In today's rapidly evolving skills and employment landscape, workforce management has become crucial for local authorities in the UK. To reduce skills shortages in public sector areas such as <a href="../../../../../insights/blog/crisis-in-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">care </a>and <a href="../../../../../insights/blog/facilities-services-shortages_f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facilities management</a>, it is going to be vital to remain competitive as an employer of choice for the best talent with the most relevant skills and experience.&nbsp;
In this blog post, we will explore some of the key trends that are likely to shape the workforce management of local authorities in the UK in 2024.&nbsp;
<h3>Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)&nbsp;</h3>
One of the fastest-growing trends in workforce management is the integration of automation and AI technologies. Local authorities have been using automation to streamline processes and improve efficiency for some time, as by automating routine tasks, such as data entry and report generation, valuable time can be saved, and resources can be distributed much more effectively.&nbsp;
AI was so prolifically mentioned in the UK throughout 2023 that <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/woty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it was actually Collins Dictionary&rsquo;s word of the year</a>. AI-powered solutions can provide valuable insights and analytics into workforce performance, productivity, and employee engagement. By leveraging this data, local authorities across the UK can identify patterns and trends in both success and shortcomings, and in turn, areas for improvement. Local authorities will then be able to make informed decisions about staffing, and how best to allocate resources to maximise efficiency.&nbsp;
<h3>Employee Experience and Engagement&nbsp;</h3>
In recent years, employee experience has emerged as a top priority for organisations. Local authorities should be no exception and so in 2024, part of workforce management will be focusing more on creating a positive and engaging work environment for their workers.&nbsp;
This includes providing opportunities for professional development, recognising and rewarding significant and/or consistent contributions, and promoting work-life balance. By prioritising the well-being and satisfaction of their workforce, local authorities can attract and retain top talent, leading to increased productivity and creating a local authority culture to be proud of.&nbsp;
<h3>Data-Driven Decision Making&nbsp;</h3>
Local authorities will increasingly look to leverage data analytics to drive decision-making and strategic planning. This data-centric approach will enable local authorities to optimise resource allocation, identify skill gaps in advance including repeatable hiring needs, and develop targeted training programs to ensure the best possible worker performance. &nbsp;
By leveraging data analytics, local authorities can make informed decisions that align with their organisational goals and enhance their service delivery.&nbsp;
<h3>A smarter approach to workforce management for Local Authorities</h3>
Comensura is obsessive about delivering a smarter way to work for local authorities in the UK. We overcome complex resourcing requirements for contingent and permanent labour required by government organisations through a network of specialist recruitment suppliers. If you're looking for a smarter approach to workforce management, <a href="../../../../../contact">get in touch via our contact us page</a>, we're happy to chat!

