CWS 3.0: June 4, 2014

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Use readiness tools to accelerate program expansion

In Staffing Industry Analyst’s annual buyer research initiative, respondents overwhelmingly reported plans to expand their contingent workforce (CW) program in a number of key areas. These CW program expansion plans varied from adding service offering capabilities (ex., SOW engagement support) to launching global program management of the contingent workforce. Whether a CW program manager is expanding service offerings or business unit/geographic support capabilities, expansion “Readiness Tools” can go a long way to determine the success of these expansion initiatives.

The readiness tool is fairly simple in its concept but can be very impactful in supporting an expansion initiative in multiple ways. This tool or readiness technique acts as the first data gathering research step in a new initiative’s implementation process but can also execute a profound first step in the initiative’s change management requirements. Further, it will also determine if there is an organizational readiness to move forward successfully with the program expansion initiative.

Readiness tools come in all different shapes, sizes and depths of inquiry. Ultimately, they are data gathering surveys that are used to characterize and size an expansion initiative’s needs and requirements. Depending on their deployment, and the expansion initiative itself, they can incorporate hundreds of inquiries.  The length and depth of a Readiness Tool’s inquiry list will also be dependent on the targeted respondent’s willingness and capability to respond to the tool.

Staffing Industry Analysts Advisory Group (SIAAG) has created a readiness tool indicators template for global expansion initiatives. This Global Readiness Indicators template covers four key areas of inquiry that explores the available business case, the required change management initiatives, inventories current state and landscape, and reviews the compliance and governance requirements. It basically maps out the “readiness” data requirements to perform a successful global program expansion, or in some cases, indicate that such an expansion initiative is not advisable at this present time.

Another readiness tool example is when Staffing Industry Analysts conducts a Program Maturity/Capability Assessment (PMA). We begin the process with a PMA survey data collection workbook that prepares the participant for the PMA process. It’s a key learning step for all the parties involved in the maturity assessment process.

As a matter of course, using readiness tools to prepare for a CW program expansion makes good business sense and is actually completed one way or another by competent expansion initiative, project managers. If deployed in a collaborative manner, a readiness tool can be a powerful change management and knowledge transfer tool.

For example, if a CW program manager is targeting business unit and/or geographic expansion, using a readiness tool to drive discover discussions with key stakeholders can create important opportunities to transfer knowledge, share CW management expertise and showcase program support benefits.

Sometimes, stakeholders view CW programs as control agents that do not have their interests and CW talent requirements in mind. A well thought-out readiness tool that looks beyond its purpose of collecting implementation data but also creates visibility to important contingent workforce engagement effectiveness/performance issues will be a welcome conversation. It’s clearly an opportunity to share the competence of the CW program and present its benefits to the stakeholders. Transferring knowledge and understanding stakeholder’s key wants and needs can be a powerful accelerant to CW program’s expansion and adoption.