Entering the "New Normal" of Contingent Staffing
With COVID-19 still very much part of the landscape and likely to remain so for the immediate future, we need to find ways to get back to the business of running our lives in the best way possible, given the circumstances.
For many of us this means getting back to work – something which comes with its own challenges – and trying to restore things to some semblance of normalcy. For those of us in the business of procuring contingent staff however, the landscape has significantly transformed. The very nature of work has changed, some industries are struggling to fill vacant roles more than others, and an increasing number of people are looking for more flexible and remote employment options.
It would seem a suitable time therefore, to take a look at the state of the industry right now and see what the so-called new normal looks like for contingent staffing procurement.
The New Normal
It seems one of the most significant changes to working life which will have a direct impact on our ability to procure contingent staff can be found in the switch to remote working brought about by the pandemic.
There are potentially positives and negatives to this paradigm shift. On the negative side, the fact that more people than ever before can now work from home, could mean that the need to procure contingent staff in the first place is significantly reduced. With most companies required contingent staff as a result of factors such as staff sickness, maternity/paternity leave, etc., the fact that people are presently, and can continue to be, working from home will likely mean these scenarios occur less frequently.
On the other side of the coin, the fact an increasing number of people are seeking more flexible and remote employment opportunities – after experiencing the advantages of such an arrangement during the pandemic – could mean a much larger pool of contingent staff from which to choose.
However, this potential increase in potential talent available will also exacerbate an issue which has been plaguing the industry for some time.
Many professionals operating in the contingent staffing procurement staff have long argued current methods of finding and hiring temporary workers are sorely in need of updating. Companies are experiencing a greater demand for contingent staff than ever before but have almost no tools to track their existing workforce, measure their performance, assess skills and suitability for long term retention and/or whether they could be kept on retainer to be deployed in future projects.
Companies which want to make the most of a contingent workforce would do well to invest in technologies to track and retain this data or find themselves struggling to compete as other more innovative brands snap up and retain the best talent.
Staffing Crises
Another major challenge coming out of the new normal is the fact certain industries are struggling to fill the roles they need to operate at maximum efficiency – or indeed, operate at all.
Two of the industries most affected by this shortage are hospitality and haulage. It’s hard to deduce why this might be but, in the case of hospitality, it seems likely that staff who have worked in that industry their entire lives have had the opportunity to try other things while restaurants, bars, and hotels were closed during lockdown. They may have realized they can earn the same money working far more sociable hours and without such an intense pace of work, stacking shelves at a supermarket or something similar.
This author may or may not be basing that assessment on their own experience working in commercial kitchens.
However, this means those of you responsible for procuring contingent staff in these industries are going to see your workload increase significantly as you scour the earth for temporary staff to fill these shifts until more permanent employees can be located and hired. Agencies will be receiving significantly increased numbers of contacts from other brands in your space so you may find contingent staff getting snapped up at an accelerated rate.
These staffing crises are going to take time and innovative thinking to solve, so be prepared for this situation to continue well into the coming year.
Final Thoughts
The COVID-19 crisis has dropped many industries into the proverbial fire and contingent staffing procurement is no different. With an uncertain future and no obvious answers to these challenges, it will take teamwork and hard graft to keep things moving and make sure there are enough boots on the ground in the right places to crank those wheels of industry.
The new normal of contingent staffing is sure to be part of the conversation at ProcureCon Contingent Staffing 2022, taking place in March at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, AZ.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.