Workforce Management Trends in Local Authorities in the UK in 2024 

Vendor neutral managed services emerged primarily to offer an alternative management solution to agency staffing and master vendor models.
Specifically designed for organisations with more complex requirements - such as multi-site, multi-job category and niche roles &ndash; as existing master vendor service models simply were not able to address these levels of complexity. This is especially the case when staffing complexities are combined within an organisation, i.e. a mix of multi-site and multi role in one area of the business, and niche requirements in another.
New to managed services? Want to get up to speed on industry-specific terminology or understand the difference between a vendor neutral and master vendor service model?&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../insights/managed-service-provider-definitions-vendor-neutral-master-vendor-hybrid">Click here to read our MSP definitions blog</a>.
Since the vendor neutral model surfaced, many buyers have raised the question: &ldquo;Why would I buy vendor neutral? Surely it just adds another layer that will cost me more?&rdquo;. The reality is vendor neutral models often work out less expensive than master vendor services. Why? Two main reasons; 1) a vendor neutral model is entirely set up to procure services from external suppliers &ndash; it&rsquo;s core to the way it operates; 2) a vendor neutral model is independent from the staffing supply element. This results in recruitment suppliers viewing the vendor neutral model as a route to market, and therefore they lower the cost of sale. A master vendor is likely to be viewed as a threat, and with less opportunity for the supplier, meaning rates naturally increase.
But many years after the creation of the vendor neutral model, the same question is aired, particularly from buyers new to the category. If this is you, and you are unsure of the definitions of the types of service model we reference, do check out our explainer blog here. In this article we will explore and compare the component parts of both master and vendor neutral models and their associated costs. We&rsquo;ll also discuss the vendor neutral &lsquo;additional layer&rsquo; question, what it really refers to and why it is often misconstrued.
The component parts of a master and vendor neutral MSP model
Supply is but one component of the service - whether vendor neutral or master - managed service models are typically made of three main constituent parts:
<ol>
<li>The procurement and management of the recruitment supply chain that provides the workers. With master vendor, this includes direct supply of workers by the master vendor itself</li>
<li>The technology and people that provide the interface between the end user and the supply chain, managing the transaction</li>
<li>The contract management team that ensure the service is delivered, the supply chain performs, client end users and central management teams get what they need and the exceptions generated through multiple transactions are managed effectively</li>
</ol>
Each element delivers a specific benefit:
<ol>
<li>The supply chain delivers the workers that an organisation need</li>
<li>The technology and people managing the transactional process control costs, demand, streamline process, manage risks and deliver visibility</li>
<li>The contract management team make sure the overall service meets customer objectives</li>
</ol>
Each service component has a cost
<h4>Agency supply costs</h4>
Recruitment agencies typically separate their staff into teams that focus on delivering spot business, and teams that support volume business.
Spot business are trained to &lsquo;hunt&rsquo; out opportunity and broker deals that maximise margin revenue. Teams supporting volume business do not have to hunt out opportunity. They simply respond to orders placed with them and identify suitable candidates from their candidate database. They typically support or form part of a master vendor team within a recruiter or provide staff for vendor neutral models.
Both master vendor and neutral vendor providers engage the services of agencies. Master vendor models buy from their own organisation and external recruitment agencies. Vendor neutral providers only buy the services of external recruitment suppliers.
In either case, the rates secured are dependent on the service providers total buying power, but as we have explained previously, a neutral provider will secure more competitive rates than a master vendor provider.
<h4>Transaction management costs</h4>
Automation invariably brings cost and process efficiency. So its unsurprising that all models use some form of technology to manage the transactional process. The costs of this technology are normally absorbed within a management fee or within a % of the overall margin.
In vendor neutral models, many processes are automated with all suppliers treated equally, and controlled using uniform steps. Whereas, in master vendor models where a second tier of agencies is used to support capacity, there is a higher level of manual (people) intervention and therefore cost.
<h4>Contract management costs</h4>
The key difference here is the difference in service. A neural vendor provider will have a lower cost as the model relies more on technology to fulfil the service (and thus a smaller team are employed) to give hiring mangers self-sufficiency in the hiring process. In comparison, a master vendor model is likely to have a higher contract management cost, due to the need for a bigger team (and thus higher employment costs) to support increased levels of involvement in recruitment activity.
The vendor neutral &lsquo;additional layer&rsquo; is a misconception
So back to the original buyer question - &ldquo;Why would I buy vendor neutral? Surely it just adds another layer that will cost me more?&rdquo;
The truth is, this &ldquo;additional layer&rdquo; is a misconception - it&rsquo;s a service cost you pay for either way, as both models assume an element of risk when priced for customers. Let&rsquo;s explain that below.
Neutral vendor models price either on an expected number of hours running through the contract per annum or spend level.
If there is a significant opportunity to deliver savings, they may also offer risk and reward pricing with the volume of savings again linked to expected volumes. Pricing is usually presented as a separate element to agency charge / buy rates, which is where buyers see an &lsquo;additional layer&rsquo; comment.
Master vendor model&rsquo;s predicate a level of supply filled by their affiliated recruitment brands. They then apply a margin % to the buy rates offered by those brands to cover their contract management and transaction management costs and profit.
In this instance, cost are often presented as a single rate, with the management costs or the &lsquo;additional layer&rsquo; effectively disguised. Its still there, just hidden within rate charges.
Summary
When considering the costs of managed service models, the adage &lsquo;there&rsquo;s no such thing as a free lunch&rsquo; is a useful yardstick. There are costs associated with the resources, technology and infrastructure required to deliver a managed service, which one way or another will need to covered.
The &lsquo;additional layer&rsquo; is in fact a fundamental component part of any managed service. Without this, you lose visibility and control of spend, and the subsequent ability to generate value and efficiency.
In order to establish which model is most cost effective for your organisation, you need to properly understand the complexity of your staffing requirements. Comensura have supported hundreds of organisations with this discovery process, either as an initial consultation process or as an objective third party.
Contact <a href="mailto:enquiries@comensura.co.uk">enquiries@comensura.co.uk</a> to find out more.

