The preparation that goes into a contingent workforce solution RFP has always reminded me of Thanksgiving. If you are like many families, there can be ridiculous amounts of everything - appetizers, main courses, side items, desserts, wine! Most critically, we need to have a good understanding who the players are going to be at the table. We love them all (or at least most of them), but that doesn't mean you want to deal with them day in and day out for the next 3-5 years!
The same goes for managing your bidders who are competing for your business. And let me tell you, just like guest at the Thanksgiving table, sometimes TOO MANY ACTUALLY IS TOO MANY! You know there are going to be certain firms that you are going to have to invite, just like your relatives and friends. They may have a significant staffing presence or deep executive relationships already at your company. But what about the other players? How do you narrow it down so that you’re not inviting extras to the party? You want the new A-list celebrities, and the hottest new players who are trendsetters with new and unique offerings that fit your business needs. And if you are a smaller to mid-size company, you want to make sure you aren’t just another logo to your future business partner. Rather, you want to have access to senior leadership to know that your unique interests are heard and prioritized on their roadmap. There are so many players raising their hand, hoping that you will invite them to the RFP. After all, you are the coolest firm holding an RFP party in 2026 – all the cool suppliers are gonna be there! Of course, if they are all there, your house and your RFP are gonna get trashed!!! And by trashed, I mean your RFP will become daunting, take way more time than is necessary, and in the end you won’t recognize the value you seek until much later than your original target date. This will make you look bad internally, and externally!
We can’t have that! So, here are a few tips heading into the supplier engagement party of this holiday party known as “The RFP”.
1) Do your homework. . .Internally.Bynow you have already started to engage your internal stakeholders to form a governance team. As you plan your RFP, you should have a vision of not only the value you seek to obtain from such a solution, but the values that you want to embrace for the structure of your program. Do you want the MSP to also staff your openings, or prefer the purest form of vendor neutrality? How important is on-site presence from the MSP team members? Do you want their input on VMS or direct sourcing platforms, or will you source those independently, and do you want to hold those contracts separately from the MSP? What integrations will be “must haves” versus “nice to haves”. Get these defined, and when you release the RFP, make sure they are stated to all bidders.
2) Do your homework on the potential bidders. No doubt, there will be staffing suppliers who may also have VMS technology or MSP solutions offerings. They will preach that they know your business because they already staff it. But that doesn’t necessarily make them a good solution provider. It simply makes them a good staffing supplier. If you want to implement a vendor neutral supplier strategy, your incumbent staffing suppliers may not really want to become your MSP, as there is likely less revenue in it for them. Research players in the space, and ensure that their MSP delivery can match their staffing prowess before inviting them to the party. If you seek VMS, ask about integrations to your technology stack, and how they approach that from a cost perspective.
3) Make the most of conferences. If your firm is looking into managed solutions for your contingent workforce program, make the investment to not only attend a conference such as SIA, ProcureCon Contingent Staffing, etc., but to proactively engage at the conference! Have a mission going into it that is well defined.
(a.) Know your values of what you want in a solution partner and program design (referenced in bullet #1 above) and stick to it. You can change your mind later on if logic takes you down that path, but stick to your guns for now.
(b.) Have a list of data points that you are willing to share with the potential bidders if they ask. As best as you can, know your annual spend, the skillsets involved, locations, average contractor headcount, seasonal peak periods, your technology stack (ERP, HRIS, timeclock systems). It’s up to you how proactively you share this, but if asked, you should be able to answer. If you don’t know, at least provide a best guess so the potential solutions providers can build a model in their mind of your business.
(c.) Attend networking events and ask other firms attending what they know about certain players that you are considering. If they have implemented their solutions, get their take. How did the implementation go? Is the program team industry smart and a value add to the hiring managers, or more administrative in nature? How are satisfaction ratings overall? What is the biggest challenge they have experienced? What is the biggest benefit they have delivered?
(d.) Document what you learned about different players. Review it with your team.
(e.) Follow up quickly. If you somehow miss the chance to meet with a provider you were interested in, reach out to them immediately following the conference so that you have dedicated time to chat with them. The same goes if there is a piece of information you didn’t get from those who you did meet with. Take the time to get that information!
4.) Narrow down the bidders before you issue the RFP. By the time the conference ends and you review what you have learned, you should have a good idea of which major players you need to invite to the RFP, and also the players who may not be giants, but have a credible presence and potentially a technology or support model that fits well with your company culture and business needs. Invite 3-4 firms who fit into each profile, and stop at that! You really do not need to have 20 players bidding on your MSP or VMS business at this point. And always keep in mind the true scope of your program and what those business needs are. For example, if your company is only in North America, and there are no plans for globalizing into EMEA, APAC or LATAM, you don’t need a global player. This is a business where solutions grow their footprint based on where their client take them, so you might be well suited to engage a provider who is North American-centric today, but willing to grow their solution with you as it matures and expands. This may also give your mid-size company with the major clout you seek in a long-term partnership.
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