Six steps to achieving total workforce optimization

Six steps to achieving total workforce optimization

Total workforce optimization is the process of determining the right mix of employee and external or nonemployee talent to meet operational requirements.

Total workforce optimization is sometimes confused with total talent management (TTM), which is a much larger and more comprehensive process. TTM not only incorporates the engagement and management of employee and non-employee labor, but also issues like compensation, training, and succession planning which are outside the scope of total workforce optimization.

Total workforce optimization is easier to achieve than total talent management and will set your organization up for the other benefits that total talent management promises.

Identify sources of workforce data

While most companies have full visibility of their employees via their human capital management (HCM) systems, few have complete visibility into their entire workforce, including both employees and non-employee workers. Most have some, but not all, contingent workers in their vendor management system (VMS). But freelancers, independent contractors (ICs), and outsourced service contractors may be in procurement (P2P) solutions or other applications.

It is critical to ascertain where all employee and non-employee data can be found in order to ensure total workforce visibility.

Risk-proof the workforce

The second step you need to consider is to risk-proof your workforce by ensuring proper classification of every individual worker. Start by putting them in the employment category and ensuring that they’re in the right sub-category—temporary staff or contractors, outsourced labor, freelancers, interns, or retirees on contract.

Categorizing your workers correctly will give you the confidence to put them to work and not worry about legal, compliance, or security consequences.

Ascribe quality to all workers

The third step is a very important one but tends to be elusive for many businesses. It is the process of ascribing performance quality measures to all workers and all work efforts. Organizations already do this for full-time employees with periodic performance appraisals and reviews of quarterly KPIs. However, these performance measures don’t carry over to their contractors, consultants, and agency-provided temporary workers.

Some organizations don’t track quality for their extended workforce because they’re afraid of co-employment risk, but there are ways to assign quality to the work effort, and even to individuals, without getting into co-employment trouble. When you take the opportunity to rate the work, you will find that you can now tie the cost equation to the quality equation.

Combine workforce data from disparate sources

Extract workforce data from the various process control systems where it resides and assemble it to provide a single source of truth for workforce data and compliance. This function allows you to unearth vital workforce statistics, diminish risks, and drive workforce strategies.

You could build a technology solution to perform these tasks, but they can also be accomplished simply and effectively using Beeline’s workforce analytics and compliance engine, Beeline Acuity.

Analyze data for risk mitigation and strategic decision-making

Once the employee and non-employee data is combined, the next step is to analyze and apply the data. Sophisticated technology solutions like Beeline Acuity allow organizations to use visualizations and provide an easy-to-access and complete picture of your workforce (counts, locations, skills, demographics, and third-party relationships) across all business units, geographies, and worker types.

You can also identify and resolve missing essential data about external workers and third parties and reconciles data against your risk and compliance rules to uncover risks and optimization opportunities.

Do something

Of course, the last step is to do it—execute a workforce optimization program. You are probably closer to total workforce optimization than you imagined. You already have a tremendous amount of workforce data. What you lack can be obtained with a little effort and the right technology.

Six steps to total workforce optimization

Identify all sources of workforce data, including employees and all categories of non-employee talent.

Make sure that you risk-proof your extended workers. Run them through the proper classification for compliance.

Ascribe quality to every worker and project.

Analyze data for risk mitigation and strategic workforce planning.

Your workforce mix is critical to your organization’s agility and competitiveness. Now is the time to begin using the right technology to help you reach this goal.

Extract and combine workforce data from all sources.

About Beeline

For over 20 years, Beeline has empowered businesses worldwide to achieve competitive advantages with their extended workforce. Beeline Extended Workforce Platform gives companies the visibility needed to mitigate risks, achieve cost savings, and meet dynamic business needs. With tailored solutions that solely focus on the complexities of the extended workforce, clients leverage Beeline products that fit their unique requirements. Through thousands of integrations, clients can connect their extended workforce data from all technology stacks, including major procurement and HR systems.

Join the list of renowned brands benefiting from Beeline’s deeply seasoned experts, collaborative innovation, and industry-leading partner network. Explore more at beeline.com.