during their probation period, showing just how crucial this period is.&nbsp;
Having a smooth onboarding process will produce more satisfied employees, reducing turnover and building loyalty. It helps boost <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/resources/talent-acquisition/employee-engagement" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">employee engagement</a>, while a <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gallup study</a> also indicates that there is a positive correlation between engaged employees and the company&rsquo;s profitability.
Mastering the onboarding process can be tricky and time-consuming. While it takes time and patience, in today&rsquo;s talent market where the candidate is increasingly being treated as the customer, having a clear plan in place means onboarding can be implemented smoothly.
<h5>The golden rules of onboarding</h5>
Planning, communication and feedback are all key aspects to long-term success in business regardless of the task, and it&rsquo;s no different in the onboarding process.
<h6>1.&nbsp; &nbsp; Planning</h6>
Planning should be integrated into the recruitment plan. Having a detailed and outlined plan of the onboarding process means there is no confusion about what needs to be undertaken and when. While certain processes will differ from role to role, having an outlined path ensures that no stage gets missed out or overlooked. &nbsp; Thorough planning ensures everything is in place for your employee&rsquo;s first day at work. Done well, your employees will have a positive experience.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; By creating a schedule of tasks, it helps the process be more efficient as it breaks down everything that needs to be completed, with a timeframe. This eliminates repetition and despite an initial workload, it means that you have an effective checklist to follow ensuring consistency when onboarding candidates.
<h6 class="lead">The checklist: Before the first day</h6>
<ul>
<li class="lead">Employee contract &amp; <a href="https://www.experian.co.uk/business/identity-fraud/background-checks/pre-employment-screening/#targetText=Our background checks provide a,be aware of before employment." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">background checks</a> &ndash; make sure these are conducted with enough time so that you don&rsquo;t delay your employee's start date. There will be different requirements dependant on the role, but every position will require even a basic background check.&nbsp;</li>
<li class="lead">Send a welcome booklet.</li>
<li class="lead">Formalities &ndash; request keys/ badges/ passes for accessing the company premises or buildings they need access to.</li>
<li class="lead">Workplace &ndash; ensure that your new employee has a workplace that is fully functioning (data access, computer, chair, licenses etc.)</li>
<li class="lead">Employee training &ndash; organise workplace safety training and any other training before the employee starts.</li>
<li class="lead">Mentor &ndash; appoint a colleague as a mentor to assist with any questions and to support their integration throughout this early stage.</li>
</ul>
<h6>The first day</h6>
<ul>
<li>Introduction &ndash; have colleagues in the same department introduce themselves.</li>
<li>Formalities &ndash; give the new employee all the relevant passes and keys so that they have access to the areas they need.</li>
<li>Company tour &ndash; give a tour of the building, so that employees have the opportunity to ask questions. It should include information about where to find the bathrooms, kitchens, stationary and any other facilities that you have onsite. There is more to onboarding than just the first day, so it&rsquo;s important to not overwhelm your new employee with too much information right away.</li>
</ul>
<h6>The first week</h6>
<ul>
<li>Benefits &ndash; show your employee about the products and/or services and the benefits that they are entitled to.</li>
<li>Team onboarding &ndash; have colleagues from their new department give overviews of their roles and tasks. This will help your employee gain a greater understanding of their role in the team, and how their work is meaningful. This improves employee engagement.</li>
</ul>
<h6>First week onward</h6>
<ul>
<li>Initial goals &ndash; having structure and direction is important for the new generation of workers. It&rsquo;s important they understand their role, when tasks need to be completed and how their work impacts the business. Having initial goals feeds into this.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Networking &ndash; help your new employee make inter-departmental contacts through shared actives, this all adds to a sense of belonging increasing their loyalty to your company.</li>
<li>Development opportunities&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;workplace development is a key motivator for generation Z employees. With an emphasis on professional growth, the workforce will remain more engaged and loyal to your company. Not only does this improve employee retention, but it also allows your business to harness the creative energy of a highly-skilled workforce.</li>
</ul>
<h6>2.&nbsp; &nbsp; Communication</h6>
Communication is key throughout the onboarding process. Open and honest communication starts the relationship off with mutual trust and respect and sets the tone for the future.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Contact should be consistent even before they join the organisation. Providing updates to your candidate about expected time frames helps ensures a positive experience and means they will feel more in control of the process. By setting expectations it eliminates or reduces the potential for uncertainty or misunderstandings. &nbsp; A welcome booklet should be sent in advance of their first day, providing new employees with information about your company. It could also include FAQs or articles where your company has recently featured in the news. &nbsp; While providing information, it should not include so much that it&rsquo;s overwhelming. Its aim is to help remove some of the stress surrounding the first day at work.&nbsp; &nbsp; Open communication should be maintained throughout your employees&rsquo; career. By starting the relationship with their manager in the early days of their employment it makes it easier for future conversation going forward. &nbsp; This is not only beneficial in the onboarding process but also contributes to creating an open environment, helping to maintain a <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/creating-a-mentally-healthier-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mentally healthy workplace</a>.
<h6>3.&nbsp; &nbsp; Feedback</h6>
Request onboarding feedback. Once your new employee is fully settled, it&rsquo;s a good idea to send over a feedback questionnaire. &nbsp; This can highlight what you have done well throughout the onboarding process, as well as areas that need to be improved. With this information you can review your onboarding process and action the areas that need improvement, ensuring an even better onboarding experience for future candidates.
Onboarding is not a one-day, one-week, or one-month event. Whilst it does require a fair amount of time and commitment when done well the rewards are plentiful.

