Both contingent and direct labor forces are facing many of the same challenges with working during this COVID-19 crisis, most of which relate to working from home. Issues with connectivity, accessibility to systems and information, childcare, communication, and collaboration are making it difficult to maintain a suitable work environment.

If you’re managing a contingent workforce during COVID-19, here are some questions you should be asking yourself.

1. Is your company and culture adapting to ensure you can operate with a distanced workforce?
2. Do the rules of how to treat contractors versus other staff change?
3. Is your technology infrastructure set up to support these new realities?

Freelance and Independent Contractors

This is a workforce that should already be versed in working remotely and has the equipment to do so. How are you tapping into this? How are you mitigating associated risks?

SOW and Project-Based Work 

Do you have work that could be bundled and outsourced? Deliverable-based projects are ideally suited for being done remotely.

Hiring

Should you hire right now? We are seeing slowdowns in some areas, but others are still booming. For example, we are still seeing an increase in hiring in manufacturing. How is the coronavirus impacting your resource plan?  If hiring is down, what are you doing with your TA team? This could be an ideal time to talk with an RPO partner about supplementing for the future.

Outplacement

Thousands have already been furloughed or displaced from work. How are you handling your exiting workforce? Your approach to right-sizing your company will have long-term ramifications on your employment brand, for better or worse. Do everything you can to prepare your departing employees for their next steps. Consider adding these people to a pool of potential candidates to place elsewhere.

Communications

Are you communicating in real time? Employment policy updates are a priority. Your staff—wherever they are working—depends on you to keep them informed. If you fail to connect with your teams, you will risk losing their loyalty.

Business Continuity Planning Support

Is your IT team prepared to handle employees who are working from home? Consider reaching out to a flexible IT solutions provider. Keeping your business up and running, even during a time when the world has more questions than answers, will depend on your technologies.

Leadership

Are you accessible? We understand and appreciate that much has changed, is changing, and will continue to change. But if your workforce, customers, and partners can’t depend on you for resources, they are likely to take their service elsewhere.

Make sure your clients are aware of any potential delays with candidate onboarding, for example:

• Education verifications are stalled because schools are closed
• Drug test results are taking longer because labs are backed up with COVID-19 bloodwork, tests, etc.
• Criminal results are delayed because court houses are closed or operating with a skeleton crew

For assistance supporting your workforce, please contact us today at 1.800.568.8310 and info@broadleafresults.com.