by Angie Kramer | Jan 1, 2023 | Forecasting, Freelance management, Project Management
According to statistics, 74 percent of employers think that remote working is going to be the new normal.
Remote and freelance work has a host of benefits, both for employees and companies. Workers report higher levels of productivity and happiness. And companies can achieve enhanced agility and substantial overhead savings.
However, there are a variety of challenges that come with managing a flexible workforce. These include communication breakdowns, centralized decision-making, disorganization, and more.
Fortunately, an FMS can help you solve these issues and increase productivity.
Not sure what an FMS is? Keep reading to find out why you need to utilize an FMS for managing your flexible workforce.
What Is An FMS?
FMS stands for “freelancer management system.”
An FMS is a tool or platform for managing freelancers, contractors, and flexible workforces.
It consolidates and streamlines all of the financial, legal, and operation components of working with freelancers, gig workers, contractors, etc.
Here at JobBliss, our FMS also gives you access to the JobBliss Marketplace. Here you can source new freelance talent to incorporate into your flexible workforce.
Besides this, with JobBliss you also get a centralized overview of all projects, both past, and present. You can see all history, both financial and project-related. You can also add new contract resources to your database and group and organize teams.
You can also onboard and save contracts and documents by project or resource.
These functionalities make it easy for managers to work with external talent. They can post projects, access approved resources, or onboard new freelancers.
Why Your Company Needs To Start Using An FMS
Like we mentioned above, freelance and remote work is famous for increasing productivity rates. However, there are some inefficiencies that can develop.
Without an FMS, managing a growing workforce of freelancers and contractors can become overwhelmingly complex. Managers end up wasting time:
- Hunting for documents
- Carrying out inefficient onboarding processes
- Checking up on projects
- Dealing with invoices
Contingent workers also come with a maze of possible legal pitfalls. As well as log-in issues, IP issues, and more.
Here are some of the ways that having an IMS can eradicate these problems.
An FMS Makes It Easier To Find New And Existing Freelancers
Tapping into freelance talent can save companies time and money and make your operations more agile. However, if you don’t have a streamlined process for this, finding and onboarding freelancers can be heavily time-consuming.
If you’re utilizing an external recruitment agency, you might also be wasting money on fees and markups.
With an FMS like JobBliss, companies can increase their speed to market with a private, searchable database. Through this, they can reduce time spent finding and procuring contract resources and freelancers.
Consolidated Resources
Besides this, you can also take advantage of existing talent in your database. JobBiss gives you access to all the freelancers and contractors your company has worked with in the past.
Instead of asking Joe from design for the contact details for that freelancer he worked with last year, you can access everything you need to rehire them right within your JobBbliss dashboard.
By consolidating resources like this you can cut down on a lot of wasted time, and have a clear overview of existing resources and your past projects with them.
Centralized Access To Invoices, Contracts, And Onboarding Processes
Another advantage of using an FMS is centralized access to documents, invoices, and onboarding materials.
This can improve and speed up a lot of the processes that commonly create friction between employers and freelancers. For instance, centralized, organized access to freelancer invoices helps managers ensure that freelancers get paid timeously.
This is important for maintaining good relationships with contractors and ensuring your projects remain their top priority.
When it comes to onboarding, having a comprehensive, complete, and standardized set of onboarding materials is vital. Not only does it save managers time, but it also ensures freelancers don’t get sent old materials.
If your managers are working from things like shared folders, it’s very easy for complications to arise with old document versions.
Better Compliance
Along with saving you time, using an FMS can also help you achieve better legal compliance.
When working with multiple freelancers and independent contractors, things can get uncompliant fast if you don’t have strict procedures in place.
With an FMS, you can store all of the required legal documentation in one place. You can also store it according to the project. This helps ensure that all relevant contracts, IP forms, etc are signed before the project commences.
You Can Effortlessly Track Results
Research shows that teleworking and freelancing come with significantly increased productivity. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check up on projects and ensure they’re moving forward according to schedule.
Without an FMS, it can be hard to keep tabs on all the active projects you might have running.
