**London**: Senior leaders from Talent Acquisition and Procurement sectors convened for the Talent Leader Dinners, exploring the future of contingent workforce management. Key insights revealed a mutual desire for collaboration to enhance strategies and address challenges in managing the contingent workforce within the Life Sciences industry.
Last week, a gathering of senior Talent Acquisition and Sourcing leaders from the Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical, and Biotech sectors convened for the Talent Leader Dinners, a series of discussions centred on Contingent Workforce Management (CWM), held in partnership with Skills Alliance. The dinner provided a platform for these industry professionals to share insights and experiences regarding the evolving landscape of workforce management.
Prior to the event, the participants were presented with a list of questions designed to stimulate discussion. These included inquiries about the future of CWM within Life Sciences, the appropriate ownership of such programmes—whether by Talent Acquisition (TA) or Procurement departments—and expectations of key buyer-partner relationships within the sector.
The evening commenced with a notable split among attendees, with equal representation from both TA and Procurement leaders, setting the stage for a robust exchange of ideas. The prevailing sentiment was optimistic regarding the future of CWM, with many attendees noting that the Life Sciences sector has considerable opportunities to develop systematic and process-driven models for managing contingent workers, particularly through Managed Service Providers (MSPs). A common theme emerged around the current lack of defined programmes and the necessary technology to support effective management of contingent workforces.
Regarding ownership of CWM initiatives, proponents from the TA side argued that their department should lead these efforts, citing their expertise in the talent market, which includes deep knowledge of skill sets and sourcing strategies. They also highlighted the importance of creating a seamless candidate experience that encompasses both permanent and contingent workers and the advantages of integrating CWM into broader strategic workforce planning. Furthermore, maintaining brand consistency in all hiring efforts was identified as a critical factor in favour of TA ownership.
Conversely, Procurement leaders made a compelling case for their role in managing CWM, focusing on their strengths in cost optimisation and supplier negotiation, as well as vendor management capabilities. They stressed the necessity for compliance and risk mitigation, ensuring that legal and regulatory standards are met throughout the workforce management process. They also underscored their ability to standardise processes and enhance governance across the organisation.
The discussions highlighted a significant consensus that collaboration between TA and Procurement is essential for a successful CWM strategy, leveraging the unique strengths of both departments.
As the evening progressed, attention turned to the current state of the MSP model within the Life Sciences sector. Despite varying degrees of experience among the attendees with MSP programmes, no organisation reported having a fully mature and clearly defined partnership. Many participants acknowledged that their organisations possessed primary supplier agreements or vendor management systems (VMS) that were not being fully utilised, indicating a gap in realising the potential of MSP partnerships.
A crucial topic of conversation was how to secure leadership buy-in to successfully implement an MSP model. A key takeaway from this discussion was the importance of presenting success stories from similar businesses within the Life Sciences sector. By learning from the experiences of others, organisations can better justify investments in MSP models and prepare for potential challenges they might encounter during implementation.
As the dinner concluded, attendees expressed appreciation for the insights shared and the ground covered during the discussions. The consensus was clear: there is a strong desire among TA and Procurement leaders in the Life Sciences sector to embrace the challenges ahead and make meaningful advances in the management of the contingent workforce. This desire signals a readiness to evolve practices and refine strategies to better meet the needs of the industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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