For VectorVMS’s first in-person event since the pandemic started, it was an exciting “return to work” of sorts. The energy in the exhibit hall and the sessions at ProcureCon 2022 was palpable. The event planners did a nice job of promoting interaction, but it really wasn’t necessary. The venue was abuzz with new opportunities discussed, partner and client meet-ups, and handshakes and hugs all around.
VectorVMS’s Managing Director, Marc Husain, kicked off the “Talent-First Perspective” track on day one, reflecting on the previous year’s challenges, technological solutions, and how they’re shaping the future of work. These comments led right into the panel Marc moderated, “Welcome Aboard 2.0: Embracing The Onboarding Experience And Retention In The COVID-19 Era.” The discussion was centered around recruiting, onboarding, and retention.
In fact, each discussion throughout the conference kept coming back to three key topics:
- The “Great Reshuffle”
- Sourcing strategies
- Retaining talent
It’s a shift that has been felt for several months now, and certainly permeated each conversation—regardless of where the topic started. Other topics of note were remote and hybrid work as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion in the contingent workforce, but ultimately it kept returning to the top three.
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1) Contingent Labor and the Great Reshuffle
With so many workers reevaluating their employment, companies have turned to contingent labor to fill their talent gaps. But they’re having to rethink the jobs and projects for a more flexible workforce. Some roles have transitioned from full-time to contingent, or full-time to part-time. Some roles switched the other way.
At an event full of contingent workforce professionals, the “Great Resignation” and “Great Reshuffle” were certainly top of mind. Conversations often veered back to this topic, with questions about how staffing suppliers and managed service providers (MSPs) can best support their clients through the changing workforce landscape.
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2) Sourcing Strategies for Attracting Top Talent
Related to the changing workforce, attracting the right talent has been a critical conversation among contingent workforce professionals. Direct sourcing is a trend that has been growing for the last few years, but has since become a key component of any organization’s talent acquisition strategy.
Direct sourcing allows companies to leverage their own brand and reputation to attract applicants for projects and roles, rather than relying on the supplier’s brand alone.
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3) Retaining Contingent Staff for Future Projects
One topic that’s certainly receiving greater attention than ever is retention. While this is often considered when it comes to full-time or direct employment, it’s an increasing consideration for the contingent workforce as well. Retention of your temp labor may mean an eventual transition from temp to permanent employment. Or it may mean having a robust talent pool of workers familiar with your company who can fill a role quickly and streamline the onboarding process.
While it wasn’t a large conference, the quality of conversations we experienced these two days harkened back to pre-pandemic days of travel and networking while covering topics that are very important to companies around the world today.
Missed us at ProcureCon Contingent Staffing 2022? Get in touch to learn how VectorVMS can help support your contingent workforce program.
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Meet the Expert
Kevin Moldestad – VMS Global Sales Director
Over the last 20 years, Kevin has been a senior executive at a number of industry-leading management companies focused on the non-employee workforce. As VMS Global Sales Director at VectorVMS, Kevin provides best practice management strategies and leverages data to meet operational goals for continued success. Kevin has also been a speaker at national staffing industry conferences and is active at local and regional networking events. He is considered a subject matter expert in non-employee workforce management. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
