Blog

How to Manage an Agile Workforce

HCMWorks — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 18:07:20 GMT

Economic uncertainty creates an unpredictable business environment. Seasonal demand fluctuates, companies experience sudden growth spikes, and employment needs shift, especially as of late. A business is only as resilient as its workforce, which is why many hiring managers are seeking out flexible employment arrangements and management approaches.

Front Office vs. Back Office Business Process Outsourcing

HCMWorks — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 15:15:00 GMT

How does Direct Sourcing and Talent Curation Work?

HCMWorks — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:44:32 GMT

In an increasingly competitive job market, talent acquisition teams are constantly innovating and re-imagining ways to identify, engage and delight top talent while consolidating expenses. Following this trend, strategies such as direct sourcing and talent curation continue to gain traction.

Diversity and Compliance Guidelines in the Workplace

HCMWorks — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 15:58:18 GMT

Regulations and best practices regarding diversity in the workplace continue to develop in the business landscape. Previously, we covered the different types of diversity in the modern workplace. These forms of diversity contribute to diversity in opinions, skills, and experiences. When incorporated into work culture, differences can inspire innovation and creativity.

Managing Human Capital Spend with SOW Automation

HCMWorks — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 17:00:00 GMT

Many HR and procurement professionals associate human capital spend with their permanent and contingent workforce. Contingent workers are far too frequently contracted and placed on a project where they are expected to self-manage, out of sight and out of mind. While many regrettably forget to manage and account for contract workers and deliverables, automating the contract can help create consistent processes. In other words, Statement of Work automation may be the solution to documenting and managing workers while ensuring visibility and compliance.

5 Ways to Educate and Ensure Contractor Compliance

HCMWorks — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 17:15:00 GMT

Individuals rarely read all the fine print of a contract prior to signing. Just as a smartphone user clicks “agree to terms and conditions” without reading the document, some contract workers agree to a Statement of Work (SOW) without fully understanding what they are agreeing to. This could be considered as a matter of neglecting contractor compliance, which can lead to severe legal and reputational repercussions.

5 Different Types of Business Process Outsourcing

HCMWorks — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:00:00 GMT

The global market size of outsourced services is expanding. In 2019, global services were valued at 92.5 billion U.S. dollars, a figure which continues to increase steadily. Why is business process outsourcing growing? Because it is a cost-effective solution to filling skill gaps which provides flexibility and enables global expansion.

The 3 Types of Statement of Work and How to Automate Them

HCMWorks — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 16:01:18 GMT

When it comes to drafting contracts for contingent workers, you have to get it right the first time around. Any unidentified conditions or ill-described project specifications can lead to unmet quality standards by contractors and potential liability as a result of inadequate instruction. Every step of the managed service lifecycle involves paperwork to prevent this, and selecting the right statement of work (SOW) for the right service provided is vital. Once the type of SOW is identified, automation can streamline and expedite paperwork processes.

Business Risks of Neglecting Contractor Compliance

HCMWorks — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 15:00:00 GMT

While contractor compliance may not be the top priority for some businesses, neglecting compliance checks can incur consequences. Not every statement of Works (SOW) is ironclad, and individuals may capitalize on some of the gray areas of classification.

The Different Types of Diversity in the Modern Workplace

HCMWorks — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:19:13 GMT

When companies boast about diversity in the workplace, they frequently refer to race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. However, an inclusive workplace is not constrained to these definitions. Diversity can assume a myriad of shapes and forms from job position to personality. Understanding different forms of diversity and leveraging them to facilitate a creative, well-managed work culture will produce a positive effect on employee satisfaction, engagement, and efficiency.

How to Close the Skills Gap and Stop Brain Drain in Your Industry

HCMWorks — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 18:53:07 GMT

Prior to COVID-19, the Canadian economy experienced declining rates of "brain drain" sustained over three years. While it is unclear whether this decrease is perpetuated by increasing opportunities in Canada or limited international mobility due to pandemic restrictions, businesses are in a position to capitalize on the accelerating job market. To do this, employers need to bolster their talent acquisition strategies to find quality talent in an increasingly competitive environment.

Can Employers Mandate COVID Vaccines?

