“Working Knowledge” Digest – Part Two for June

workingknowledge-01

Did you know about the new “Working Knowledge” section on the nextSource website? This critically informative new section is home to articles replete with valuable information for practitioners of contingent workforce management. While the nextSource Blog generally deals with broader trends, strategies and schools of thought on hot topics impacting the industry, the Working Knowledge section provides more drilled-down information on specific tactics, legal/regulatory updates and other tactical information. This is part two of this month’s post which provides highlights of the articles in the new section on a monthly basis.

With most US states in some stage of reopening after the COVID-19 lockdowns, hiring authorities are faced with an array of issues related to safely reopening non-remote operations. Whether it is the challenge of keeping workforces safe while the disease is still among us, or reengaging the talent lost, laid off or furloughed, find out how to proceed in this article titled, Back to the Office is More than a Safety Issue.

Similarly, making decisions regarding whether to bring contingent workers Back to Work: On or Offsite reveals an unintended opportunity to recalibrate what roles truly need to be situated on location and which ones can continue to be effective in remote capacities.

In a bitter irony, the very tech workers who helped develop and build the tools used to automate so many business processes across numerous business functions are now expressing concerns about being put out of work by the very tech they designed. Have Tech Employees Designed Their Own Demise? looks at KPMG survey results reflecting this concern among tech talent.

In other COVID-related news, it’s no surprise that the trend toward globalization has been severely truncated by the virus. With hundreds of countries closing their borders, air travel crawling to a halt and the compounding effect of the Sino-American trade war depressing global commerce, The Economist magazine suggests that globalization may be another casualty of the pandemic. Has the Pandemic Killed Globalization? asks, “will companies and countries seek greater safety in international diversification, or will they try fostering domestic self-sufficiency?”

Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive financial losses to companies prompting a reversion from a focus on talent quality to the earlier (and formerly mitigated concern) surrounding cost. PwC research suggests that 82% of CFOs are now focused on cost-cutting, and 67% may either defer or cancel planned investments. Read, Contingent Workforce Management Priority Shifts Back to Spend Management for more details on how this shift may impact your contingent workforce planning in the coming months.

Check back in July for new “Working Knowledge” articles and the Digest we’re producing monthly here at the nextSource Blog. As always, for more information about any of the data, strategy or information covered in the above articles, contact nextSource experts today.

To read more on this subject

More Articles