Adapting to a Dispersed Workforce

You would struggle to find anyone to argue with the fact that the COVID-19 crisis has transformed the way we live and work.

Many employers had to scramble in the early days of the pandemic to find ways to keep their workforce operating while sheltering at home during lockdown restrictions. We saw a sharp rise in the use of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, as well as digital collaboration tools like Trello and Basecamp.

While the breaking news regarding the South African Omicron variant is causing some precautions to return, such as mask wearing and the restriction of international travel, we are now at a point where most sections of society are attempting to return to something resembling normality.

Remote Working

While it’s true people are returning to work, we are seeing a marked trend for the continuation of remote working. People who previously worked in offices have now seen the quality-of-life improvements which come with carrying out that same work from the comfort of their own home.

Avoiding the commute, saving money on expensive lunches and coffees, and being available for childcare while doing your job are just some of the benefits which come hand in hand with working from home and this is reflected in the fact a significant number of people have now said they wish to continue under this model – even going as far as to say they’d be willing to seek out a new role with an employer which allowed it if their present one would not.

This phenomenon isn’t just limited to full time workers either as we are now seeing an increasing number of contingent staff operating on a remote working basis. Freelancers are increasingly working from all over the world – enjoying the freedoms which come as the counterbalance to the lack of job benefits and security which come part and parcel with the gig economy.

There are benefits for employers of contingent staff of operating under a remote model as well of course. There is a reduced need to onboard them and introduce them to the people they would normally have been working alongside, which makes time and resources available for other tasks. There is no need to provide them with office space or infrastructure such as computers, desks, chairs, phone lines, etc.

Also, by opening up your contingent staffing procurement to remote workers, employers expand the marketplace from which they can acquire them to include the entire globe. This increased competition can save you money as freelancers vie for a lucrative contract, and significantly expand the available talent pool – meaning you can choose the absolute best people for the job.

Adapting to a Dispersed Workforce

If your business is going to begin operating under a remote working model, there will be a need to adapt your organizational structure significantly.

You’re going to need to invest in technology. The one thing which becomes more complex when running a dispersed workforce is communication, so your first port of call should be communication and conferencing tools. Thankfully, we live in a halcyon time for these kinds of platforms with a ton of options to select from, whether it be something such as Zoom for Teams for conferencing, or Slack for instant messaging.

You can add contingent staff to only the chat threads which are relevant to the job they’ve been hired for and therefore avoid other business matters being revealed to persons from whom they are irrelevant.

Collaboration platforms such as Trello and Basecamp also make managing a dispersed workforce far simpler. In a comparable manner to the communication tools described above, people can be added to just the boards they need. With Trello, you can even create separate boards for individual freelancers and post their jobs there – helping keep everything and everyone organized and focused on the task at hand.

One important tip when working with a dispersed team of contingent staff is to make sure you set deadlines appropriately. Remember that these people do not work for you and will likely be juggling jobs from several different employers. Make sure you set deadlines a short while before you actually need them to ensure they are submitted in plenty of time and allow additional room for edits or alterations to be made.

Final Thoughts

Remote working is the future, of that there is little doubt, and those organizations which can offer it are likely to attract the best talent from the largest pool of potentials possible. Operating a dispersed workforce comes with its own set of challenges, but thankfully, there is a host of innovative digital technology on hand to make everything run significantly more smoothly.

Adapting to a dispersed workforce is set to be a hot topic at ProcureCon Contingent Staffing 2022, taking place in March at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, AZ.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.