CASE STUDIES
Client’s Challenge:
My client, a large global multinational healthcare tech company had challenges with Hiring Managers who had staff augmentation and statement of work needs. A company audit of the non-employee talent base showed that most of the contingent talent base was improperly categorized.
Most hiring managers found the process for acquiring staff augmentation resources cumbersome and bureaucratic. The MSP, Suppliers and hiring managers were not in agreement about appropriate process and policy.
The staff augmentation rate card had not updated for 7 years which meant the rate cards were not market competitive. The job descriptions for new roles were poor and lacking information. This caused hiring managers to use outdated job descriptions to release the requisition. Suppliers and their submitted candidates were frustrated due to the confusion. Candidate onboarding was very discombobulated and frustrating.
Talent Magnetism is about using the proper tools to attract top talent. Relevant job descriptions updated rate cards and a positive on-boarding experience are important tools for this candidate driven market.
My Solution:
Working closely with US/EMEA Procurement and Talent Acquisition teams, I reached out to the appropriate statement of work suppliers to educate them about proper non-employee categorization, the need to follow process and how to work within a Vendor Management System (VMS). Also, I encouraged the client to update its rate card for technical roles and add job descriptions not included in the past rate card.
The results – The staff augmentation business grew as suppliers brought their business through the proper channel and process. The MSP business grew as Hiring Managers found the updated rate card met their needs and they were pleased the VMS has updated job descriptions that met their latest needs. The suppliers received more requisitions and they provided discounts back to the client because of their increased business. Proper non-employee talent classification was complete.
Create large on-demand talent pools for the US rollout of a new mobile phone with Global Communications Client
Client’s Challenge:
When the largest global telecommunications company rolled out the first smartphone in June of 2007, there was a business need to deploy five thousand non-employees to perform critical functions for 3 to 6 months assignment. Since the complexity was vast given the large volume of needs and the short length of assignments, we needed an immediate dose of talent magnetism to attract suitable candidates for these roles.
Most of the functions/roles were customer facing and involved queuing and directing customers to the correct sales associate, while other roles included educating and selling a brand-new technology to customers. There was a strict non-compete that all staffing suppliers must sign and the secrecy around the project was unprecedented. Since the assignment lengths were only 3 to 6 months and the suppliers had to have talent pools ready to go quickly, we had to amend the hiring process. There were also strict screening requirements that required completion before the start date. The Store Managers wanted to interview all candidates before making offers which would have prolonged the fulfilment of open requisitions. The interview process using store managers was cumbersome and inhibiting the overall hiring results.
My Solution:
I designed and delivered a structured interview process that allowed the Suppliers to find and screen each candidate without unnecessary HM involvement. This process had VP level sponsorship and input. The process allowed fulfillment within 2 weeks as opposed to the 6 weeks it took when HM were involved with interviewing. I established group norms for collaboration and integrating the new process for future retail seasonal spikes in non-employee staffing needs. I also created an employee referral process that brought friends and family members of the company employees to fill store positions. These actions resulted in quicker fulfillment, sales that surpassed expectations and subsidized full-time employee hiring as almost 50% of the non-employees converted to full time employees at the end of assignment.
As a result of the successful implementation, the Talent Acquisition teams had developed great credibility with the Retail VP team. This resulted in better forecasting for non-employee needs in future years which was a huge win for all!
Increase overall client diversity spend using the contingent talent commodity program
Client’s Challenge:
While working at a large global wireless company, I had an opportunity to increase diversity supplier spend within the corporate non-employee labor program. This opportunity was overly complicated and political in that it had stakeholders in both companies who were not working well together post-merger. It had visibility all the way up to the CEO as the US government provides lucrative contracts to companies who demonstrate commitment to building and maintaining business with diverse owned suppliers. We received an ultimatum - the client supplier base MUST mirror the client customer base!! We needed suppliers who were DVBE, MWBE, LGTBQ and Neuro-Diverse owned. In turn, we want them to hire diverse people and be much more empathetic to hiring candidates from underserved communities.
My Solution:
I designed and executed a supplier optimization plan that included decreasing poor performing suppliers and provided more business to diverse owned suppliers who had high past performance. The program had over one hundred suppliers with less than 30% being diverse owned. Within 3 years, there were twenty suppliers with nineteen being diverse owned. In terms of diversity spend category, non-employee labor grew to become the 12th highest commodity of spend out of thousands of various commodities.
Refreshing a Contingent Talent Program for a National Manufacturing Company
Client’s Challenge:
My US based manufacturing client was spending $15M a year in non-employee labor in fifteen locations in the US. They had an immediate need for supplier optimization and consolidation. The client had been involved with mergers over the past 5 years and as a result had unnecessary legacy suppliers and processes. After careful consultation with the client and assessment of current data, we created a strategic business and action plan with a 4-month timeline.
My Solution:
I designed and delivered a new Master Supplier Program that would put one supplier in charge of all contingent talent needs nationally. I led the team in establishing group norms for collaboration and integrating the new primary supplier. I worked with HR to create new tools to manage the supplier screening, selection, and integration process. I created MSA terms and conditions that could be the template for all future new staffing relationships. The new MSA that had much more favorable conditions like allowing the client to convert non-employees to full time status in half the time allowed previously.
Finally, the cost savings (due to mark-up reductions) appreciated the first year could be as high as $1.5M. Then the client would reinvest those savings back into better pay rates for new non-employees and reduce the current high attrition rates.
Hire thirty high level software development engineer roles using contingent supplier talent partners within a 90-day period
Client’s Challenge:
In 2002, my employer (a large internet retailer) had a business critical need to hire thirty high level software developers within a 90-day period to support critical business needs. This required building a solid partnership between the client (hiring managers) and suppliers via mutually agreed upon Service Level Agreements (SLA).
My Solution:
This required creating a partnership between the client (hiring managers) and suppliers via mutually agreed upon Service Level Agreements. Based on past performance and feedback from the client, a list of six suppliers were to work directly with the Hiring Managers. The SLA outlined appropriate topics for discussion (no sales discussions or working around the process), milestones and rules for engagements. Hiring Managers and Suppliers learned how to partner efficiently when hiring top technical talent. The result: twenty-two hires within 90 days which was a great result given the restrictions and lack of talent pool.
Client’s Challenge:
My employer (a large software development company) was the recipient of a class action lawsuit by a large group of contractors in the mid-1990s. This lawsuit resulted in over $100M in damages awarded to hundreds of contractors. The contractors felt like employees due to having similar or identical work relationships with Hiring Managers as full-time employees. They expected full-time employee status quickly and wanted the disparity in benefits and compensation reconciled.
The client needed an immediate education and marketing program that focused on eliminating co-employment practices for its Hiring Mangers and Talent Buyers.
My Solution:
Suppliers were immediately scheduled for training sessions about managing co-employment arrangements with our company. The goal was to share and build guidelines created by the legal and HR dept. For example, during on-boarding, the employer/supplier had to drive home the importance of ensuring the non-employee knew they were not employees of the client.
Human Resources quickly started to schedule meeting with Hiring Managers who were frequent users of non-employee talent. Together, both sides started to eliminate the culture of treating contractors like employees.
Client’s Challenge:
My employer, (Cingular Wireless) needed to ensure its MSP and VMS tools were appropriate to include the new embedded base of non-employees brought into the program because of a recent merger with AT&T Wireless. Both companies felt their solution was better and fought vigorously to keep their legacy solution in place.