Managed services onboarding: the complete guide

Data-driven hiring is not a new concept, but in recent years the quality and availability of workforce insight has improved exponentially. Recruitment data analytics are helping businesses drive informed decision-making to achieve superior planning and outcomes in relation to the workforce.
Here&rsquo;s what you need to know about harnessing the power of recruitment metrics.
<h3>The power of recruitment data analytics</h3>
As <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=B9F997832EDD4716ABA394B80344D20E&amp;_z=z">highlighted in a special report</a>&nbsp;by Everest Group, data-informed decision-making has become key to achieving superior outcomes in <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F67702A65365420F98BB8870C71A31E7&amp;_z=z">contingent workforce management</a>&nbsp;programmes. Advanced analytics and analytics-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) are in use across the entire contingent spectrum, and they&rsquo;re experiencing a huge surge in adoption.
Investment in analytics is also a top priority for MSPs and staffing providers, some of which have developed their own proprietary analytics platforms to provide customers with essential insight into three key areas:
<ul>
<li>the workforce itself</li>
<li>their suppliers, and</li>
<li>their spend profile.</li>
</ul>
Let&rsquo;s look at why data-driven decision-making is so important in those three areas.
<h3>Workforce analytics</h3>
Workforce analytics offer visibility into different aspects of the contingent workforce to support the effective leveraging of resources across an entire workforce programme. This includes identifying and tracking different aspects of the workforce, such as:
<ul>
<li>high performers</li>
<li>headcount</li>
<li>time to hire</li>
<li>turnover</li>
<li>quality of hire, and</li>
<li>source of hire.</li>
</ul>
Thanks to advanced people analytics, talent leaders now have the ability to map their entire workforce. By digitally tracking the availability of skills both within the business and externally in the market, leaders can:
<ul>
<li>see where permanent and contingent workforces can be deployed most effectively</li>
<li>identify the skills they are lacking, and</li>
<li>determine if skills can or should be acquired on a full-time, flexible, contingent, or <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=D609E35615E84C6B807D64164812C85C&amp;_z=z">statement of work</a>&nbsp;basis.</li>
</ul>
By working in this way, organisations can ensure teams are performing to maximum efficiency, without skills gaps &ndash; or a skills surplus.
With this complete visibility of skills on the ground, organisations can focus their efforts on upskilling team members or hiring contingent workers to meet demands and fill gaps, so that each individual &ndash; and the business as a whole &ndash; has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
<h3>Supplier analytics</h3>
<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=B9F997832EDD4716ABA394B80344D20E&amp;_z=z">As Everest Group notes</a>, supplier analytics offer the tools to track and benchmark supplier performance within and across a range of contingent workforce programmes. This includes tracking different aspects of supplier performance including fill rate and assignment completion rate. &nbsp; Here at Guidant Global, our interactive platform for assessing supplier performance, VISION, has enabled us to take programme visibility to the next level and improve supplier performance thanks to the real-time data it provides. &nbsp; Using PowerBI data, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F45D82F591CA43FA9AF13B9F362DBE92&amp;_z=z">VISION</a>&nbsp;pulls real time information on thousands of recruitment suppliers across hundreds of workforce programmes &ndash; past and present &ndash; in a way that can be &lsquo;sliced and diced&rsquo; to suit specific research and benchmarking needs. This means our customers have a wealth of information they can use to make informed decisions about who is best placed to supply the talent they need. &nbsp; This data is a powerful tool for future decision-making and can be used as a roadmap to solve complex organisational problems in real-time rather than simply relying on trends from six months ago. Being able to take a programme health check at any time means that we can identify and correct any performance issues rapidly and use comparable programmes from across our portfolio as a benchmark. It also allows us to meet specific needs for hard-to-fill roles, by identifying the top suppliers for a given job category, location, or worker type.&nbsp;
<h3>Spend analytics</h3>
