More staffing providers are starting to see the advantages of working through large staffing buyers’ contingent workforce programs, said Dawn McCartney, director, contingent workforce strategies & research at Staffing Industry Analysts. It has been forecast that 2016 will likely be a replay of 2015 in terms of staffing trends, but the risk of  global recession is higher — and there will be a need for staffing firms to work well with their customers.

In fact, such programs at first caused concerns over issues such as potential lack of contact between staffing suppliers and hiring managers. And, at first, it wasn’t difficult to go around such programs — but that is changing as the industry matures.

In addition, “they have started to show the benefit and value of play by our rules and you will be rewarded,” McCartney said.

If a staffing supplier does well, they can be brought to the attention of several more hiring managers at a buyer. Although, if they do poorly, multiple hiring managers will know that as well.

The views of buyers with contingent workforce programs will be discussed during a panel on Feb. 23 at the Staffing Industry Executive Forum in Phoenix, Ariz.

McCartney will lead that panel — titled “What Motivates and Demotivates Your Clients?” — and it will include three staffing buyers.

You can’t have a great contingent workforce program without a great staffing supplier and vice versa, McCartney said. “We all need each other to be successful.”

Plans call for panelists to discuss out-of-the-box thinking by staffing suppliers that has worked, why and what some of the results were. Plans also call for discussion of what didn’t work and what the results.

The three staffing buyer panelists will include:

• Michelle Cox, senior manager, external staffing & vendor relations, US Cellular
• Elizabeth Shelly, VP, HR policy and compliance manager, T. Rowe Price Associates Inc.
• Steve Silver, senior director-contingent talent management program, Kaiser Permanente.