Big data is out there and most people have some degree of access to it. Technology spews out more and more data in some form every day about your workforce — temp, perm, consultants or whatever talent you use. In this context, where is your big data and what are you doing with it?

Staffing Industry Analysts looks at big data in many buyer programs with different operating models — from decentralized programs with multiple suppliers to total talent management programs that use contingent workers as a strategic advantage. You should consider big data from all available sources as a way for your organization to leverage the strategic advantage of your contingent workforce program.

Start with reporting cost, savings and usage over time to predict current and future trends or expenditures. Incorporate geographical or departmental information along with skills and you have a real tool based on factual analytics of your workforce to design hiring and recruiting strategies with your suppliers that will probably translate to more efficient hiring for the entire workforce.

Make sure your providers are using big data efficiently as well. There are a multitude of sources. Challenge your MSP to provide predictive analytics based on the big data they are privy to including pricing and micro-recruiting trends for jobs and big picture overviews of your competitive landscape when it comes to contingent talent. Use the big job board analytics to look at geographical trends and peaks and valleys in supply and demand. Learning what specific programming languages are hot in Silicon Valley could give a tech firm a competitive advantage. Look at and utilize BLS statistics for strategy, reports come out monthly and geographic emphasis from the Fed’s Beige book reports can be very useful.

Even more important, look in your own backyard for the most impactful big data. As Josh Bersin (Bersin by Deloitte) discussed in an article on Forbes.com, only 4 percent of nearly 500 companies surveyed are able to perform predictive analytics about their workforce and just 14 percent have done any significant statistical analysis of their employee data at all. Basically, most companies report on but don’t use the information they have on their workforce strategically. For those that do, according to Bersin, the payoff is substantial: stock market returns are 30 percent higher than the S&P 500.

So if you want to elevate your program and your career at the same time, remember that there is substantive value in being able to use big data in many forms (internal, external and governmental) in a strategic or predictive manner.