Spend analytics are essentially focussed on optimising an enterprise&rsquo;s non-employee&nbsp; workforce by offering visibility and &lsquo;trackability&rsquo; across multiple labour types. This includes tracing spend from different perspectives including category, tail or SOW spend. &nbsp; By collecting and analysing this information, businesses can make data driven decisions about the most cost effective labour solution for their needs at a point in time. While some decision criteria were already considered pre-pandemic, the last two years highlighted that there are multiple effective ways to achieve an ideal workforce mix.&nbsp; &nbsp; Some of the decision points include:
<ul>
<li>onshore vs. offshore vs. nearshore</li>
<li>remote working vs. in-office working, and</li>
<li>traditional contingent solutions vs. a managed solution via a statement of work.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
After determining the right solution, spend analytics ensures that non-employee workforce spend across every area of the business remains consistent, controlled, and comparable with similar programmes and projects elsewhere.
<h3>Analytics and automation in recruitment</h3>
Today, technologies such as AI and machine learning (ML) are intersecting with talent analytics to bring a whole new level of visibility and control to contingent workforce programmes. Analytics-enabled AI is expected to bring enormous long-term resourcing efficiencies and benefits as capabilities continue to evolve rapidly. &nbsp; Advanced applicant tracking systems can be used during the recruiting process to not only record and monitor the progress of potential recruits, but also (thanks to the power of AI) to:
<ul>
<li>complete the initial screening of applicants</li>
<li>manage communications</li>
<li>schedule interviews, and</li>
<li>handle background checks.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
This improves efficiency and has a positive impact on <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=513B5E38B04C4F8595E50453EBA24395&amp;_z=z">candidate engagement</a>&nbsp;- a win-win for hiring managers and prospective employees. &nbsp; Some of the most popular AI-driven use cases in recruitment today are:
<ul>
<li>AI based-candidate matching</li>
<li>AI-based recommendations</li>
<li>AI-based predictive analytics ,and</li>
<li>chatbots based on natural language processing.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
AI-based candidate matching enables firms to quickly match the best available talent with open roles, by drawing on a wide range of data sources to create candidate personas. It also has the potential to boost diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&amp;I) by mitigating blatant <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=FCA7CE46A58048F199C51A8E614C5A63&amp;_z=z">biases from the recruitment process</a>&nbsp;while continuing to evaluate hiring outcomes to ensure that unexpected biases have not been introduced by poorly built AI algorithms. &nbsp; Predictive analytics, meanwhile, provide insight into the probability of filling a requisition on time, ensuring better organisational oversight, while chatbots aid engagement and can massively reduce the time required to screen and shortlist applicants. &nbsp; Here at Guidant Global, we use bespoke chatbots to remove the need for manual screening and improve both candidate experience and the quality of the onboarding process. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=6055D6C86CAF47C994F006C264F9FAED&amp;_z=z">See how this digital-first approach paid dividends for our US government contractor customer</a>. &nbsp; It is also worth noting that <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=85205021F8154B5993C4E6FF3B2641EF&amp;_z=z">AI and automation in recruitment</a>&nbsp;are particularly valuable for businesses that are hiring at scale, enabling a level of fulfilment which would simply not be possible if each applicant was screened and processed manually.&nbsp;
<h3>The role of your MSP in data-driven decision making</h3>
No algorithm or data set, no matter how complete or advanced, will be able to capture the entire complexity of work. To be truly game-changing, people throughout the business must use these platforms correctly and be able to unpick and understand what the data is telling them. &nbsp; Ultimately, data without the analytics is worthless. Talent acquisition and recruitment leaders who ignore the valuable data at their fingertips are sidelining the resource that makes this strategy possible. This is where a skilled MSP makes the difference. &nbsp; As the technology enables us to present ever more mature insights to our customers, our role will continue to develop as advisor and consultant - moving us beyond simply being a good workforce solutions provider. The data will be used to impact organisation-wide decision making as well as solve complex workforce problems before they even arise. &nbsp; To stay ahead of the competition in this rapidly changing world and increasingly tough market for talent, businesses must learn to harness data. Our experienced people are helping Guidant Global customers do just that. <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;to see how they can help you.

