The hybrid work model—characterized by a combination of both onsite and remote workers—is
becoming increasingly common around the world, as employers come to terms with the realities of a
permanent remote workforce. Forrester anticipates only 30% of companies will return to a traditional
in-office model after the COVID-19 subsides.

 

This poses unique opportunities for contingent workforce and talent acquisition (TA) leaders seeking to
expand their reach to contingent talent in remote environments. But it poses unique challenges in terms
of people management, accountability, and alignment with internal teams. In this article, we explore
how employers’ contingent workforce leaders are approaching contingent staffing in hybrid work
environments.

 

The Traditional Approach to Contingent Staffing is Evolving

 

In the past, employers have relied on contingent staffing agencies to provide them with workers for
short-term projects or to fill temporary gaps in their workforce. This has often been the go-to solution
for companies seeking to quickly and easily scale up or down their workforce in response to changes in
business demand. Contingent staff typically worked onsite at employers; physical locations as well.
But in 2022, there has been a significant shift in the way employers are using contingent staff in hybrid
work environments. As employers shift their own employees to hybrid work models, an increasing
number of contingent staff are now working remotely as well.

 

This trend coincides with a marked increase in the number of employers who are relying on contingent
staff to provide them with workers for remote projects or to fill temporary gaps in their workforce. In
2022, “80% of large U.S. corporations plan to increase the use of a flexible workforce in the coming
years, with contingent workers making up over 40% of the total workforce,” Forbes reports. “Many
companies realized they could shift from full-time in-office workers to a hybrid approach with both
employee and non-employee remote workers.”

 

Hybrid Models Provide Unique Advantages in Contingent Staffing

 

There are several benefits to working with contingent staff within a hybrid workforce model. Some key
benefits include:

 

• Bridging skills gaps easily. Hybrid work environments allow contingent staffing leaders to
  expand the pools from which they draw talent without geographic limitations. This can
  accelerate their ability to fill specific and high-demand skills gaps quickly.

 

• Cost savings. It is often more cost effective for employers to use remote contingent staff rather
  than hiring full-time employees. This is especially the case for basic functions when onsite
  attendance or onsite training isn’t needed, and when remote or part-time work will suffice.

 

• .Fast onboarding. When hiring contingent staff in general, employers often can onboard new
  employees more quickly than they would if they were hiring full-time employees. When
  employers needn’t worry about assigning devices, space, and other accommodations to onsite
  contingent staff, onboarding becomes much easier, for example.

 

• Flexibility and scalability. Employers have more flexibility to bring on contingent staff as needed
  and to seamlessly terminate those relationships when a project is completed or when business
  needs change.

 

• More freedom to try new operational models. Employers can use contingent staff in hybrid
  work environments to experiment with new operational models without the risk of making a
  long-term commitment to those models. Employers can gain new insights and perspectives into
  how to best structure their workforce and manage their operations as well.

 

Challenges in Hybrid Work Environments

 

Despite these opportunities, employers are still adjusting to hybrid work environments for their own
employees. There can be a disconnect between onsite and remote workers, which can lead to
communication issues and a lack of clarity in terms of responsibilities. Needless to say, it can be difficult
to manage and track the work of remote contingent workers for similar reasons and more.

 

Let’s begin with the emerging challenges associated with managing hybrid work environments in general
that impact work with contingent staff in these environments. These challenges include:

 

• Maintaining oversight and accountability among remote staff. It can be difficult to manage and
  track the work of remote contingent staff, especially if they are working on projects that are not
  closely tied to the companys core business and therefore don’t have clearly established means
  of accountability.

 

• Communication issues between onsite and remote workers. Disconnects between onsite and
  remote workers can lead to communication issues and a lack of clarity about who is responsible
  for what. Failure to adopt digital tools that improve communication can exacerbate these issues,
  especially with non-employees.

 

•  Lack of team building and culture. When employees are working remotely, it can be more
  difficult for them to build strong relationships with their co-workers and to develop a company
  culture. Onsite contingent staff often struggle to integrate into company and team culture in the
  first place; hybrid work environments can exacerbate this problem.

 

Remote contingent staff models have their own unique challenges separate from those that impact both
types of workers. More specific challenges associated with using contingent staff in hybrid work
environments include:

 

• Screening issues or lack of information about candidates. When hiring contingent staff for
  remote positions, employers may not have the same level of information about the candidates
  as they would if they were hiring for an on-site position.

 

• Compliance or worker misclassification challenges. There can be compliance or worker
  misclassification challenges when trying to use contingent staff in hybrid work environments, as
  it can be difficult to determine the employment status of remote workers.

 

• Fragmented management of contingent workers. When working with remote contingent staff,
  employers may have multiple managers overseeing different contingent workers in different
  locations. This can lead to fragmentation and lack of coordination in the management of
  contingent staff.

 

How Employers Can Succeed with Remote Contingent Staff

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, there are emerging best practices that can help employers succeed when working with
remote contingent staff. Some key tips include ensuring that the work being done by the remote
contingent worker is closely aligned with core business goals, establishing clear expectations for remote
contingent staff, and maintaining regular communication between managers and those workers.

 

Employers can begin by making strategic changes to how they currently manage contingent staff. Some
effective changes include:

 

• Build closer partnerships with staffing agencies or consultants. Employers can align the right
  skillsets with their specific needs and ensure they access the appropriate talent if they have
  close relationships with agencies who vet remote workers on their behalf. Employers can tap
  into broader talent pools with confidence via these relationships as well.

 

• Create new policies and procedures for managing remote workers. Employers can define
  contingent staff daily requirements and workflows before committing to new talent. That means
  enhancing accountability for remote talent more broadly in addition to setting specific
  expectations for contingent staff.

 

• Onboard new talent management software. Many employers are implementing new talent
  management software to better manage their hybrid workforces. This software allows managers
  to track the progress of workers, assess skills gaps, and more effectively onboard contingent
  staff.

 

• Introduce automation for compliance or contingent staffing contracts. Employers can
  automate aspects of contracts and compliance to reduce the time and effort needed to onboard
  contingent staff.

 

• Provide regular performance feedback. Formal processes for performance review of remote
  contingent staff ensures they are meeting expectations, even without direct oversight.
  Employers may offer training opportunities to their remote contingent staff as part of these
  efforts to help them stay up to date on new skills and technologies as well.

 

• Deploy analytics to draw insights from contingent staffing programs. Employers can get
  greater value from their contingent staff programs with analytics that identify productivity gaps,
  leverage cost savings opportunities, and even access AI-driven recommendations about future
  staffing best practices.

 

Embrace the Future of Contingent Staffing

 

As hybrid work models become increasingly common, contingent staffing will continue to evolve and
play an important role in helping employers to manage their workforce efficiently and effectively in a
changing business landscape. By following the best practices outlined above, employers can maximize
the success of working with remote contingent staff. But success depends on organizations’ ability to
formalize their contingent staffing strategies at the highest levels of the organization. As Forbes
describes. “By addressing the contingent workforce as a strategic component to the overall
organization, companies will… drive significant value for owners and shareholders;

 

Partner with Uvation for Contingent Staffing Success in Hybrid Work Environments

 

The strategic staffing experts at Uvation can help you as you transform your hybrid work model for a
more successful future. Contact one of our experts directly to discuss these opportunities.