HCMWorks — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 16:00:00 GMT

As COVID vaccination rates increase, some businesses look to legislation mandating guidelines. Some businesses plan to transition from remote work settings in light of current vaccination statistics. With 47.3 percent of US residents and 45.2 percent of Canadians have received their first vaccine dose, businesses aspire to open their doors again. However, how viable are company vaccine mandates? Can employers enforce vaccine mandates? There certain legal and ethical considerations that come into play.

The Global CPO Survey and Procurement Strategy

HCMWorks — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 17:34:16 GMT

Deloitte recently released the results of their annual Global Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) Survey. The findings paint a picture of the struggles and successes of industry leaders during the new phase of post-pandemic recovery. With results from a sample of 400 respondents from over 40 countries, the statistics provide a global perspective on how CPOs are expected to shift their procurement strategy focus from operational efficiency to agility. This shift may be the key to adapting and adjusting in the face of adverse and unexpected economic fluctuations.

How to Define the Right Pay Rate in Your Industry

HCMWorks — Tue, 18 May 2021 15:30:00 GMT

Knowing the right pay rate for sought-after positions in your industry is an important part of remaining competitive. However, when hiring new talent or opening new positions, it can be hard to accurately define compensation. If employees or contract workers believe that their payment is below the industry average, it may cause them to be reluctant to accept the job or cause them to seek employment elsewhere. Thus, it is important for hiring managers to familiarize themselves and stay up-to-date on industry pay rates.

9 Tips for Conducting a Virtual Interview

HCMWorks — Tue, 11 May 2021 15:59:15 GMT

After work settings went remote, interviews naturally followed suit. Virtual interviewing practices have grown increasingly common during the COVID-19 pandemic. New technologies have allowed interviewers to adapt to the new remote setting and conduct candidate assessments right from their home offices. Remote interviews can be conducted through phone calls or more sophisticated video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype Business. Regardless of the videoconferencing mechanism used, these virtual interview tips apply to most scenarios.

Six Sourcing Strategies in Recruitment

HCMWorks — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 16:16:00 GMT

For every 300 or more applicants, only five will be interviewed and only one will be hired. Increasing levels of unemployment are associated with increasing levels of passive application, resulting in a sea of uninterested and uninvested candidates. Implementing the best sourcing strategies in recruitment is an integral part of acquiring top talent.

The Future of Contract Work

HCMWorks — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:00:00 GMT

The job market has undergone significant changes over the past two years. In 2020, the employment rate soared from 4% to 14.7%. According to reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and University of Minnesota, roughly 20.6 million Americans lost their jobs. Some businesses switched gear by leveraging contract workers, filling cracks in the foundation without bearing the expense of a full-time employee. Contract workers provided much needed flexibility and access to a diverse set of skills and alternative employment conditions.

How to Avoid Negligent Hiring

HCMWorks — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:00:00 GMT

Most HR departments and recruiters are familiar with the terms negligent hiring or negligence in employment. They are part of the reason why companies utilize lengthy background checks and interviews as part of their hiring process. Understanding what negligent hiring constitutes and how it can negatively affect your business is key to its prevention.

What are Soft Skills in the Workplace

HCMWorks — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:00:00 GMT

Soft skills are unquantifiable attributes of human character and personality that relate to work. They are synonymous with “transferrable skills” as they are applicable to a plethora of employment positions and contexts. Soft skills pertain to non-technical skills in areas ranging from leadership to personality traits.

HOW COVID-19 Impacted Workforce Management

HCMWorks — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 18:00:00 GMT

Workforce management has been recognized as an efficient way to counteract the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This past year, companies have had their resilience tested, been forced to adapt to new market circumstances, and restructured the way their employees collaborate. New strategies and business models have helped companies stay afloat, and some of these changes may be more permanent than previously thought.

Selecting the Right Vendor Management System in 2021

HCMWorks — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:26:00 GMT

Vendor Management Systems (VMS) are commonly used across all industries to help streamline the management and procurement of various staffing services. Vendor management is embedded in how a company operates and interacts with its employees, frequently bringing together multiple services and solutions needed to optimize worker productivity.