Making the most of recruitment data analytics

<a href="~/link.aspx?_id=E42DD96B3C99450FB888CD411AD0EF68&amp;_z=z">Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&amp;I)</a> in the workplace has been an important issue for businesses for some time. But the conversation became more urgent last year as movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo led to public pressure boiling over. For employers, the need to have a diverse workforce is now driven by this wider demand, bolstered by the recognition that a more inclusive business is likely to be a more successful business.
A wealth of research has shown just how successful diverse companies can be. With the right culture and approach to inclusion, organisations can reap the rewards of a productive, motivated, highly-collaborative and creative workforce. This sentiment is expressed in boardrooms around the world, and has led to widespread initiatives to improve the representation of minority groups in permanent workforces.
The question now is, how can employers apply this DE&amp;I focus to their supply chains?
Let&rsquo;s take a look.
<h3>Translating DE&amp;I efforts across the temporary workforce</h3>
While this corporate buy-in to the need for diversity is leading to changes across many permanent talent strategies, the challenge is far greater when it comes to <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C8A7465C524D4B57B952B53424389856&amp;_z=z">DE&amp;I in the temporary workforce</a>.
In many instances, a firm won&rsquo;t have complete oversight of its temporary workforce, which makes monitoring DE&amp;I within this flexible segment of the workforce highly difficult. This in turn makes it hard to identify areas in need of improvement.
Although there are means of <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=F45D82F591CA43FA9AF13B9F362DBE92&amp;_z=z">gaining visibility and transparency of your workforce</a>, in order to really drive step-changes on this issue HR and procurement teams need the reassurance that their recruitment supply chain is diverse itself.
With multiple suppliers acting on behalf of your brand and engaging with or deploying the flexible workforce for your company, the need to ensure their approach to DE&amp;I is in line with yours is key to delivering on corporate diversity promises. The challenge, however, stems from the word &lsquo;multiple&rsquo;.
The recruitment supply chain can be vast, and managing the key performance metrics of so many suppliers can become incredibly time consuming. If we add in additional diversity metrics of both the workforce supplied and managed by the supplier, and the internal DE&amp;I viewpoints of the supplier itself, it&rsquo;s clear that employers face a significant administration headache.
But the diversity of the recruitment supply chain is not a topic that can be ignored. So, what can HR and procurement teams do to address this?
Here are our top tips for driving and improving diversity in recruitment supply chains:
<ol>
<li>
<h4>Choose suppliers that can really perform</h4>
Having the right partnerships in place in the first instance will lay the foundations for success. In the US for example, working with a supplier that is diversity certified provides some confidence that they meet basic DE&amp;I criteria. But it&rsquo;s important to ensure that suppliers aren&rsquo;t relying on this certification alone if you want to guarantee that diversity is truly being adopted across the recruitment supply chain. Ask the supplier to demonstrate the tangible actions they&rsquo;ve delivered and what diversity targets they are working towards. This will provide a clear picture of their commitment to delivering on any DE&amp;I promises. </li>
