Talent platforms enable on-demand teamwork
“The increasing pace of change in the insights industry has led to a critical need to quickly identify and assemble teams of specialists for certain projects. The client-supplier relationship has now, of necessity, become less focused on transactions and more on the establishment of partnerships. ”
Big shifts are happening in the insights industry that drive the need for more project-based teamworking:
Agile research and the need to innovate and make decisions quickly.
The prominent role and importance of insights in the strategic and tactical decisions being made by companies.
As the quantity of data about one’s customers continues to increase, the ability to distill, distribute and tell compelling stories with this data is also increasing.
The half-life of needed skills is still trending downwards. This has led to a skills shortage resulting in an inability of companies to remain competitive as the pace of change in their industry continues to increase.
To address their need for insights, how does a company assemble the right people with the requisite skills at just the right time?
Fortunately, on-demand teams and the talent platforms that enable them are providing the answer. The number of on-demand platforms that provide access to highly skilled workers is estimated to have gone from 80 to 330+ from the period 2009 to 2021 (Rethinking the On-Demand Workforce, Harvard Business Review, Nov - Dec 2020).
Of the Fortune 500 companies, almost all make use of talent platforms today. These platforms allow their users to have greater flexibility, become more innovative, and improve time to market. The HBR article also notes that projects run the gamut from “short and long-term, tactical and strategic” to “specialized and general”. Also, most of the companies using them say “these platforms will be core to their ability to compete in the future”.
A primary reason for the need and success of these platforms is the new “gig economy” now emerging through a range of wider societal changes. The biggest shifts are:
Many highly experienced workers have either been laid off or have chosen to leave traditional companies and are looking for greater work/life balance.
Skilled female employees now seek the flexible, work arrangements that these talent platforms allow for.
Individuals or couples who want to provide care for their children or their elderly parents value work-from-home (WFH) arrangements. They now can have more control over what hours they are available for work.
Millennials currently make up the largest generation in the workforce. They value both autonomy and the ability to work for themselves.
If you have yet to research or make use of talent platforms, you may soon find your company at a competitive disadvantage.
About the author: Patrick Johnston
As President of Vista Research, my primary role is to ensure that the data processing needs of Vista Research’s valued clients are met. Among Vista’s more well-known clients are Nielsen/BASES, IPSOS, Kantar Operations and Kelton Global (a Material Company).
About Vista Research: (vista-rs.com)
Vista Research supports organizations that collect survey data. Specializing in the data processing function since its founding in 2003, Vista assists clients regardless of the data collection platform used. Among the many platform outputs Vista is familiar with: Qualtrics, Forsta (Decipher, Confirmit), Alchemer, Momentive, various DIY platforms.
Vista Research is a proud Vendor member of Savio’s Talent Platform for the Insights industry.