Organizations that choose to work with a managed service provider (MSP) for staffing functions often make the mistake of assuming they can move forward with a hands-off approach. This is not a recipe for success. Yes, MSPs take a lot of functions off the plate of the internal HR team but success can only be achieved when the client company views the engagement as a true relationship, designating a member of the HR team and procurement to act as the relationship manager(s), overseeing the MSP and working alongside that provider to execute strategy and achieve goals.
Open vs. Closed Programs: Vendors talking to Hiring Manager – Why does that matter?
Truly strategic MSPs can help to ensure strength in their program by fostering an open line of communication between vendors and hiring managers. Vendors gain a better understanding of the nuances of a staffing need when they have an opportunity to ask key follow up questions. This critical communication mechanism helps vendors to most effectively place quality productive resources at competitive market rates in a timely manner. Closed programs where direct communication with hiring managers is prohibited cut off this crucial communication line. Lack of clear and collaborative vendor and manager communication can lead to poor candidate quality at cost prohibitive rates.
“At CSSvSource, we listen to understand which gives us the ability to consistently deliver best in class workforce strategy solutions for our clients. Our contingent workforce solutions are tailored to address client business needs around process efficiency, risk mitigation, robust KPIs and metrics, and cost savings.”
You Can’t Measure Success If You Aren’t Tracking Success
Your MSP will provide you with regular reporting, but without someone to track how things are going, how can you measure success? Your MSP should act as an extension of your team, and should be managed in a similar fashion. Employees have goals and they are held accountable to those goals by a supervisor and thus your MSP should also be held accountable by their relationship manager. The MSP will manage scorecards on each of the participating vendors, ensuring the highest quality. Additionally, the MSP will continue to vet other vendors for future consideration in the event a current vendor is scoring low.
Provide Ongoing Assessment And Feedback
Best-in-class MSPs provide opportunities to their clients to meet and discuss performance. A lot of organizations do not take advantage of those opportunities, to their own detriment. Periodic, formal check-ins should be put on the books to provide a vehicle for discussing the state of the program and future plans for ongoing improvement. As a client company, your organization deserves to have a voice in the strategies your MSP is deploying, so that the organizational goals for the program can be achieved.
Companies can and should collaborate with and share information about what’s working and what isn’t working in terms of fulfillment, resume review, feedback and updates. Without a commitment to transparency from both sides, success is not possible.
Be Clear About Your Needs, Especially When Those Needs Change
Open and regular communication is one of the key factors to making the relationship work. The more the MSP knows about what’s going on with your organization, the better their results will be. After all, your MSP can only provide you with the right solutions for your business if they understand exactly what it is when you need it. Needs shift and change over time, and without a designated person to manage the relationship, the MSP would not be privy to the subtle business shifts that occur throughout the year that would impact their strategy and execution.
The amount of communication and interaction between an organization and its MSP won’t be the same for every company. The right provider will be able to adapt to the level and cadence of communication that makes the most sense for the relationship. While MSPs help companies achieve automation, a successful engagement does require human oversight and interaction.
If you are ready to realize the business benefits of working with an experienced MSP that can help you drive business strategy, the team at CSS vSource is here to help. Call us today at 856-222-0020 to learn more about our managed services.