Why a vendor neutral MSP reduces cost – dispelling the costly “additional layer” myth

When engaging the services of staffing specialists, industry jargon can often be a barrier to understanding the best option for your business. The emergence of increasingly complex recruitment models has created a landscape where the myriad of managed service options can be confusing.
But by knowing the distinction between master vendor, hybrid and vendor neutral MSP, hiring managers can make informed decisions when choosing a staffing partner.
The dawn of MSP
A managed service provider (MSP) takes on the primary responsibility of managing candidate selection for non-permanent roles - including process and supply chain management, and supplying and configuring the online vendor management system. The MSP model emerged at a time when employers wanted better value and visibility from their temporary staffing solutions, as their reliance on contingent labour began to grow.
In the early days, recruiters responded by offering favourable rates and greater efficiencies to take complete control of contingent workforces &ndash; essentially creating the <a href="../../../../../../insights/managed-service-provider-definitions-vendor-neutral-master-vendor-hybrid">master vendor MSP</a>&nbsp;model in the process. However, it was not long before flaws in this model were recognised, most notably the fact that the client&rsquo;s needs were often overshadowed by the master vendor&rsquo;s&nbsp;singular desire to maximise profits.
What is vendor neutral MSP?
Unlike the master vendor model, where the workforce solutions provider itself - and perhaps its sister companies - have the first opportunities to fill roles, the <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">vendor neutral MSP</a>&nbsp;model is far more inclusive. It offers more choice.
The MSP partners with an agreed list of diverse suppliers, which are all given a fair opportunity to put forward candidates.
A Vendor Management System &ndash; or VMS, such as <a href="../../../../../../technology">Comensura&rsquo;s cnet system</a>&nbsp;&ndash; is used to manage the candidate selection process. As a result, unconscious bias is reduced, and successful candidates are picked solely because they&rsquo;re the best match with a hiring manager&rsquo;s needs. This fair, open, transparent model enables organisations to build contingent workforces that best fit their business requirements.
Neutral rates and agreements create a competitive market that is based on supplier performance alone - not the size of the supplier, or who plays golf with who at the weekend. What&rsquo;s more, an MSP can rank suppliers via a tiered system based on a balanced scorecard. Rankings are performance-based and analysed by software to ensure they are completely objective. Irrespective of a supplier&rsquo;s size, they are tiered based solely on their ability to meet set performance targets. This system also has the benefit of enabling the MSP to identify underperforming agencies, so they can advise where improvements can be made.
What are the benefits of vendor neutral MSP?
It is clear that, when it comes to fairness, transparency and access to talent, the vendor neutral MSP model trumps the more traditional master vendor option. And due to the increased supplier competition that it opens up, <a href="../../../../../../insights/why-a-vendor-neutral-msp-reduces-cost-dispelling-the-costly-additional-layer-myth">vendor neutral MSP can reduce costs substantially</a>.
It is also worth noting that the vendor neutral MSP model lends itself particularly well to specialist roles. Unsurprisingly, hiring managers routinely report that master vendor providers are often unable to deliver on more complex needs or niche talent requirements, which has further driven the need for a new approach where smaller, specialist suppliers can be utilised alongside the larger suppliers.
As we touched on above, the vendor neutral MSP model also ensures objective decisions are made - decisions based purely on performance and candidate fit, rather than personal relationships. As a result, the best person for the job is identified every time. No one supplier is given preference based on human intervention or bias; jobs are opened up to each tier on a staggered basis that is fair to the entire supply chain. The system also selects candidates based on how well they match against set criteria, with software managing the pre-screening so that decisions are made without subjective influencers.
At a time when <a href="https://www.sonovate.com/blog/new-recruitment-businesses-in-2019/">Companies House data</a> suggests there are now more than 40,000 recruitment agencies in the UK &ndash; with no single supplier holding more than 5% of the market &ndash; it&rsquo;s obvious that no one vendor can deliver everything a client needs.
In the simplest terms, the vendor neutral model can be likened to consumers choosing to shop at ASOS rather than M&amp;S. Search for a blue t-shirt on the M&amp;S site, and you&rsquo;re likely to find one. But search for a blue t-shirt on ASOS and the breadth of offerings from a large, diverse supply chain of partners means you&rsquo;ll almost certainly find one that fits your requirements exactly.
Of course, for some hiring managers in certain sectors, master vendor providers may be able to offer enough to meet their needs. However, for those who value access to a deep and wide talent pool alongside the other benefits a competitive market brings, vendor neutral MSP is likely to be their best option.
Want to find out more about our vendor neutral MSP model? <a href="../../../../../../contact">Contact the team today</a>.

