The contingent workforce is growing across different industries and around the world. Many companies hire contingent workers, meaning freelancers and contractors who are not considered full-time employees, for specialized tasks their permanent workforce doesn’t have the skills or tools needed to complete. Besides industry expertise, contingent workers appeal to companies because they are onboarded more quickly — and less expensively — than traditional hires.
Contingent work is also beneficial for the workers themselves. By working for a variety of companies, they learn new skills and are exposed to different situations they might not encounter working for one company. Oftentimes they learn which types of companies they prefer to work with and tasks they prefer to do, so they create a job they love.
Where is the Contingent Workforce Today?
Contingent workers currently make up about 41.5% of an average company’s talent pool. This has more than doubled in the years since 2006. It’s important to note, though, that much of this contingent workforce is made up of remote workers who virtually log on and complete their tasks. That said, on-site contingent workers are also incredibly valuable to companies looking to fill specific needs, especially for short projects.
The Current State of Field Service Management
Field Service Management (FSM) as a market is growing rapidly and is set to double in the next five years. New technologies such as cloud-based access have improved and will continue to do so, making it easier for managed service providers to oversee their tech pools and for field technicians to provide an excellent experience for customers.
The Contingent Workforce and Field Service Management will Grow
Both the contingent workforce and the field service management industry are poised to grow quickly over the coming years. The demand for on-site contingent workers, in particular, is increasing rapidly. It’s an especially attractive idea for companies who experience strong seasonality in their business. Contract workers are a great solution for companies who know their team isn’t strong enough to handle their busy season, but also can’t afford to bring on more full-time employees during the slow months.
Contingent workers allow companies to be more agile and ready to react to unforeseen challenges. Your capacity for jobs no longer needs to be capped by the amount of technicians you have employed. Instead, if an opportunity arises for which you don’t have the personnel, consider pulling from the contingent workforce to help meet your and your customer’s needs.
The contingent workforce also allows your company to service customers with specialized needs. Perhaps only a handful of your customers are in need of a particular proprietary skill because of a unique piece of equipment. Rather than keeping a technician on staff full-time when you know there will be a small number of service calls where that skill is needed, consider finding someone willing to work on a contingent or contract basis.
The increase in contingent workers has also made field service management platforms more valuable. With these platforms, you more accurately monitor your workers and track their progress. This is valuable information so you and the customer can understand what is being done during a site visit.
Don’t let the thought of bringing on a contingent workforce worry you, though. At Kinettix, we have years of experience with field service management platforms and partners. We help you leverage a contingent workforce without getting caught up in the complexities of FSM software.
The contingent workforce is growing and will do so into the foreseeable future. Field service management will be growing into the future, as well. You can take advantage of both entities to help your business reach new heights. Contact us to schedule a consultation or learn more about our FSM services.
