ompanies looking for answers
to contingent labor questions no longer need to rely solely on consultants.
A new membership organization launched by publisher and researcher Staffing Industry
Analysts allows companies to ask one another what works.
The new Contingent Workforce Strategies Council, unveiled
in late January, is designed to give member companies (typically Fortune 1,000 corporations)
access to peer networks as well as Staffing Industry Analysts research and experts.
Ron Mester, CEO of Staffing Industry Analysts, says the new
council’s peer network is a direct response to requests from corporate executives
keen on developing best practices in the field of contingent labor.
"We started testing a lot of concepts with some of the companies
and asked a lot of questions," Mester said. "What we were finding was that they
wanted a lot more data and information, but they also wanted to interact a lot more
with peers and other companies. They said, ‘We think some of our peers may have
information, data and insights.’ "
One of the benefits being offered to members of the new council
is the ability to connect with other members to discuss contingent labor issues
or topics. For example, a member company shopping for a vendor might call Staffing
Industry Analysts and ask to contact other members to discuss existing solutions.
Initially, companies will simply be provided contact names
and information. But plans call for an online network that members can access. Mester
says the online component is still under discussion and development but should be
available by the second quarter of this year.
"Today it is simple," Mester says. "We schedule a call and
get out of the way."
Peer networking is one of several offerings through the new council. Others include:
-
A basket of proprietary research and data related to contingent
labor use and management. The system allows a manager to view on one page a list
of different issues or topics that need to be addressed.
-
Support from expert analysts who can provide expert advice on starting and running
contingent labor systems.
-
Regular updates on news and trends in contingent labor.
Staffing Industry Analysts unveiled the new council at its
most recent contingent labor conference, in November. The price for an annual membership
is $30,000. So far, four companies have joined: Nationwide, Accenture, Hewlett-Packard
and Dell.
While the new council offers some of the same benefits to
corporations as membership in the American Staffing Association—the ability to network
with others (primarily at conferences and conventions) and access to industry research—there
are also some distinct differences. The association is a nonprofit advocacy group
for the staffing industry rather than a for-profit company, and the association
does not provide the type of individual counseling and consulting that the council
offers.
Mester says the council should prove particularly useful to
human resources and procurement divisions, since officials from those two areas
are most often involved in a company’s use of contingent labor. "HR individuals
who are responsible for this function in a company, they often find that by and
large, the rest of their HR colleagues have no idea what this is about, how to manage
it, what unique challenges there are."
The aim is that through the council, those lonely HR experts
in contingent labor can reach out and find peers in other companies who can relate.
Workforce Management Online, April 2007 -- Register Now!
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