5 Tips to Kick-Start Your Contingent Workforce Program

Getting full support across the organization for a contingent workforce program can be a difficult task. Different teams—like Legal, HR, Sales, and Marketing—each have their own priorities and concerns, and sometimes those don’t align. To get buy-in, you’ll need a smart strategy that shows how the program benefits the organization as a whole.

On top of that, there are so many moving parts to manage. Every department has a key role, so keeping everything coordinated and running smoothly requires solid communication and a strong team effort.

Interested in launching a contingent workforce program? Here are five tips to help you take the first step towards success.

1. Start with a Strong Business Case

Build your business case for why you need a contingent workforce program. What benefits will you find? What projects will be completed that would otherwise sit idle? And, what will the return on investment look like? And don’t forget to include the time, costs, and productivity loss associated with finding, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training.

Start by defining your program goals. Is your objective to drive efficiency? Or are you looking to save costs or mitigate risk? With clear goals in mind, you can start promoting your program internally along with the reason you are implementing it, how it works, and how it will benefit the company.

2. Set Clear Policies

As part of your contingent workforce program structure, include a clear policy for contractor engagement. This policy should establish roles and responsibilities along with the rules for identifying, engaging, and managing your independent workforce.

Identify a policy owner and ensure a streamlined approval process is established once the program launches. If needed, provide additional training for hiring managers or HR staff involved in this process. Taking the time to properly educate employees about the program will ensure they fully understand the policy and can pass on their knowledge to others.

3. Track Success Metrics and Performance

Establishing key success metrics that you can track is a great way to continually promote and update your organization on how the program is doing. Schedule quarterly business reviews to track performance and communicate these results to staff. Use these results to refine, enhance, or change your program as needed.

4. Gain Internal Support

For internal staff to follow along, executives and key stakeholders must first understand and champion your program. To obtain this buy-in, include executives and stakeholders from the start and involve them in the process of designing your program.

When presenting your ideas, be sure to clearly outline why the program is needed, list the benefits it will offer, and share how you will ensure success. Throughout the process, ask for and leverage feedback from stakeholders. Once they are on board, it will make your job of messaging the new program throughout the organization much easier.

5. Continually Improve by Gathering and Responding to Feedback

Sharing reports on program performance can help open lines of communication across your organization. When the program is visible and staff are actively engaged and kept informed, they’re more likely to stay committed to its success.

Asking for feedback both from internal users as well as your base of independent professionals can be a great way to increase engagement and solicit helpful ideas. By understanding the needs of both audiences, you can improve your program in the best way possible.

Remember, your program is a dynamic process. As your organization grows and as your contractor base increases, look for opportunities to improve and evolve. Firms like MBO Partners offer many strategies and tools that can help you increase the adoption of your independent workforce program.

For more information on independent workforce programs, contact us today.