It’s been a blur. Lots has happened in the last two and a half years for People and Culture professionals in that time, unfolding for many of us through the view of a laptop screen. The sheer social disruption is what I think will stick in my memory when I look back, coupled with the enjoyable challenge of setting strategies during a time of uncertainty.
There have been many valuable lessons learnt of course, such as the power of friendships and the importance of unity. The pandemic has taught lessons to many businesses too, in trying to survive and grow the value of supporting their employees, paradoxically it’s brought workers and their organisations closer together.
Naturally this time has risen expectations of employees, who demand the same types of flexibility their independent contractor peers enjoy, while keeping access to the multiple choice game of career development. Let them have it or lose them is how it is these days.
But the workforce of today no longer just comprises permanent workers, rather a blend of all parties that contribute to successful organisation. This of course includes on-hired labour, temps, casuals, professional contractors, and even service providers.
The rise of independent working which started to build in the Australian talent market in the last few years has continued during the pandemic, no doubt due to the taste many got for the unprecedented flexibility they enjoy provided by the relative security afforded by the skills demand in the market.
The same goes for temporary labour and on-hire workers. Sure, some work in this way for the flexibility to fit around school, other jobs, or to transition from one workplace to another perhaps as their working rights or skillsets allow. Others in this workforce using temporary roles as a steppingstone to be part of an organisation with which to grow, develop and rise – they’re wanting to be considered ‘’talent.’’
What’s more, the workforce itself is more diverse than ever and their values and expectations are being influenced by greater choices, technology, and opportunities.
The benefits of widening the lens on who you consider talent can have a profound strategic impact in a few important ways:
Yet there are risks of getting it wrong. In Australia there are rules requiring classifications of contract workers, the mismanagement of which has increased activity in the legal suite and broadened the scope of the law. There’s an alarming amount of misclassification workers in Australia, putting at risk your compliance to payroll tax, compulsory super, income tax rules, and workers compensation payment requirements. And no good business wants to do wrong by the worker, or face big fines.
Lack of reach to a professional contracting workforce such as skilled trades or consultant for example can hamper your ability to gain access to expertise, innovation, and on-demand skills that you may require to develop products, manage projects, or handle excessive service demands on your teams.
A governed whole-of-talent approach will bring insights that can facilitate strategic decision making and ensure the optimal use of service providers and contractors within your extended workforce mix. Commercially speaking, understanding worker patterns, costs, and factors such as turnover can help you make informed, strategic decisions about allocation of work, selection of supply partners, and the application of legal best practice to reduce the risks associated with worker classification and compliance.
Whether the extended workforce is a handful of people, or hundreds or even thousands of people in your supply chain, gaining an understanding of how well utilised they are, whether they are being paid commensurate with their skills and experience, how well they’re performing, whether they are engaged and want to stay, or return is of course critical to their successful contribution.
Prioritising the capture of this information allows you to personalise career or assignment opportunity sharing, provide a higher touch candidate and hiring leader experience. It also allows you the insights you need to start to communicate with workers like customers, keeping them engaged in company news, opportunities, and engagement events harnessing their collective interest in your company to be part of your talent pool – while not asking them to relinquish the freedom to stay independent.
Crucially, whole of talent models preserve the culture and climate of the company they support, while enabling work to be done through finding people to blend work into their desired lifestyle, through the widest possible lens.