The future of the workplace continues to evolve at a staggering pace. New trends, technologies and innovations, in volatile and competitive industries, have necessitated the need for improved and agile workforce planning, strategic adaptability and better talent acquisition and management. Clients around the world tell us that Strategic Workforce Planning remains a major challenge, as skills shortages, particularly in digital and organisational transformation, continue to decelerate development.
Whilst some businesses have acted quickly to close this skills gap, embracing the opportunity to stretch beyond the org chart and build an external talent pool of highly skilled professionals, there remains some reluctance to tap into this growing global network. Much of this stems from an ingrained stigma attached to the term ‘freelancer’. Many hear the word ‘freelancer’ and assume a lesser skilled, low-end, unprofessional basement-dwelling millennial. Perhaps it’s time to do away with old jargon and view this network of talent for what they are: highly-skilled, highly-experienced and highly-professional short or long-term solutions to business requirements.
It’s time to debunk the myth of the freelancer and begin the journey of creating connections to the best talent, to get the job done.
1. “External talent won’t fit in”.
The most popular misconception. The conviction that traditional employees will work harder and will better understand the culture of the company, whilst outsourced professionals will take too long to adapt to the new environment.
REALITY
Freelancers are predominantly highly skilled, extensively experienced and deeply disciplined professionals, who generally choose to go independent, simply because they feel limited in their skill growth and crave more work/life flexibility. The talent they are able to bring to the workplace remain unparalleled; they are experts in their required field or skillset, and this wealth of expertise ensures smooth adaptability to the work-space and the culture of the company. According to WorkMarket’s Workforce Productivity Report, 83% of business leaders believe that independent contractors are more productive than their current employees. Don’t forget, freelancers are reliant upon positive feedback to maintain success, making them ideal candidates for critical business requirements that necessitate dedicated application. At Talmix, we have a global talent network of over 60,000 of the most highly skilled professionals, with up to 40 years of experience in their chosen fields.
2. “The Hiring Process will be slow and tedious”.
Many companies believe that finding the “perfect” candidate is a laborious task, assuming that the niche talents that they require are even less likely to be found through external talent networks.
REALITY
Building an extensive pool of talent connections at your fingertips is what makes finding that ideal candidate a much easier process when the time does come to search for the candidate. The process itself is simple and effective, and much faster than traditional methods. At Talmix, telling us your requirements online will connect you with the ideal candidate in under 24 hours. We also reach beyond geographical remits if required, locating talent solutions in over 150 countries across the globe.
3. “Freelancers are only good for short-term projects”.
If you’re looking to plug a talent gap, or find unique talent for a short-term project, then seeking independent talent remains, of course, an ideal platform to achieve this solution. Yet there is a preconception that independent consultants can only ever be used for short-term projects, as is the nature of their role as ‘freelancers’.
REALITY
There are no limits to the requirements set in seeking to acquire business talent, and client retention beyond the remits of the initial project advertised is not a myth. It is better to maintain relationships with skilled talent than limit your business by disregarding it. There are some companies who might require an expert to undergo a simple two-week research role. There are other businesses who may need to replace their C-suite executives and undergo major organizational re-structuring in the workplace. Either way, there are solutions available for any requirement, reactive or ongoing, short or long-term. Talmix offers connections for any such requirement, so that you can connect quickly and efficiently to exactly what you need now, or may need in the future.
Differentiated skill-sets are now integral to the modern work-force, and the growth of the freelance economy in recent years has opened the door for businesses to engage with a plethora of elite independent professionals, to successfully close the talent gap in the workplace. Companies that encourage this interaction will thrive in the future fluid workforce, whilst those that continue to ignore these changes and opportunities, will begin to fall behind the leading pack. Make your talent connections at Talmix to hit the ground running.
1. “Isn’t it costly?”
A prevailing misconception: that independent workers on day rates are much more expensive than full time hires. Added to this, is there any real guarantee that hiring independent talent will be worth the cost in the end?
REALITY
In fact, employers can save up to 30% by hiring an independent consultant over a full-time employee, who would come with a range of extra costs (NICs, pension schemes, holiday pay, to name a few). At Talmix, our consultants have up to 40 years’ experience in their field, saving businesses on the costs of training, onboarding and management, and allowing them to meet high demands while keeping overheads low. Outsourcing transactional functions can help save costs further, and free in-house staff to implement business strategy. According to an IPSE report, UK freelancers generate an estimated £4.6bn in benefits for their clients. Independent workers are flexible resources for changing demands and are worth every penny.
2. “Am I taking a huge risk?”
