The most annoying and important word you need a consultant to ask.

In the talent solutions world, we are used to three-letter phrases that are actually acronyms for our industry and the talent culture. MSP. VMS. FMS. EOR. AOR. CRM. ATS. And that is just the list that would make the board on a contingent workforce edition of “The Family Feud!” But there is a three-letter word - yes, an actual word - that is so much more meaningful and powerful that it can be transformative to an organization.

WHY?

Organizations ask this question all the time, or at least they should be if they want to evolve. This includes when they are looking to implement contingent workforce for the first time, or if they are considering making a change to their existing program. If you are one of these firms, I encourage you to ask yourself the following . . .

WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT CONTINGENT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS NOW?

Your answers will vary, but it frequently starts with the following:

1.   It is a significant expenditure in our budgets, but we lack the visibility behind the purchases.

2.   We have too many suppliers.

3.   We lack visibility as to spend, headcount, and what departments are using third party labor.

4.   We lack automation in the process, causing us to act slowly, and perhaps, non-compliantly.

5.   Our business is growing fast, and contingent labor is a growing necessity to conducting business.

Now let’s ask the next important question. . .

WHY SHOULD WE ENGAGE AN EXPERT TO HELP US THROUGH THE PROCESS?

Let’s dive into the most common reasons. . .

1. Neutral, unbiased evaluation of Models and Vendors: This will come from a consultant who has deep sector experience, working with different types of clients, solutions providers, and workforce management models (VOP, Vendor Neutral, Hybrid, Markup vs. Rate Card).

2. Deep market intelligence: They know the plusses and minuses of the technologies and the service providers, and by asking those pesky “Why?” questions, they will be able to figure out what matters most in creating a successful solution model for your firm.

3. Change management and Stakeholder alignment: An effective consultant has learned from numerous experiences the challenges that are sure to come from the implementation of a contingent workforce solution, regardless of the model, and they will help you avoid the potential traps by proactively addressing the objections that may lie in waiting, and set the table for a superior user experience from your internal and external stakeholders.

4. Process optimization prior to automation: Here is where those annoying but critical “Why?” questions come into play. Before you can cure an illness, a doctor asks for you to describe your symptoms, and then they try to figure out why you are feeling ill.  The same applies to contingent workforce management. Before a solution is deployed with technology automation, it is critical to figure out what the right processes should be in the future state.  After all, you don’t want to automated broken processes!  And let’s face it, if your organization already had the internal expertise to deploy such a solution, your current state processes would likely not be what they are today.

5. Risk Mitigation and Compliance: These are – and always have been – two compelling values that organizations seek in a managed solution.  But there is not a single recipe that fits all organizations and cultures.  The way they utilize and engage contingent labor will vary.  The key is identifying what the firm deems to be acceptable risk based on their needs for such talent. How close your organization will come to so-called industry best practices – well, that will be your call in the end. The need for compliance to legal, regulatory, and internal standards will be there regardless. But compliance takes on a larger meaning if you want to work with independent contractors, which continues to grow in necessity for higher level and specialized roles in most organizations.

The Bottom Line: Companies utilize consultants because the upfront investment vastly outweighs the long-term cost of a failed implementation, poor user adoption, or an unfavorable, multi-year vendor contract.

Trumpeter Consulting is ready to help you by asking those questions, as well as evaluate the potential answers to your "WHYs", by helping you determine the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW that are best for your firm and the challenges and visions that lie ahead.

If you are interested in learning more about our approach, check out our website at https://lnkd.in/eYEumxhX, or message me directly at steve.dern@trumpeterconsulting.com.