Contingent workforces are an important and growing component of today’s economy. As the nature of work changes, more and more companies are including a contingent workforce strategy to accelerate success.
These contingent workers, which are made up of freelancers, independent contractors, consultants and temporary workers, offer a wide range of benefits. Hiring managers are tasked with employing contingent workers to mitigate the shortage of skilled workers, incur cost savings, but that’s not where success starts and stops.
A contingent workforce program can be a great asset to a company, but only if they are managed efficiently. Here are seven ways to monitor and improve the efficiency of your contingent workforce.
1. Define the scope of work
The first step to efficient contingent workforce management is defining the scope of work. What tasks need to be performed? Who will perform them? When do they need to be completed? When you hire contingent workers, it’s important to assign them tasks that they are hired for and ensure that you meet workforce targets.
To make sure your contingent workers are sticking to the scope of work, you should:
Regularly review the scope of work with your contingent worker.
Update the scope of work as needed.
Communicate changes to your temporary workers.
2. Set measurable goals
It’s not enough to simply define the scope of work—you also need to set measurable goals. What does success look like? How will you know if your temporary worker is meeting your needs? Without concrete, measurable goals or key performance indicators, it will be difficult to assess your contingent workforce performance and make improvements where necessary.
To set effective goals, you should:
Identify what you want to achieve
Establish measurable criteria for success
Set a timeframe for achieving your goals
Communicate your goals to your contingent employees
3. Track progress
Once you’ve defined the scope of work and set measurable goals, it’s time to start tracking progress. How are your contingent workers performing? Are they meeting your expectations? Tracking progress will help you identify areas where your contingent workforce is excelling and areas where there is room for improvement. Use a vendor management system (VMS) to track progress and keep tabs on your contingent workforce.
There are a number of ways to track the progress of your contingent workforce, including:
Regular check-ins with team members
Project management tools
Time tracking software
4. Provide feedback
In addition to tracking progress, it’s important to provide feedback to your contingent workforce on a regular basis. This feedback should be both positive and constructive, highlighting what your contingent workers are doing well and areas where they can improve. Feedback will help your contingent workforce understand your expectations and enable them to make necessary adjustments to their work.
To give effective feedback, you should:
Be specific in your feedback
Make sure your feedback is timely
Avoid giving too much or too little feedback
Give feedback that is actionable
5. Encourage communication
Effective communication is essential for managing any workforce, but it’s especially important when hiring contingent workers. Contingent workers are often spread out geographically and may not have regular contact with their team members or managers. As a result, it’s important to encourage communication and make sure everyone is on the same page.
There are a number of ways to encourage communication within your contingent workforce, including:
Regular check-ins with team members
Establishing clear channels of communication
Encouraging questions and feedback
Using collaboration tools
6. Promote teamwork
In addition to encouraging communication, it’s also important to promote teamwork between your temporary and permanent employees. Contingent workers should feel like they are part of a team and that their work is valuable to the success of the company. By promoting teamwork, you can improve morale and increase productivity.
There are a number of ways to promote teamwork within your contingent workforce, including:
Encouraging collaboration
Fostering a sense of ownership
Recognizing and rewarding team accomplishments
7. Offer training and support
Contingent workers should have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. This may include access to training materials, manuals, or other reference materials. In addition, your contingent workforce should know who to contact if they have questions or need assistance with their work.
There are a number of ways to offer training and support to your contingent workforce, including:
Providing reference materials
Offering online training courses
Making yourself available for questions and concerns
8. Be flexible
Last but not least, it’s important to be flexible when working with a contingent worker. If a team member needs more time to complete a project, consider the factors that justify the request. If a project scope changes, be willing to adjust the timeline. The work may be more complicated than anticipated. By being flexible, you can keep your contingent workforce happy and reduce turnover.
There are a number of ways to be flexible when working with a contingent workforce, including:
Being willing to adjust deadlines
Giving contingent workers autonomy over their work
Offering flexible scheduling options
Allowing contingent workers to work from home
9. Motivate your team
In addition to being flexible, it’s also important to motivate your contingent workers. They may be motivated by different things than permanent employees, so it’s important to find out what motivates your team and then provide them with the appropriate incentives.
There are a number of ways to motivate your contingent workforce, including:
Providing financial incentives
Offering time off or flexible scheduling
Recognizing and rewarding great work
Giving contingent workers the opportunity to lead projects
Conclusion
By following these tips, you can effectively manage your contingent workforce and work towards building a more mature contingent workforce program. Contingent workers are an important part of many businesses, so it’s important to make sure they have the resources and support they need to be successful. By providing training, support, and incentives, you can keep your extended workforce happy and productive.