What do we really mean by 'vendor neutral' in MSP recruitment?

Despite the fact that vendor neutral recruitment has been around for a long time, myths and misconceptions persist around how this MSP model works - and what its advantages are. We tackled some of these in our <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/beginners-guide-to-vendor-neutral-msp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beginner&rsquo;s guide to vendor neutral MSP</a>.
In this article, I want to take a look at the past and present of vendor neutral MSP, so that we can examine what the future holds for this increasingly popular procurement model.
Let&rsquo;s begin at the beginning.
The past: the emergence of vendor neutral MSP
The vendor neutral model has its origins in recruitment. In fact, the entire <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">managed service programme</a>&nbsp;(MSP) way of working can be traced to a time when employers wanted better value from their supply of temporary labour. Initially, recruiters responded to this need for better rates and greater efficiencies by taking complete control of their customers&rsquo; contingent workforces &ndash; unintentionally creating the master vendor MSP model in the process. However, it wasn&rsquo;t long before flaws in this &lsquo;one firm supplies all&rsquo; model were recognised. Vendor neutral emerges to provide competition and variety
Vendor neutral MSP emerged as an alternative for meeting complex resourcing needs that a single, or &lsquo;master&rsquo;, supplier would struggle with - for example, multi-site and multi-role contracts, or those requiring specialist, hard-to-find skills. By partnering with an agreed list of diverse recruitment suppliers, and giving them all a fair opportunity to submit candidates, vendor neutral MSPs gave their customers the ability to:
<ul>
<li>investigate sourcing options</li>
<li>scale requirements quickly</li>
<li>add new vendors easily, and</li>
<li>enjoy cost savings as a result.</li>
</ul>
However, there was a common misconception in those early days that the MSP was an unnecessary layer of cost. As<a href="../../../../../../insights/why-a-vendor-neutral-msp-reduces-cost-dispelling-the-costly-additional-layer-myth"> we explored in a previous article</a>, this couldn&rsquo;t have been further from the truth. For a number of reasons, not least the competition it creates, vendor neutral MSP models are often the more cost-effective model, with customers finding more money in their pockets through savings delivered. And once vendor neutral MSPs had demonstrated their value and assuaged these fears, this model became the preferred method of sourcing.&nbsp;
The present: the growth and influence of SOW and Services Procurement
At the start of 2022, we&rsquo;re seeing a shift in the use of the vendor neutral model. It&rsquo;s moving from being just a resourcing solution to being the go-to way to source any people-based professional service. At the moment, this is most commonly applied in the use of consultants. But here at Comensura, our customers are now using our vendor neutral service to secure:
<ul>
<li>training services</li>
<li>financial management and forensic accounting services</li>
<li>IT product development, digitalisation and software-as-a-service (SAAS)</li>
<li>search and selection services</li>
</ul>
In the UK, the extension of IR35 rules into the private sector and ongoing talent scarcity have played a big part in the shift towards consultancy based projects. Businesses are increasingly looking to bring on board expertise on a project-driven basis, and <a href="../../../../../../what-we-do/what-is-statement-of-work">statement of work</a>&nbsp;(SOW) is how they&rsquo;re doing it. However, any piece of work that is outcome-led and has a clear beginning, middle and end provides a good basis for SOW. What we&rsquo;re seeing now is the merging of statement of work and vendor neutral principles, which is opening up limitless opportunities for the improved procurement of services. Vendor neutral meets statement of work
Many organisations have realised that keeping a &lsquo;warm bench&rsquo; of potential suppliers, and inviting them to compete for SOW contracts as they arise, is a great way to mitigate both the risks of engaging contractors and acute talent scarcity in 2022. What&rsquo;s more - and here&rsquo;s the really compelling point for most - it&rsquo;s a great way to manage the cost of supply. Built into the statement of work approach is the principle that the supplier assumes the risk of delivery. By agreeing milestones, payment schedules, and outcomes upfront, stealth costs and scope creep can be kept firmly in check. At a time of unprecedented external pressures, this low-risk approach is yet another plus point for the vendor neutral procurement of services. And just as this way of working expanded beyond recruitment and the public sector, it&rsquo;s about to expand beyond the professional services too.
The future: what&rsquo;s next for the vendor neutral model?
<a href="../../../../../../what-we-do/what-is-a-vendor-neutral-msp">Vendor neutral MSP</a> and statement of work are about getting competitive quotes from suppliers, choosing one to work with, and handing over the risk of delivery. These are simple, but effective, ways of working. As the benefits of this approach become more widely recognised, it will become the preferred way of procuring any people-based professional service. With skills shortages rife and procurement leaders coming under increasing pressure to reduce cost and risk, I expect a growing number of organisations will turn to vendor neutral sourcing to ensure that their consultancy and outside-IR35 contingent workforce resourcing needs are met
<ul>
<li>their other long tail professional service requirements are effectively managed&nbsp;</li>
<li>healthy and effective quality and price competition is tested every time&nbsp;</li>
<li>all spend is captured compliantly and on-contract, follows internal governance procedures, and is visible and controlled</li>
<li>project and consultancy costs are delivered in line with formalised requirements, and</li>
<li>scope creep and stealth costs are avoided.</li>
</ul>
Having a large and diverse warm bench of suppliers ready to provide any category of service means that vendor neutral providers can rapidly get the right people based services, in the right place at the right time. By managing these services using <a href="../../../../../../technology">cutting-edge VMS technology</a>, in partnership with the people and process expertise of a specialist vendor neutral MSP such as Comensura, organisations will gain the visibility and control they need to achieve high quality, low risk, and reduced costs - whatever kind of service they&rsquo;re buying.
Find out how Comensura can help
Want to know more about the benefits of vendor neutral MSP and statement of work services procurement? <a href="../../../../../../contact">Contact us</a>&nbsp;to discuss your needs and find out how our experienced team can meet them.

