Why borrowed resource is the secret source for agile talent

The world we’re working in is changing faster than ever.

However, although we might be facing the most extreme resourcing scenario of the past 100 years, organisations still need the right talent to survive, not just now but for the near future.

But investing in new skills, at this unprecedented time, seems unthinkable. There’s a high risk of putting your money in the wrong place, and then being committed to resource that’s only needed for a short-term priority, potentially not fit for purpose or simply unaffordable. At a time when our working environments have gone beyond the definition of disruptive, is higher than ever.

The ask is not a small one. But there are options: traditionally organisations have focused on either buying (recruiting talent) or building (developing from internal talent pools). There is a third option – to borrow.

This is where modern Employed Resource Models comes into the picture. Partnering with a third party, who maintain a pool of consultants ready-to-deploy to you when needed, can have real advantages compared to the contingent market. This option means you can switch on your supply of talent, to keep critical projects progressing forward as needed, and switch off with minimal notice.

You can make quick changes to worker inflow, access competitive and benchmarked skills, and swiftly react to global events, with a thoroughly de-risked approach, that keeps you ahead of the market but within the parameters of your comfort zone. However, not all Employed Resource Models are the same. If you want talent that’s optimally aligned to your goals, with superior long-term fit to your needs, best practice solutions can go the extra mile.

The best Employed Resource Models (ERM) go further than that, so you can develop future-facing skills within the safety net of a consultant pool, while still addressing immediate needs. It’s important for that pool to be thoroughly performance-driven, with supported learning and development that’s tailored to you. Your potentially reduced internal staff is then relieved of the burden of management responsibilities, and you can build skills before eventually buying them into your long-term talent framework.

At Capita, our pool of over 100 workers ranges from graduates to directors, so you have ready access to the full scope of the contractor workforce. We offer regular performance reviews, full performance analysis and reporting on demand, plus performance related bonuses to boost motivation. This means you can rely on excellence from every single worker, without having to look over their shoulders.

Our ERM programme serves perfectly as a short-term, gap-filling exercise – but the organisations that are going to emerge from Covid-19 primed for success will have spent this time with an eye on their futures. The workers we upskill in partnership with you don’t just vanish once your need for contingents transforms into one for permanent staff. After a typically two-year period, you will have the option to bring them in-house. Even while focussing on immediate concerns, you’re still able to pipeline talent and strategize for the long run.

Dealing with short-term needs shouldn’t mean forgoing your long-term strategic goals. We offer the advantages of contingent labour, paired with the ability to plan for the future and keep flexing to change along the way. The discussion around the growth of new skills might be background noise right now – but when the volume turns back up, you don’t want to risk having fallen behind.