Buyer Reality

305, 2016

Straight Talk: Not Rocket Science

By |May 3rd, 2016|

Successful client relationships take knowledge and respect

I am always excited to talk about contingent labor and, especially, contingent labor at Waste Management.

The three things that are always on my mind when thinking about our staffing supplier partners are order fulfillment, program compliance and co-employment management. Partners that share the burden of managing these areas find […]

103, 2016

Straight Talk: Back to the Basics

By |March 1st, 2016|

In an increasingly competitive industry, staffing suppliers are promising all the bells and whistles, the whole she bang.

However, time after time, the bells and whistles only served as a detractor from accomplishing the ultimate purpose of successfully developing a lasting relationship with clients. The ones that stood the test of time and continued to deliver […]

1510, 2015

Think Before You Cold Call

By |October 15th, 2015|

Several times a day, an unknown number appears on my phone screen. One day, not too long after attending a Staffing Industry Analysts CWS conference, I took one of these calls in a rush, and there it was again: another staffing salesperson. This one claims to work for the only provider that really understands my […]

110, 2015

Straight Talk: Think Before You Cold Call

By |October 1st, 2015|

Do your homework and tailor your solutions accordingly

Several times a day, an unknown number appears on my phone screen. One day, not too long after attending a Staffing Industry Analysts CWS conference, I took one of these calls in a rush, and there it was again: another staffing salesperson. This one claims to work for […]

107, 2015

Straight Talk: Didn’t Make the Team?

By |July 1st, 2015|

Seemingly decent performance may not be enough to keep you on the playing field

Just over two years ago, we launched our MSP with incumbent contingent labor suppliers. That was when we began to realize just how large our supplier pool really was. Everywhere we looked, under every rock we turned, we’d find yet another contingent […]

106, 2015

Straight Talk: Lessons From the Hunt

By |June 1st, 2015|

What a time-honored holiday tradition and staffing have in common

By now, a couple months have passed since Easter, but I want to share what occurred to me while watching my child participate in my neighborhood’s Easter egg hunt this year.

Watching the event is always a fun exercise in observing human behavior. When I am not […]

102, 2015

Straight Talk From the Customer: Fostering Diversity

By |February 1st, 2015|

Fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace continues to be a priority for many companies because doing so creates value for customers and better reflects the communities in which they do business. Building such a workforce begins with recruiting, so staffing companies looking to differentiate them- selves should think about how they can cultivate […]

1510, 2014

Straight Talk From the Customer: A Matter of Health

By |October 15th, 2014|

Contingent worker quality effects are far-reaching for Lilly

It is possible you or someone close to you are the end customer of Eli Lilly and Company’s contingent worker program, because these individuals may be involved in the process of making the medicines you or your family members take. They may also be involved in the […]

3009, 2014

Straight Talk From the Customer: Get Specialised

By |September 30th, 2014|

Why deep expertise can benefit you and your client

With most contingent workforce programmes, benchmarking is a great place to start in order to identify savings opportunities. It makes sense. You know a job category in your location averages a certain amount per hour, and you can compare that with your own spend.

But that method […]

109, 2014

Straight Talk From the Customer: Do This, Not That

By |September 1st, 2014|

How to treat your customers to promote a symbiotic relationship

By Peggy O’Neill

Contingent workforce managers and programs invariably need to rely on vendors for temporary hiring needs, which makes for a symbiotic relationship. As a CW manager, I want to work with vendors that are trustworthy, reliable, understand our requirements and identify qualified candidates in a […]