What comes next in the evolution of vendor neutral MSP?

Since the extension of IR35 rules into the private sector, <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">statement of work (SOW) solutions</a> have risen in prominence as businesses increasingly look to mitigate against liability by bringing on board top talent on a project-driven basis. Outcome-led SOWs also have the added benefit of enabling procurement teams to simultaneously reduce spend and ensure projects are completed on time and to the required standard.
However, while the theory behind this model is infallible, in practice there are still risks associated with this option.
Recognising SOW Risks
Misclassification of workers arguably remains the biggest statement of work risk for businesses, particularly those that are inexperienced in managing talent and projects in this way. The primary reason for this is that some decision makers mistakenly believe &ndash; or have been incorrectly sold &ndash; the vision that SOW is simply a &lsquo;workaround&rsquo; to avoid IR35-associated risk, rather than a distinct means of procuring skills. SOW only works when the scope of work, and deliverables, can be clearly defined and measured &ndash; and status determinations must always reflect this.
One of HMRC&rsquo;s recent Employer Bulletins includes a warning to businesses that may have misinterpreted the practice and value of statement of work services procurement. It reads, &ldquo;We understand that in some instances, arrangements are being put in place that mean some client organisations would no longer be responsible for considering the off-payroll working rules. These may be labelled as &lsquo;contracted out services&rsquo; or &lsquo;statement of works&rsquo;. It is important that you fully consider any arrangements you enter into in response to the off-payroll working rules changing. Be especially cautious of any that claim you do not need to consider the off-payroll working rules.&rdquo;
It continues, &ldquo;Whether a contract is for a fully contracted out service is a question of fact, based upon the commercial reality of the arrangements&hellip; As a first step we recommend looking critically at the services you require, and if it is a supply of labour then it is highly unlikely that the contract represents a fully contracted out service.&rdquo;
With this in mind, it is crucial that decision makers always consider if a piece of work has a beginning, middle, and an end before they even contemplate if a project is suitable to be categorised as SOW. &nbsp;
While status determination remains the biggest risk for those managing &ndash; or considering undertaking &ndash; SOW projects, there are other legal and logistical factors to consider. For example, in terms of compliance, providing systems access to external agents can be both tricky and risky. It is also worth remembering that SOW is not a silver bullet: the potential benefits of working in this way can only be realised if the project and the associated supplier are contracted and managed efficiently.&nbsp;
There is a real risk that engagers can end up paying over the market rate, or be locked into unfavourable and varying terms, if service agreements are not reviewed and scrutinised &ndash; and once contracts have been signed, there is little option but to let the arrangement run its course.
In addition, even when agreed outputs and timescales offer good value to a business, it can be all too easy to let the project slip. Poor monitoring and management of deliverables, milestones and outcomes can quickly turn into a drain on budgets. Unless statement of work projects are supervised and benchmarked diligently, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will pay dividends. &nbsp;
Mitigation of SOW Risks
Compliance is a moving target, and managers must ensure records and systems are continually updated to ensure projects are not only legally sound, but also running efficiently. Managing SOW service providers and contracts within a high-functionality VMS is not only the best way to ensure - and record &ndash; due diligence, but also bring the same checks and balances to SOW that businesses apply to other areas of contingent workforce management.
Outputs, timelines and costs can all be clearly defined, approved, updated and tracked within the system: at a glance, users can see exactly where they are with any given project. As well as creating an automated audit trail, today&rsquo;s systems also provide added benefits to boost efficiency and productivity. Our VMS, <a href="../../../../../../technology">c.net</a>, for example, becomes more powerful the more it is used. As you populate it with information about your statement of work projects and suppliers, it gives you deeper insight into spending trends, service categories and engagement patterns.
In addition, working with an experienced MSP is the best way to make sure that terms and rates of SOW projects are favourable. By capitalising on a specialist provider&rsquo;s market intelligence and supplier management expertise, procurement professionals can gain valuable insights that can both inform initial agreements and provide insight and analysis throughout the project.
Statement of work can be an ideal solution amid an increasingly complex legislative landscape - and for work packages that lend themselves to SOW solutions, procurement professionals can mitigate risk in several areas, not least in terms of worker classification.
However, as we&rsquo;ve highlighted above, SOW is not without risk - and there is a need for full visibility in order to achieve maximum efficiency. By seeking expert advice regarding contracts and <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">SOW management </a>in the earliest days of a project, businesses can avoid common pitfalls and enjoy the numerous benefits that procuring skills in this way can bring.
Want to learn more about SOW? Get the guide
Remote working, the rapid on- and off-boarding of workers, the increased pressure to get value for money: these challenges are driving an increase in SOW adoption as organisations seek the visibility and control it brings to their services procurement.
But by managing SOW manually, many organisations are missing out.
In <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">this guide</a>, we demonstrate the transformative effects of managing SOW services procurement in a VMS, with the support of an experienced MSP. <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">Get your copy</a> to see how it could benefit you, and how it&rsquo;s working for one Comensura customer in the public sector.

