Opportunity Knocks! Contingent workers drive savvy companies past the recession
By Leslie Stevens-Huffman
Like a major earthquake, a recession often strikes without warning and delivers a powerful blow that permanently alters the business terrain. As revenues recede, most companies initiate proven defensive tactics, like shedding contingent workers to reduce expenses. In fact, 67 percent of companies lay off contingents first during a recession, according to Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), publisher of this CWS 30.
But historical research from the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) suggests that cost-cutting alone won't guarantee survival: "In past recessions, large numbers of companies stopped growing permanently. They never recovered. The fact is 81 percent of the factors that cause growth stalls are preventable errors in judgment or strategy -- even in a recession."...
Get Legal Counsel from the Onset An attorney on how to steer your way through a misclassification audit
In our May issue we speak with Gregory Homer, an attorney and partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Drinker Biddle in Washington D.C. He has worked extensively with experts in statistics and labor economics economics in the preparation and execution of defense strategies...
2010 Projected Spend on U.S. Temporary Staffing
Cutting Edge and Growing There's a new trend in town: the sophisticated contingent workforce program managed by an individual who spends all of his or her time on CW responsibilities. That is the finding of Staffing Industry Analysts -- the publisher of this newsletter -- based on...
My VP of HR has been asking me to look into the RPO process. I don't get it. Isn't it just direct hire??
--Conflicted in Connecticut
Dear Conflicted,
Actually, it's more than that. Recruitment process outsourcing is the complete or partial outsourcing...
Staffing Industry Analysts' Products and Services
Six Critical Areas of Risk
The use of contingent labor is expected to become a more critical element in the corporate strategy. And that it will increase overall in the coming years. Couple that with complications with healthcare reform, an intensified hunt for misclassified independent contractors and the perils of the work environment -- some are more risky than others -- and you may have what many have called "the perfect storm."
Chances are your legal team is swamped addressing issues around your regular workforce, and can scarcely pay attention to your CW challenges (much less stay up-to-date with CW related legal requirements). And, even more important, CW risk is not confined to the legal realm.
We've identified 6 critical areas of risks related to your use of a contingent workforce. Left un-managed, these risks expose your company to a potentially significant loss of money, reputation, security, and competitive advantage, not to mention the potential loss of freedom for your company's executives (that's right, jail):
If a colleague shared CWS 30 with you and you'd like your own FREE bimonthly copy, please subscribe here.
CONTINGENT WORKFORCE STRATEGIES 30 is published bimonthly by Staffing Industry Analysts and is delivered to buyers of staffing services. For change of email address write to subservices@staffingindustry.com or call 1-800-950-9496.
To contact the editor, please e-mail Subadhra Sriram or call 650.390.6194.
To advertise, contact Diana Gabriel or call 650.390.6193.
Like a major earthquake, a recession often strikes without warning and delivers a powerful blow that permanently alters the business terrain. As revenues recede, most companies initiate proven defensive tactics, like shedding contingent workers to reduce expenses. In fact, 67 percent of companies lay off contingents first during a recession, according to Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), publisher of this CWS 30. 
In our May issue we speak with Gregory Homer, an attorney and partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Drinker Biddle in Washington D.C. He has worked extensively with experts in statistics and labor economics economics in the preparation and execution of defense strategies...