<li>
<h4>Look for suppliers with a diverse culture</h4>
You can tell a lot about how a recruitment supplier will deliver diversity, equity and inclusion results for your firm by looking at its own employee DNA and company culture. Delve into the business itself and identify how inclusive it is before they become a preferred supplier. </li>
<li>
<h4>Have measurement processes in place</h4>
In order to really know that your recruitment supply chain is consistently delivering against any diversity and inclusion promises, there needs to be some performance metrics in place. While these will be different for each business, it really is important to commit to a review and evaluation of how things are going. Without this information, there could be gaps across the supply chain that are impeding your firm&rsquo;s own diversity targets. </li>
<li>
<h4>Speak to your MSP</h4>
Of course, the above does require a significant time investment from a business. However, a good Managed Services Provider (MSP) will be able to have these conversations and provide the right metrics for you. So, if you haven&rsquo;t done so already, <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=4B869BD5E834489390D7CFB82F3F3DD6&amp;_z=z">speak to your MSP</a>&nbsp;to find out what more they can do to support you and the recruitment supply chain your firm needs.
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Guidant Global&rsquo;s INfluence programme</h3>
At Guidant, DE&amp;I is built into everything we do. In fact, we run a diversity, equality and inclusion programme to support diversity improvements across our business, the suppliers we work with and, ultimately, the end client. The aim of everything we deliver through INfluence is to create equal and fair opportunities for all.
In the US, our INfluence program has a vital role to play in nurturing more diverse suppliers into our supply chain. Working in true partnership, we provide selected diversity suppliers with multiple tools to help them achieve greater success. Throughout the programme, our teams mentor suppliers and offer extensive guidance, performance reviews and a unique opportunity to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our leading clients - to help inform and support their diversity and inclusion goals.
In the UK, our commitment to building DE&amp;I into the recruitment supply chain has led to us becoming the only recruitment provider to achieve the UK Government&rsquo;s Disability Confident Employer Scheme, level 3 status as a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-guidance-for-levels-1-2-and-3/level-3-disability-confident-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disability Confident Leader</a>. We have also supported 13 of our suppliers to achieve level 2 status and continue to work with others to help them reach this goal as well. We also have <a href="http://www.theclearcompany.co.uk/p/clear-assured" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Clear Assured</a> status and are founding members of the <a href="https://ridi.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI)</a>. &nbsp;
<h3>Adding value for the future of work</h3>
It&rsquo;s becoming clear that the world will no longer tolerate the gaps in diversity and inclusion that we&rsquo;ve historically witnessed. For organisations to be truly representative, DE&amp;I needs to be nurtured across every element of the business, from the permanent workforce to the recruitment supply chain.