What are the risks with SOW, and how can they be mitigated?

When engaging their <a href="~/link.aspx?_id=C88760FF016F44C69CB5DB3D2A70AA1C&amp;_z=z">statement of work (SOW)</a> services providers, few firms have the same checks and balances in place that they use to hire contingent and permanent staff.
But SOW use is on the rise, and procurement teams must prioritise rigour and compliance. Without them, multiple risks to the business are introduced - from increased costs and inconsistent terms, to potential fines for the misclassification of workers.
In this Supply Management Insider webinar, Comensura explore ways to mitigate common SOW risks and achieve compliance.
 <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VSEzl-0cBhA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Watch the recording of this webinar to learn more about:
<ul>
<li>Why HR and procurement must align on controls, policies and ownership to mitigate the risks around SOW services procurement.</li>
<li>How specialist external knowledge combined with vendor management technology can drastically transform your SOW services procurement culture.</li>
<li>How operational efficiency, cost control and decision-making are all improved by a smarter and more efficient SOW culture.</li>
</ul>
Joining myself and Darryl in this session were:
<ul>
<li>Jennifer Jackson, Contributing Editor of Supply Management Insider</li>
<li>Maria Rancel Lopez, Head of Procurement - People &amp; Operations at Nationwide Building society</li>
<li>Maria Garcia Colorado, Senior Category Manager at Aquanima, Santander Group.</li>
</ul>

Video: How to mitigate risk in your statement of work spend

Acute talent scarcity has been a defining feature of 2021, presenting major challenges for businesses of all shapes and sizes and in all corners of the globe. As we look ahead to 2022, it&rsquo;s clear that this situation isn&rsquo;t likely to improve any time soon.
In this climate, procurement professionals must work to become a customer of choice for suppliers, and an employer of choice for in-demand candidates.
But how?
To discuss how procurement teams can ease the pressure on their recruitment suppliers, and help unblock the flow of talent into their organisations, we partnered with Procurious on a webinar entitled&nbsp;Talent supply: Are you breaking your own chain?
Joining Comensura and Procurious founder Tania Seary on the call were Ross Mandiwall, Global Category Chair for Contingent Labour at IBM, and Amy Fong, VP of Sourcing and Vendor Management at Everest Group.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y44Ffa1ChII" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
Watch the webinar recording to learn:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How procurement teams can improve their resourcing and recruitment processes</li>
<li>How to establish closer working relationships with your services suppliers</li>
<li>What more you could be doing to help your recruitment supply chain succeed</li>
<li>How to introduce more flexibility and speed into your hiring and buying processes</li>
<li>What contingent workers want from an employer, and how to create a winning EVP</li>
</ul>