Manually checking in with freelancers and contractors might involve emailing them, phoning them, or reaching out on a collaboration tool to have a conversation about the status of the project.
If you have to do this for more than one project, it can eat up valuable amounts of time.
Instead, using an FMS allows you to keep tabs on all your active (and past projects). You get a top-down view of project statuses with just a few clicks.
If you feel like a project needs more human resources, you can quickly and easily source and invite resources to a project.
Keeping track of outcomes is one of the most important parts of managing a flexible workforce. Before companies tried to maintain increased productivity by monitoring “time spent at the desk.” With a flexible workforce, outcome-based monitoring is a much more effective approach.
Do You Need A Good FMS?
If you’re managing a flexible workforce, you need an FMS. It’s that simple.
An FMS will help you streamline management tasks. It will also increase compliance. As well as make searching for new talent and resources quicker, cheaper, and simpler.
Are you in need of a good FMS? If so, JobBliss is here to fill the gap.
JobBliss gives you ultimate visibility over resources, projects, invoicing, onboarding, and more.
You can get an instant overview of time, money, and effort spent. You can also easily search for new resources in the JobBliss Marketplace, and consolidate existing ones.
Try JobBliss for free today.
by Angie Kramer | Nov 21, 2022 | Forecasting, Freelance management
Before the pandemic, experts predicted that by 2025, roughly 70% of the world’s workforce would work remotely at least a few days a month.
Fast-forward to the present, and the pandemic has, if anything, accelerated this shift to external workforce models. Companies are not only allowing full-time employees to work remotely, but they are also relying increasingly on freelancers.
Currently, more than 90% of companies rely on freelance workers and plan to increase their use.
Have you yet to start leveraging the benefits of an external workforce?
If so, it’s time you got on board with the gig economy and start using it to your advantage. Continue reading to find out the top advantages that a flexible workforce can bring you.
1. Easier “Hiring”
One of the benefits of developing an external workforce is an easier “hiring” process. Yes, you will need to invest time into sourcing the right freelancers and contractors for the job. However, once you have pinpointed which contractors you want to use, the startup process is minimal.
Traditional employees typically require lengthy onboarding and orientation processes that can last for months. Besides taking time, regular onboarding processes also have certain costs associated with them, such as training.
With an independent contractor, you won’t need to worry about any of these steps. You won’t need to introduce them to your entire floor or organize team building or social events to integrate them into your company.
You also won’t need to worry about payroll admin, workstations, name tags, company email addresses, etc.
2. High-Quality Outcomes and Faster Turnaround Times
Besides being easier to hire, independent contractors and freelancers often deliver high-quality outcomes on faster turnaround times.
Freelancers and contractors are typically highly self-motivated. They are also more likely to push to complete a project, even if it means working longer hours to get it done on time.
Freelancers know that their reputation depends on the success of each project. Because they aren’t guaranteed to receive more work from you, they are also usually more motivated to excel at each project, as this might increase the likelihood of keeping you as an ongoing client.
Of course, there are contractors out there who do not strive to exceed expectations and might deliver a sub-par project to you. However, if this happens, you can easily move into a different freelancer. You don’t need to go through an involved employee termination process.
What’s more, you can also reduce the chance of hiring a sub-standard contractor by utilizing a good contractor management system or FMS.
3. Access to Top Talent and Niche Skills
According to research, the talent gap in North America has tripled over the last decade, leaving 69% of organizations struggling to fill positions.
If you’re having a hard time finding the right talent, you might want to look into building an external workforce. Utilizing external contractors and freelancers allows you to tap into a rapidly growing talent pool.
In some cases, you might need or want to find someone who you can employ full-time. If this is the case, a freelance contractor can still help you bridge the gap until you can find a permanent employee for the role.
4. Easier Scaling
Another valuable advantage of building up a strong external workforce is easier scaling.
Scaling can be incredibly challenging, especially on a human resources front. Inevitably, there is a period where there’s too much work for your current teams, but not quite enough to warrant additional employees.
These in-between phases can be very awkward, especially if budgets are tight.