Recruitment Tips for Minimizing Risk

HCMWorks — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Companies make use of contingent workers to access new skills, meet seasonal demand, and remain competitive. As such, many companies rely on their internal HR departments to manage their contingent workforce strategy. Unfortunately, as HR departments are already focused on managing permanent employees, companies utilizing this approach may unintentionally be introducing risks when hiring contractors. While a properly executed contingent workforce strategy can be financially beneficial, mistakes can be extremely costly.

Managed Service Provider or In-House for Workforce Management?

HCMWorks — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:52:00 GMT

When it comes to comparing the pros and cons of working with a managed service provider (MSP) or relying on an in-house program, there are numerous things to consider. First, it is important to keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Businesses are complex organizations with different priorities. To better understand the specific needs of your business, it is important to thoroughly review your internal processes. Alternatively, you can include a neutral subject matter expert as a third party to gain additional insights. To help you compare your options, we have listed some of the most common pros and cons of the two solutions.

The Importance of Stategic Workforce Planning in 2021

HCMWorks — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 15:45:00 GMT

As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many businesses had to rethink their approach to workforce management in 2020. The shifting regulatory landscape, fluctuating demand, and unforeseeable market circumstances highlighted the importance of business flexibility and strategic workforce planning. Though many businesses lost revenue, some sectors, such as the staffing industry, managed to grow. Here are the top reasons implementing strategic workforce planning will be critical to success in 2021 and beyond:

Independent Contractor vs Employee Checklist

HCMWorks — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 22:28:10 GMT

When hiring professionals as independent contractors, there a few things to consider before signing the dotted line. Whether you are hiring for a short-term project or looking for a freelancer to assist your organization long-term, a poorly executed engagement and cause problems down the road. We have created an independent contractor vs employee checklist below to ensure you reduce the risk of hiring an independent contractor vs a temporary employee.

How to Use Procurement Technology to Your Advantage

HCMWorks — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 15:00:00 GMT

Procurement professionals are a critical part of any successful strategy for purchasing goods and services. These specialists help businesses balance quality and cost, maintain profitability, and develop supplier relationships. However, the widespread supply chain disruptions and fluctuations in demand caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic has caused many businesses to reevaluate their risk assessments.

How to Manage Your Independent Contractor Payroll

HCMWorks — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 17:57:26 GMT

Today’s businesses need to be more flexible than ever. With increased competition and rapidly changing market conditions, organizations across the world are focusing on creating agile workforces made up of both employee and non-employee workers.

Top Benefits of a Vendor Neutral Managed Services Provider (MSP)

HCMWorks — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 14:00:00 GMT

When procurement departments first got involved with managing an increasingly growing contingent workforce, they were often tasked by executive teams to reduce costs.

The initial premise was that procuring people, with specific skills and intellectual capital, was not unlike procuring any other needed resource. Procurement traditionally concentrated on cost, risk, and measurement, and this competency was extended to staffing contingent workers.

5 Common Contingent Workforce Management Mistakes, and How to Fix Them

HCMWorks — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 05:30:00 GMT

Are you responsible for managing your organization's contingent workforce? If so, you'll no doubt be continuously trying to maximize efficiencies and cut costs in order to increase profitability. To do this successfully, you need to address some common contingent workforce challenges.

In this blog, HCMWorks will take a look at the five most common contingent workforce challenges that are wasting money for your business - and what you can do to fix those issues and become more profitable. Before we get into that, let's first take a quick look at the contingent workforce.

Contingent Workforce: What is Supplier Performance Management (SPM)?

HCMWorks — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:15:00 GMT

Supplier performance management (SPM) is a business practice that is used to measure, analyze, and manage your supplier’s performance in an effort to cut costs, alleviate risks, and drive continuous improvement. It's a crucial aspect of any contingent workforce management program.

The ultimate intent of SPM is to identify potential issues and their root causes so that they can be resolved to everyone’s benefit as early as possible.

How to Create and Manage a Contingent Workforce Referral Program

HCMWorks — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:09:00 GMT

Temporary and contingent workers are traditionally sourced through staffing agencies, but, with a growing skills gap making it increasingly difficult for organizations to access top talent, companies are starting to look outside of the traditional channels to procure non-permanent workers.

What Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP)?

HCMWorks — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 13:00:00 GMT

A managed service provider (MSP) is an outsourced third-party company that manages and assumes the responsibility of a defined set of day-to-day management services to its customers. It is a strategic method of improving operations that is commonplace among large corporations as well as small and medium-size businesses, non-profit organizations, and governments.

Contingent Workforce: Agile Talent Will Drive Successful Business in 2020 and Beyond

HCMWorks — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 15:51:00 GMT

The power, value and expertise inherent in agile talent, as well as the productivity that results from flexible enterprise thinking, will be the difference between enterprise success and failure over the next couple of years.

That’s according to a study from Ardent Partners, The State of Contingent Workforce Management 2020, which found nearly 80 percent of enterprises experienced an increase in the utilization of contingent talent over the past 12 months.

How to Optimize SOW Spend in Your Contingent Workforce Management Program

HCMWorks — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 13:15:00 GMT

With an increasing percentage of most large organizations' workforce now made up of contingent workers, achieving greater control and visibility of these temporary workers is a necessity for the health of your bottom line.

How to Successfully Manage Contingent Workforce Costs - Part 2

HCMWorks — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Contingent workforce management is complex. Without a proper strategy that centralizes how you manage your temporary workers, it's almost certain that your business has no visibility into its contingent workforce and is spending large amounts of money on rogue costs.

In our previous blog, 'How to Successfully Manage Contingent Workforce Costs - Part 1', we looked at the importance of better sourcing in your contingent workforce and how it can help your organize reduce spending.

How to Successfully Manage Contingent Workforce Costs - Part 1

HCMWorks — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 15:00:00 GMT

Keeping track of your contingent workforce is complex. You simply cannot manage what you can't measure, and most of the organizations we speak to do not have efficient processes, technologies and strategies in place to properly manage their temporary workforce.

It's likely that your organization has hiring managers in different branches of your company engaging contingent or non-permanent workers, without a centralized management process. This means your business is creating unseen workers who are not entirely visible to your human resources department, resulting in rogue spend and wasted money.

The Future of Work is Here, and the Contingent Workforce Offers New Opportunities

HCMWorks — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 12:34:00 GMT

This year has been a tough one for businesses around the world, and for the employees that work for them. Employers have had to make difficult choices about their workforce, and employees have been forced to look for new ways to work from home. With a large number of employees being laid off and the majority of organizations still adopting entirely work-from-home business models, there’s a new wave of highly talented and skilled workers that can be hired on a contingent basis.

How to Improve Fill Ratios With Contingent Workforce Management

HCMWorks — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 13:00:00 GMT

As the shortage in skilled workers continues to become a more substantial global issue, it has left a great deal of businesses worried about how to fill the gaps in their workforce in an efficient and effective manner.

It sounds like a simple problem to fix, but it's actually incredibly complex. Even if you could find the workers with the right skills and qualifications, you need to consider how quickly you can get them into action and at what cost. Bad hiring decisions will have a huge impact on your organization's bottom line.

On-Site and Remote: How to Successfully Manage a Hybrid Workforce

HCMWorks — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 15:40:27 GMT

The transition to remote work was considered the future last year, but it’s now the present. Companies across North America have embraced work-from-home strategies, while at the same time continued to allow some employees to work from the office.

7 Reasons Why Your Business Should Focus on Vendor Management

HCMWorks — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:00:00 GMT

Your vendors are critical to the success of your company. They drive new growth within your industry and ensure your able to achieve revenue and profit goals. They are at the heart of many of your organization’s processes and activities.

However, you might not consider how important it is to effectively manage your relationships with them. In the past, procurement was simply the department that bought goods and services. Nothing more, nothing less.

What You Need to Know About MSPs and Vendor Management Technology

HCMWorks — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 13:00:00 GMT

The contingent space is changing significantly. It’s up to CEOs, CFOs, and CPOs to understand their evolving workforce in order to ensure that their companies achieve their unique workforce targets.

Your on-demand, non-permanent workforce is a dynamic ecosystem - one that is subject to change and evolve at any moment. You must be prepared in order to ensure continued cost savings, efficiency, and productivity.

