Rise of Contingent Workforce: What does it mean for the Technical Assessment Process?

In the last few months of the pandemic, we have seen a tremendous change in the workforce pattern. Organizational challenges, accelerated by the pandemic, have disproportionately increased the quantum of the contingent workforce. With changing business dynamics and the need for varied skills right now, it is difficult for businesses to house everything under one roof. Second, organizations today are viewing technical talent as more of an investment than just a cost factor, changing the needs of technical recruitment and thus calling for a different kind of technical assessment.

There is a rise in freelancers, independent contractors, part-time workers, and virtual employees with specialized technical skills who can fulfill the businesses’ changing technology needs.

Contingent workforce: The new talent source

Gartner’s recent survey showed that about 32% of global organizations are replacing full-time employees with contingent workers to reduce costs and fulfill newer technology needs, boosting the gig economy all over again!

This all-new global workforce can easily work from remote locations, be hired based on their specialized technical skills, and requires no long-term commitment. They are dynamic and always in the know, saving you from investing in new, long-term talent, but still, meet your business needs. In an unpredictable economy that we have now, this contingent workforce is a boon for businesses.

Contingent workers also provide greater flexibility in resource management, giving businesses the option to choose between areas they need to focus on and the ones that they can let go. They can decide on the skills they need and invest accordingly. Companies can hire the best technical talent for the respective roles and thus fill the skill gap. As for the contingent workers themselves, they have all the flexibility to choose from projects, determine costs, and become either short-term or long-term resources for their employers. This sure seems like a suitable solution to the changing needs of businesses. But like everything else, alternative systems come with unique challenges.

HR Managers need to rethink skill assessment, performance management, and assess talents’s viability, seeking innovative talent management methods.

One of the major challenges that the contingent workforce brings with it is verifying their skills. Because recruitment of these candidates does not fit into traditional systems, they need to be assessed differently. Hiring such talent needs to go through technical evaluation, protect company rights, and ensure they fulfil the business objectives.

Assessing the contingent workforce

Like every other talent, contingent workers also go through a pre-employment, technical assessment process. And now, with work processes being virtual, this can easily be managed with an online technical assessment system. With a robust technical assessment software, driven by the machine learning powers, recruiters can easily test technical skills, adaptability, scalability, and growth potential of the candidates. The generated results can be pitted against the critical needs of the business, like quality, cost, risk, and efficiency requirements. With the right tools, recruiters can also set clear goals and track performances.

Such a contingent workforce may or may not be associated in the long run, but with such an online technical assessment system, companies can set their priorities straight and ensure that the talent they are investing provides value.

The gig workforce started serving a niche segment of employers, but have now become indispensable. Organizations have learned that building a pool of contingent and distributed workforce will not only keep their operations running but make their talent pool stronger while keeping costs under control. They can become location agnostic and serve clients anywhere and anytime and tap top-tier talents. It just has to be done right by making the most of available technologies to arrive at data-driven, well-informed decisions in hiring. 

For more information on online technical assessment platforms, contact Otomeyt.

In these troubled times, how are you managing your workforce? Are you planning to recruit a contingent workforce? Are you using online technical assessment platforms to recruit such a workforce? Let us know your thoughts.

Tags: technical assessment software