On the other hand, if scaling is happening quickly, it might not be budget that’s an issue, but rather time. You simply might not have much time to find, hire, onboard, and train new employees during periods of fast growth.
This is a time when an external workforce can really shine. Finding new external contractors is quick and simple. Keeping track of their work is also simple if you utilize a comprehensive contractor management solution.
With an external workforce in your corner, you can take on more and scale and pivot to meet demand because you know you can tap into extra manpower at the drop of a hat.
5. Enhanced Agility
Along with easier scaling, building an external workforce will also allow you enhanced agility. If you need to scale back operations or pivot to serve new needs, you can do this quickly and seamlessly if you have access to an on-demand external workforce.
In today’s age, agility is becoming a huge factor of success and can often be the make or break for business survival and profitability.
6. Access to New, Innovative Ideas
Sometimes, the longer people stay within an organization, the more difficult it is for them to arrive at new, innovative ideas.
If you have an external workforce on hand, you might be surprised at how much they can bring to the table in terms of fresh insights and outside perspectives. Because independent contractors typically work with various businesses, they might be able to cross-pollinate ideas from one industry or organization to another and suggest solutions that internal employees might not think of.
7. Reduced Human Capital Costs
Another attractive benefit of building an external workforce is that you can start saving money through reduced human capital costs.
The more full-time employees you have, the higher your human capital costs will be.
Although independent contractor services can seem more expensive on the surface, they won’t trigger payroll taxes or cost you employee benefits or overheads.
8. Reduced Risk
Last but not least, an external workforce also comes with reduced risk. If you’re unhappy with a contractor’s work or simply don’t require their services anymore, terminating any existing agreements is usually very simple.
On the other hand, terminating an in-house employee can be an involved and lengthy process.
Besides this, you also aren’t liable for the personal safety of external contractors.
Are You Looking to Build Your External Workforce?
Having an external workforce at your fingertips has a host of advantages. From reduced risks and overheads to enhanced agility and access to talent, there really isn’t any reason not to start building an external and flexible workforce.
Worried about how to find and manage external talent? JobBliss is your solution.
Our advanced contractor management system allows you to quickly find and manage top-quality talent for all your workforce needs through both an internal private database and marketplace. JobBliss gives your hiring managers access to approved resources and allows centralized access to projects and contractors into one easy-to-use dashboard.
You can achieve a lower cost of repeat searching and onboarding, as well as access to more unknown talent across your organization.
JobBliss also gives hiring managers forecasting abilities which allows you to see trends and prepare ahead of time for increased workforce needs.
Less siloing, more control, and more project insights.
Interested to see how JobBliss works? Sign up for a free demo today.
by Angie Kramer | Sep 5, 2022 | Forecasting, Freelance management, Project Management
The global workforce has changed over the past two years. A recent survey reported 87 percent of work teams use internal and external resources. This includes contractors, freelancers, and other “gig” workers’ special skill sets.
Yet most systems and processes focus only on the full- or part-time employees. Many other long-standing workplace practices create barriers to non-traditional workers. Thus, today’s leaders face new challenges to building integrated, high-performing teams.
Expanded workforces don’t always translate into high efficiency. Keep reading to learn how to create a high-performing team with these blended workers.
Key Steps to Building High Performing Teams
The pandemic has forever changed the way we do business. Skilled freelancers and contractors are now a hot commodity. Companies now use different tools and methods for interacting with team members.
Integrating in-house and remote staff can challenge the team dynamics. Thus, we need to re-think our approaches to achieving high-performing teams. The following information discusses steps used by several successful experts.
1. Remove Perceived Silos
A silo mentality describes a mindset built around isolation. These people believe they’re part of an elite group. They hold the key to specific knowledge and resources that’s too important to share.
This culture creates pockets of information and divides the workforce. Thus, different departments must wait to work on their piece of the project. The creates redundancies and reduced productivity.
Each department has a limited data set to work with. A better solution may be out there, but no one can see it from their “silo”. Teach the workgroup strategies to build bridges.