Making recruitment supply chains more diverse, equal and inclusive

Recently I attended the <a href="https://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/disability-standard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Business Disability Forum&rsquo;s (BDF)</a> annual Partner Group Reception at Royal Bank of Scotland&rsquo;s (RBS) offices in London where we were welcomed to discussions around topics related to disability including how it affects business, as well as sharing BDF&rsquo;s successes of the year, and ideas to shape progress moving forwards.
<h3>Identity</h3>
The discussions were centred on the theme of the BDF&rsquo;s new campaign, &lsquo;identity&rsquo;, where guest speakers discussed what disability means for their identity &ndash; how they see and think of themselves and how they are perceived by others. There was plenty of food for thought on how identity is perceived, for example, Oliver Lam-Watson, Wheelchair Fencing World Cup winner talked about how concealing his identity (hiding his disability) took an emotional toll but he now sees himself as &ldquo;an adaptive athlete, not a disabled athlete&rdquo;. These words echo the need for businesses as well as individuals to understand that disability is simply a difference, not a hindrance, and there are lots of practical tips and ideas on how businesses can embrace it.
<h3>Building a truly inclusive culture</h3>
A great example of how businesses are working to make disability confidence the new normal is from RBS, as shared by John Brady, Programme Director at RBS. John was diagnosed with a medical condition eight years ago which almost cost him his job, but embracing his &ldquo;new normal&rdquo; rather than lamenting his inability to get &ldquo;back to normal&rdquo; totally changed things for the better. John is the co-chair of RBS&rsquo; disability employee network group, &lsquo;Enable&rsquo;, which has 1000 members. &ldquo;Businesses aren&rsquo;t doing bad things (when it comes to inclusivity), they&rsquo;re just not doing enough of the good/right thing. To achieve the BDF &lsquo;Gold&rsquo; standard it was important to 'keep the tension on it (i.e. keep the focus on disability best practice)' because it&rsquo;s easy to slip back. Not through bad practice, but just by things like inattention&rdquo;, says John. The five key elements of RBS&rsquo; success, achieving the BDF gold standard and strategy are: &bull; Visible exec sponsorship &bull;<a href="https://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/disability-standard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> The 10 elements of the BDF standard</a> &ndash; and creating a role within RBS which sponsors each of them &bull; Do it and report on it (be accountable for your activity) &bull; Include &lsquo;disability speed bumps&rsquo; in workplace processes (these are triggers to think and talk about disability to make sure it&rsquo;s catered for) &bull; Have an innovation focus In addition to this, RBS has created a toolkit for people with a disability to better understand how to broach the topic in the workplace. A reciprocal mentoring scheme enables disabled people to educate execs about their disability, whilst in return receiving valuable professional mentoring. &ldquo;Being disability confident should be the new normal. Disabled people should be helped out, not managed out, by their employer, and everyone should feel confident enough to bring your own self to work&rdquo;. We couldn&rsquo;t agree with you more John!
<h3>Using our influence</h3>
At Guidant Global, we&rsquo;ve created an internal programme called &lsquo;INfluence&rsquo; which is designed to up-skill and educate our team on all things related to diversity and inclusivity, including disability. We feel it is our responsibility to act as ambassadors and further educate our employees in order to build a greater understanding of disability and ultimately, create a more confident and inclusive environment. In doing so, we&rsquo;re providing a voice and opening doors for disabled jobseekers. We can then share this best-practice approach with our clients, suppliers and candidates, using our influence to reach far beyond our own organisation. For the full list of the diversity and inclusion initiatives Guidant is currently championing please click here. If you&rsquo;d like to find out more about our work in the communities we serve, please contact us.&nbsp;

Making disability confidence the new normal

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Arsenio Bell

&rdquo;The female talent attraction campaign in partnership with Guidant Global has given us the opportunity to reflect on the way Airbus recruits and thinks about its Aircraft Fitter workforce. The increase in female applicants for these roles is helping us to bring about change, and the diversity of backgrounds in the business ensures we continue to challenge the way that we do things.&rdquo;

Guide to accessible online recruitment

A practical guide for employers on how to make their online recruitment practices inclusive and open to all.

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