CWS 3.0 strives to provide actionable management advice and insight to enable you to run your program. As we head into 2020, we look back at the most popular insight articles from our team of analysts.

What do top programs have in common? It’s more than strategy. Frank Enriquez, senior manager of contingent workforce strategies and research, detailed traits shared by top-performing CW programs, such as self-aware program managers, strong stakeholders and executive buy-in.

Direct sourcing: Savings, a step toward total talent management. When direct sourcing is well-executed, the reduced onboarding times, staffing agency margin savings and consistency of contingent worker experience add up to a compelling proposition, wrote Jo Matkin, global workforce solutions research director at SIA.

Total talent management: Some talk, little advancement. Few organizations have reached an advanced stage of total talent management maturity, Matkin said, and she outlined the barriers to adoption. (Since this article was published, SIA produced a research report in collaboration with Alexander Mann Solutions that provides insights into where the market is making progress toward a more integrated and unified total talent  approach.)

Supplier consolidation: An art form, not science. Having too many suppliers leads to poorer service and candidate quality, Enriquez wrote. And leading programs are taking heed.

Overtime at last: Complying with the Department of Labor’s proposed pay rule. The DOL announced a much-anticipated proposal to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime threshold. Fiona Coombe, director, legal and regulatory research, explained what it means to employers. The DOL’s final rule was published in September 2019, and went  into effect Jan. 1.

Getting the terms right. Key performance indicators and service-level agreements go hand-in-hand, but are often misunderstood and misapplied. Enriquez shared how to use them to their fullest potential.

Trim down. An excessive supplier pool is a poor program strategy. Failure to achieve program goals and objectives can be attributed to a weak staffing supplier strategy. Strong CW programs, with fewer suppliers and controlled competition, can achieve a balance beyond cost, Enriquez wrote.

Avoid MSP buyer’s remorse. Buyer’s remorse is more traditionally associated with the sense of regret we feel after making a (usually expensive) purchase. Matkin discussed how to get your relationship with your managed service provider off to a good start — and keep it that way — so you aren’t left with regrets.

Don’t be too rigid: Take a hybrid approach. No matter how well you structure your program, things evolve and you have to be ready to adapt. Developing flexible solutions will help your program to be agile and keep up with the evolving, complex marketplace, wrote Peter Reagan, senior director, contingent workforce strategies and research.

IR35 in the UK: Getting ready for April 2020. As the April 2020 implementation deadline for IR35 off-payroll working rules in the private sector nears, the topic comes up regularly during SIA’s interactions with buyer organizations. In this article, Reagan discussed a few of the key messages from those most affected by this forthcoming legislation.

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