One concern is that the hiring of an independent worker offers no guarantees that the work will be completed to the highest standard. There also remains a concern that freelancers could simply abandon their post and pass on critical institutional intelligence to rival businesses. Managing multiple sources feels like it could be an unwanted overhead.
REALITY
At Talmix, all our consultants and their credentials are pre-vetted, creating a talent pool of the most highly-respected and experienced professionals in their fields. Coupled with the fact that a freelancer’s reputation is inherently tied to their success in the field, it is in their best interests to produce the highest standards and best results. Such motivation and enthusiasm can be infectious around the workplace and inspire others to thrive. Ultimately, the professionalism, specialised knowledge and enthusiasm of independent workers play a critical role in ultimately reducing business risk for organizations. For that added security, non-disclosure agreements can be signed as part of the contractual process.
3. “It all sounds a bit too much like hard work”
It’s not that businesses are lazy. It’s simply a common corollary from not knowing how to actually kick-start the process of creating a network of independent talent, that businesses jump to the assumption that the entire operation is more hassle than it’s worth.
REALITY
The process: The process of finding business talent can be a smooth operation if done correctly. At Talmix, over half of our customers have connected with the person they ultimately hire in under 24 hours. From then, the platform can begin to build your network of business connections based upon your past, present and future needs, keeping you one step ahead of the game at all times.
The results: The talent that you are ultimately connected with are specialists in the role or project they are chosen to fulfil. As such, they don’t require additional training or supervision, thus reducing the management burden. As organisations face consistent regulatory changes, the work of independent talent will become an indispensable asset, if companies are to stay competitive in an ever-changing business market.
It’s easy to bring in the ‘good enough’ talent, but connecting to the right talent is what ultimately grows your business and your reputation. Start today right here, and stay ahead of the game.
STEP ONE: BUILD THE AGILE WORKFORCE
The current contingent workforce strategy is predominantly focussed upon the as-required sourcing of external talent, and not upon how this talent can then be incorporated into, and managed by, the organisation. It becomes a rather repetitive and laborious strategy for businesses to simply react to each emerging problem, demand or change of circumstance, rather than to prepare for the next one. Establishing an agile workforce model is much more concentrated upon engaging with the bigger picture, building a wide network of pre-emptive talent to leverage a diverse set of skills and expertise from a fluid and dynamic talent pool, for any project, at any time.
In a nutshell, the purpose of creating a permanent talent pool, of both internal and external workers, lies in the model’s capacity to respond much more quickly and efficiently to each arising need or problem. Businesses must consistently respond to the volatile markets and transformative technologies of the future, and the only means of remaining competitive involves the rapid engagement of critical and specialised talent to meet specific directives and priorities.
It’s a bold manoeuvre to discard the org chart and build a talent pool based on company-wide initiatives. It will mean creating more talent connections, and building fluid teams that mix both internal and external talent. This is where Talmix can help. Talmix taps into a network of over 60,000 highly-skilled professionals, in order to connect companies to the right talent that match their exact needs, on demand. It’s an easy way of accessing rich and deep talent pools instantly, on one simple platform, and without hassle. When it comes to building the agile workforce of the future, you can never have too many connections. The wider and deeper you cast your net, the better.
STEP TWO: ESTABLISH AN ALUMNI NETWORK AND EMBRACE RETURNSHIPS
In the war for talent, businesses often grossly overlook the value of maintaining relationships with former full-time or contingent employees. For organizations to get the talent they need, when they need it, creating a programme to tap into a wide pool of talent is essential, and developing a company alumni system is a low-effort, ideal building-block with which to lay the foundations of such a vital network.
Former employees should always remain part of the larger community; in an age of workforce transience, there will always be opportunities to bring back alumni to help with skill-specific projects or directives. They understand the culture of the company, they understand the role, and they require minimal training and support.
They are also valuable assets to your organisation, beyond simply offering a new talent resource. It’s important for businesses to maintain a positive relationship with its former employees, not least because they effectively serve as brand ambassadors for the company after leaving; after all, positive feedback is critical to business sustainability. Many alumni may continue to offer valuable business insight and advice, or even referrals. Some may return to the company, but with more diverse experience and expertise garnered from their interim occupations.
At Talmix, our strong global network provides immediate talent connections to businesses, on an as and when basis, but also helps to create a wider network of talent through which businesses are able to outsource their management of past, present and future acquisitions. After all, finding talent is hard, but keeping it is even harder.
To find out more, or to start building your talent pool today, visit Talmix.
Alex is Marketing Manager at Talmix, developing, executing and managing campaign strategies and 5 a-side tactics.