Gig Economy: California Plans to Force Uber and Lyft to Reclassify Drivers as Employees

HCMWorks — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 14:42:00 GMT

The gig economy dispute continues in California, with attorneys for the US state planning on asking a judge to order Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as employees rather than contractors, as reported by Reuters.

In their filing on June 24, lawyers for California’s Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, asked a state judge in San Francisco to issue a preliminary injunction ordering the two ride-hailing companies to immediately classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. The hearing is set for August 6.

What is Indirect Procurement and How Does it Relate to Contingent Workforce Management?

HCMWorks — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 16:38:00 GMT

Procurement’s importance as a key business process has increased significantly in recent years with the growing use of vendors, but do you sometimes neglect indirect procurement by focusing too much and on direct procurement?

Procurement is a complex business function, and often the source of woes for many companies. Revenue, cost and production are all direct results from the success (or failures) of your procurement strategy.

3 Ways to Ensure You Are Paying Fair Market Rates for Staffing Vendors

HCMWorks — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 12:30:00 GMT

Staffing vendors play a key role in ensuring your company has the resources it needs to complete a project. Used properly, they help your business acquire talented workers, at the right time and the right price.

Managing multiple staffing vendors, however, is complex. It takes a team of experts and a large amount of resources to ensure your contingent workforce strategy is unified across your entire organization and successfully lined up to your overall business goals.

5 Ways to Address the Skills Shortage in Your Industry

HCMWorks — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 16:00:00 GMT

Acquiring top talent and placing highly-qualified candidates into the right positions in your organization is already hard enough, but what happens when your business needs to do just that in the middle of a skilled labour shortage?

In fact, that's the challenge most organizations throughout the world are experiencing today.

8 Tips to Ensure Your Organization is Conducting Effective Remote Interviews

HCMWorks — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:32:00 GMT

Remote work provides a number of benefits and advantages for both workers and employers. Like anything else, however, it comes with a range of challenges that need to be addressed properly if your organization is to implement an effective recruitment strategy.

With more people than ever before working from home, and face-to-face meetings still out of the picture for most businesses, job interviews conducted either over the phone or online are becoming increasingly common.

Foodora, Uber, Unionization and What it Means for the Gig Economy

HCMWorks — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:00:00 GMT

In our blog last year, we covered the introduction of a new Californian bill that classified gig economy workers as employees within the western US state. The bill had the biggest impact on technology firms, such as Uber and Lyft, which had previously classified their drivers as contractors.

Technology firms that make use of gig economy workers have long been scrutinized for how they classify those workers, and that trend has continued into 2020.

How to Meet Workforce Targets Through the Creation of a Talent Pool

HCMWorks — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 20:10:15 GMT

Ensuring your company has the best talent in the right jobs and at the right time is essential for the future success of your company, but this is no easy task - particularly when taking into consideration the huge skills shortage occurring for the vast majority of today's industries.

Meeting workforce objectives isn’t as simple as reaching out to the perfect candidate and filling an open vacancy immediately. Your business needs to find the right candidate, and then hope that they're both available when you need them and that they actually want to work with your organization.

Staffing Industry to Emerge From Pandemic Stronger Than Before, Finds New Study

HCMWorks — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:14:08 GMT

The staffing industry is set to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger, with a new study from StaffingHub finding that 71 percent of staffing firms expect the industry to come back stronger than before.

The research, The 2020 State of Staffing Industry Growth, surveyed more than 334 staffing professionals for its COVID-19 Pulse Survey between March 31 and April 8, 2020.

Here's How to Create a Statement of Work (SOW)

HCMWorks — Fri, 29 May 2020 15:27:00 GMT

Competitive pressure and sweeping changes in the workplace means that your company is, more than likely, considering the huge range of advantages that come with contractors, freelancers and non-permanent workers. However, is your current contingent workforce management strategy truly optimized?

A contingent workforce management strategy is complex and time-consuming, but once perfected the benefits are great. A successful program will lead to increased workforce agility, access to top talent, an improved bottom line, cost efficiencies and consistent hiring processes across your entire organization.