Video: How to help your recruitment suppliers attract scarce talent

Since March 2020, procurement teams have had urgent new reasons to engage with <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">Managed Service Providers</a>&nbsp;(MSPs). The challenges of remote working and the rapid on- and off-boarding of workers are two of the more obvious examples.
On top of this, organisations continue to seek more from their MSPs: greater strategic value, efficiency, compliance and control from their supplier relationships and contingent workforce management.
So, how are MSPs evolving to meet these changing business needs? In this webinar, part of the<a href="https://www.espo.org/"> ESPO</a> HR Webinar Event, I join my colleague Charles Austin to discuss new and emerging contingent workforce models, the rise of statement of work, direct sourcing options, and the impact of innovative talent technology. Watch the recording of the session below to learn:
<ul>
<li>Why the statement of work (SOW) model is rapidly gaining in popularity</li>
<li>How Comensura&rsquo;s SOW offering works in <a href="../../../../../../technology">our c.net proprietary VMS</a></li>
<li>How direct sourcing and talent pools can be used for maximum benefit</li>
<li>Where talent tech is having the biggest impact - and some key tech providers</li>
<li>+ an insightful Q&amp;A between me, Charles and the live webinar attendees</li>
</ul>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lDwyYeBOivY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
<h3>Get part one of our Statement of Work guide</h3>
Statement of work is becoming an increasingly popular, value-for-money alternative to time and materials services procurement. But SOW only represents better value for money when it&rsquo;s efficiently and centrally managed. In this guide, <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">Statement of work: a smarter way to work with services procurement</a>, we look at the issues caused by decentralised, hidden procurement - and why a smarter way to work with SOW relies on the application of intelligent tech. <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">Download your copy now</a>.

Video: How MSPs are meeting post-pandemic workforce needs with SOW, direct sourcing and more

By implementing the following measures on pay rates and costs, organisations can minimise costs incurred by a temporary workforce:
Ensure transparency
Recruitment agencies inform you on the pay rate for each temporary worker, and it&rsquo;s important that you make this information visible to managers within your organisation. Look at the pay rates for temporary workers across the organisation and ensure they are consistent with those of workers performing similar tasks, and align them with that of permanent workers. This will help reduce any anomalies that might exist, and standardise pay rates to prevent workers demanding a raise based on how others are paid. 
Benchmark against local employers
Probe into the pay of temporary roles in the area. Local sources such as recruitment agencies, competitors or Job Centre Australia may give you access to how much people are typically paid in the types of temporary jobs that you provide. This will give you a better idea of suitable pay rates and prevent you from paying over the odds. 
Align with your employer brand and strategy
Your organisation may look for specific traits in candidates to fill certain roles, which you should abide by when procuring temporary staff. Vacancies are then more likely to be filled by a type of worker that has previously performed well in a similar role. Ensure that you&rsquo;re offering a pay rate that will attract this kind of person.
Implement authorisation processes for inflation
It&rsquo;s inevitable that you&rsquo;ll need to uplift pay rates from time to time, particularly as a response to changes in the job market. The most efficient way of doing this is by using an approval process that consults all the relevant people and ensures that the rise is reasonable.
Standardise expenses
Temporary worker expenses such as travelling costs and accommodation can sometimes be forgotten about, even though it collectively amounts to a considerable cost. Determine what constitutes acceptable expenses for your organisation and apply it as a standard rate for every temporary worker. There are many benefits to reap from the use of temporary workers, such as flexibility and the ability to cover permanent worker absences. But without maintaining the overall costs, you risk it being a drain of resources. By putting processes into place that determine acceptable pay rates and costs, you can ensure that you&rsquo;re getting value for money when procuring temporary staff and that you&rsquo;re carrying out the process cost-effectively. To find out more about how to manage your costs of supply effectively <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/a-practical-guide-to-msp-costs">download our Supply Costs practical guide.</a>

