Old Habits Die Hard

Leveraging innovation to rethink our approach to workforce solutions

Recently, after more than two years of pandemic isolation, I boarded a plane to London. My destination: ProcureCon Connect in Twickenham. When it comes to travel, I’ve found that old habits die hard. The usual flurry of activities that in pre-pandemic times accompanied business trips—pre-booking parking, checking airport traffic, updating my rideshare apps, confirming hotel details—made a ritualistic return, muscle memory guiding me as if no time had passed since the last conference I attended. And in a day’s time, I found myself surrounded by more than 150 friends and colleagues at the annual gathering of CPOs and heads of indirect from some of the world’s largest companies.

Networking is an important tool for any business—especially AgileOne, where our dedication to true partnership guides everything we do. In the three months since I stepped into my role as Vice President - Managing Director of Europe, I’ve been amazed by how closely our teams work alongside our clients and suppliers to solve some of the most complex workforce challenges. Conferences like ProcureCon Connect offer a vital platform for in-person learning, sharing, and growth. Over the course of just two days, I was able to connect with dozens of leaders in procurement—during sessions and in-between—including many of AgileOne’s clients. By the end of the second day, the energy in the conference hall was palpable, evidenced by the fact that most attendees stuck around through the closing event, soaking up the opportunity to come together again.

Even as the slow retreat of COVID-19 facilitates the return of in-person gatherings like ProcureCon Connect, the suddenness of the global pivot we all experienced in 2020—and its implications for the future—hang heavy. One conference speaker, the former CPO of Lufthansa Group, helped put things into perspective: when the world shut down, their revenue projections dropped by more than 50% virtually overnight. More than two years into COVID-19, the only certainty is continued uncertainty. And in my 15+ year career in the workforce solutions industry, I feel stronger than ever that as a body of thinkers, we must move away from short-term tactical thinking toward long-term strategic thinking.

As I reflect on what I took with me from my most recent road show of conferences including ProcureCon and CWS Summit Europe, there are three key things we should consider as an industry as we move forward in an uncertain world:

1. In(novate) it to win it. Innovation is the key to staying ahead of shifting global trends. Some of the biggest game changers in business regularly hold innovation sprints, bringing together key stakeholders for a period of focused collaboration around ideas for improving their work. This kind of intentional approach to generating ideas can also create space for players in the workforce solutions industry to connect with one another and plan ahead. What can we do to be more efficient? How can we help accelerate growth for our clients? Are there technologies or processes that can help us avoid bottlenecks? Make it inclusive by inviting everyone in the supply chain to pitch their ideas.

2. Think total talent. Companies have grown comfortable making hiring decisions in silos, with human resources and procurement working independently of one another to fill full-time and contingent staffing needs. Whether it’s the result of conflicting department priorities, inconsistent operating processes, inadequate systems, or something else, senior management has historically been split on the importance of seeing the total talent picture. However, changing times call for big picture thinking. The sooner employers start breaking down barriers to collaboration between everyone involved in the hiring process, the sooner they can begin developing a truly innovative workforce strategy guided not by short-term needs, but instead with the best interests of the company top of mind.

3. There’s power in partnerships. Supplier collaboration was the focus of a ProcureCon panel in which I participated. As the only non-CPO panelist, I found myself unpacking the topic from all perspectives—from the supplier to the end customer. Our panel came to the conclusion that, in order for true innovation to occur, suppliers must have a seat at the table. At AgileOne, we want to be the greatest aggregator, bringing together leading suppliers and technologies that complement our core capabilities to deliver transformative solutions for our customers. As a minority and woman-owned business with a supplier base that is overwhelmingly diverse, we’re in a strong position to deliver value that is unparalleled in the workforce solutions industry. Not only does this translate to greater access to different ideas, but it has the power to help our clients retain and grow their workforce. According to our study, Workforce Solutions Market Overview – Building an Agile Workforce after COVID-19, 70 percent of job seekers want to work for a company committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This powerful statistic should have all employers recommitting themselves to strategies to diversify their workforce.

Change isn’t easy—and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But if there were ever a time for the workforce solutions industry to rethink how we approach our work, it’s now. At AgileOne, we’ve helped thousands of clients across Europe and North America redesign their approach to workforce planning. As I mark four months in my new role and reflect on what I’ve learned over 15+ years in this industry, I’m motivated by the opportunity to lead our team on the ground in Europe as we collaborate—and innovate—to reshape the world of work.

Original Post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/old-habits-die-hard-james-hochreutiner/