Develop Positive Team Dynamics
Optimizing team dynamics relies on the members’ behaviour, communication, and collaboration. Do they show up, participate, and contribute to a positive vibe? Evaluating the level of positive vs negative dynamics can predict their effectiveness.
High-functioning groups rely on the right team dynamic environment. One survey asked 5,000 executives to describe their best team experience. The results highlighted three keys for great team dynamics.
- Align end-point goals and the strategies to reach them
- Develop trusted, high-quality, and open communication
- Ensure management support to experiment, take risks, and innovate.
Building effective team dynamics increase motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction. Your business benefits from lower absenteeism and turnover. This increases the return on investment by raising customer satisfaction and sales.
Team building and strengthening isn’t a one-time task. It needs ongoing attention to maintain positivity while adjusting to change. Ensure that management leads by example and fosters trusting relationships with the workers.
Establish clear goals and define who is accountable for specific tasks. Develop an emotionally safe team culture to encourage sharing innovative ideas. Identify and focus on the internal and external workforce’s unique strengths.
Integrate Internal and External Teams
Nurture the development and alignment of visions across the contingent workforce. Gaining buy-in from all areas can create more efficient processes. This includes co-operations between those who manage each part of the whole team.
Watch for redundancy or conflict in all facets of the process. If found, bring it to the team’s attention and work together to optimize the plan. This helps team members understand and support the rationale for changes.
Individuals gain trust when they feel like they know the “whole story”. Team members will adapt more easily to changes and promote progress toward the goals.
2. Foster Motivation to Promote High Performance
At our core, we’re motivated by seeing our efforts move toward and achieve set goals. Even if the endpoint is difficult, being confident that we will succeed motivates us. Highly effective people tend to set more challenging goals and remain committed.
Look for leaders that demonstrate this quality when assembling your workforce. Managers must get to know their team members and learn what motivates them.
Onsite and external workers want to feel like they’re respected and vital contributors. If their expectations aren’t met, employee performance suffers, and they often leave. This disrupts team dynamics and progress.
Elicit input from all team members to learn what drives them. Then act on their responses. This shows that management values their insight which increases motivation and satisfaction.
Provide Job Training to Meet Changing Needs
Employees don’t like to feel confused or unprepared. Provide essential training for all team members to help them perform at a high level. It’s also important to maintain a bird’s-eye view of how various roles interact.
Discuss the team’s task achievement with the group. Ask them to describe obstacles or challenges they face in reaching endpoints. In some cases, the team may find that cross-training can overcome some of these problems.
Training methods and schedules must remain dynamic and flexible. Gone are the days of presenting inservices at a set location and time. Your freelancers and contractors may be scattered across the globe.
New information technology (IT) products allow you to disseminate training efficiently. This keeps your team at the top of their game and allows smooth role adjustments.
Leverage Your Diverse Team’s On-Demand Skills
As your team develops workflows, they may find a need for additional skill sets. The JobBliss Marketplace allows hiring managers to find the right people. This public database contains the full-time, freelancers, and contractors you’re looking for.
Hiring managers have tools to oversee all management activities. They’re given the required permissions to approve resources. The user-friendly dashboard also promotes confidence that they’re meeting the team’s needs.
3. Take Advantage of Digital Collaboration Tools
Digital collaboration tools provide an easy way to unite contingency workers and processes. Today, fewer people attend in-face meetings. These digital platforms make it easy to connect without time spent commuting.
Team members can also collaborate on shared documents in real-time. This allows everyone to provide input and see others’ contributions. Fostering high-level communication drives more efficient planning.
If you need to collect information, data management tools facilitate this process. This gives the team current knowledge for making key decisions. The team’s confidence rises and creates more excitement with each success.
Are You Looking for a Comprehensive Management Tool?
Companies, today, rely on high-performing teams to maximize their return on investment. JobBliss is a Freelancer/Contractor Management System. We provide tools to build, manage, and track your external, flexible workforce.
Our solution optimizes your team processes to save you time and money. We maintain data security and ensure that your company meets all compliance standards. Schedule a free demo today to learn more about our services.
