The authors of the book, Agile Talent, released last year by Harvard Business Review Press, define the shift to an agile workforce as “the increased use of external talent for strategic purposes.” They further go on to say that mangers in companies that rely on agile talent, understand that “agile, fast, and lean strategies require that they think in new ways about accessing and leveraging key strategic talent and filling critical gaps in strategic capabilities.”
So why aren’t more companies reaping the benefits of flexibility, cost savings and efficiencies that an agile workforce can provide?
Many companies simply feel that the agile talent in the on-demand economy will not be as productive as their own full-time staffers. However, our newly published 2017 Workforce Productivity Report disproves this notion, finding that 83% of business leaders believe that contractors are more, or equally as productive as, their full-time counterparts.
Some other reasons to embrace an agile workforce include the ability to:
- Achieve greater efficiencies and cost savings
- Offer greater specialization and access to new technology
- Offer new solutions your company wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide
- Deploy critical assets where and when they are needed most
- Deliver specialized skills faster by eliminating the time needed for hiring or training
- Seize new opportunities by remaining flexible and nimble to changing market trends and conditions
Download the 2017 Workforce Productivity Report to learn more about why and how companies are building an agile workforce to stay competitive in an unpredictable economy.