Top tips for getting value for money from your temporary worker costs

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular practice for businesses who are looking to streamline their operations and focus on their core competencies. One area where outsourcing can greatly benefit an organisation is payroll management. By outsourcing payroll responsibilities to a specialist provider, businesses can not only reduce the burden on their internal teams but also improve accuracy, compliance, and overall efficiency.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Here are some of the top reasons why organisations choose to make the switch.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;1. It&rsquo;s cost effective&nbsp;
<a href="https://yougov.co.uk/economy/articles/25965-seven-ten-british-businesses-outsource-third-parti?redirect_from=%2Ftopics%2Feconomy%2Farticles-reports%2F2019%2F10%2F24%2Fseven-ten-british-businesses-outsource-third-parti">Data from YouGov</a> stated that cost was the leading issue for outsourcing payroll. Carrying out payroll in house means having the member of staff on hand to do so and with payroll a regular but not daily occurrence, it either needs to fit in as an aspect of another role, or you end up the costs involved with a full-time member of staff for a single function.&nbsp;&nbsp; 41% of companies that outsource payroll do so because it&rsquo;s more affordable than doing it in house. An additional 28% of companies stating it reduces staff costs, with this being significant for larger businesses.&nbsp; &nbsp;
2. Increased compliance&nbsp;
While ensuring accurate - and timely - payment of salaries and wages is obviously important, staying on the right side of the law and meeting statutory compliance requirements is also critical. Non-adherence with regulations can result in serious legal and financial consequences.&nbsp; When you consider that there are at least 174 pieces of legislation affecting payroll in the UK at the moment &ndash; and that changes to these rules are perpetual &ndash; specialist knowledge is needed to keep on top of compliance and regulatory updates. Specialist providers of payroll services will always be up to date with the latest legislations and best practices without the need for you to pay for and implement the ongoing training.&nbsp;
3. Expert support without interruption
Payroll professionals are true experts in their field and well placed to offer advice and support in this area, and having one on site doesn&rsquo;t mean you have one available to access at any time.&nbsp; Unexpected occurrences can occur at the worst possible time and illness, or a domestic emergency can leave you without someone to manage payroll at short notice. There is also a well-documented skills shortage where <a href="https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1817946/four-five-businesses-struggling-fill-talent-gaps-research-shows">80% of UK businesses are reporting persistent difficulty filling jobs </a>- more than double the pre-pandemic high of 35% - and should the on-site person choose to leave, sourcing a new individual with the necessary level of skill might not be straightforward. Outsourcing payroll with a provider means they will have numerous individuals able to meet your needs at all times.&nbsp;
4. Employee engagement&nbsp;
Getting payroll wrong can have a significant impact on the everyday lives of your workers &ndash; and cause employee engagement to plummet. Getting pay wrong sends a message that you don&rsquo;t care about the wellbeing of your workers and can even leave them in a financially precarious position. And errors happen more often than you may think. In fact, research suggests that <a href="https://www.cipp.org.uk/resources/news/the-impact-of-late-or-inaccurate-payments.html">60% of workers in the UK have noticed errors on their pay slips - and 20% have actually quit their job after a poor payroll experience</a>.&nbsp; It is cheaper and easier to retain talent rather than find new talent, and so ensuring that your employees are happy and secure is vital. Reliable payroll is one important aspect of that.&nbsp;
5. Focus on what your business does best&nbsp;
<a href="https://commercial.yougov.com/rs/464-VHH-988/images/UK-Outsourcing.pdf">Around a quarter of organisations (24%) choose to outsource payroll specifically to focus on other areas of their business</a>. When you are busy with your day-to-day activities, managing payroll can be a distraction, even if you have a dedicated person in-house to manage the process as a part of the role.&nbsp;&nbsp; By outsourcing payroll, you are free to concentrate on the rest of your business.&nbsp;
Outsource payroll with Comensura&nbsp;
<a href="../../../../../../solutions/payroll">Outsourcing payroll</a> has become a strategic choice for businesses seeking to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve accuracy and compliance. By entrusting payroll responsibilities to specialised providers, you can focus on your core competencies, enhance efficiency, and allocate resources effectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;
As both the availability of talent and traditional routes to talent have become increasingly challenging, more and more customers are asking us about how to payroll workers not only in the UK, but globally. For them, having one provider that helps them navigate this complex area is game-changing. Take a look at our outsourced <a href="../../../../../../solutions/payroll">Payroll solutions page</a> for more information.

Top 5 Reasons to Outsource Payroll

Time-to-hire has long been a standard metric that recruitment success is measured in, however, in today&rsquo;s tough talent market, speed has never been more crucial.
In this candidate-led environment - when, according to official figures, there are now around <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/july2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.3 million vacancies</a> sitting open across the UK economy &ndash; jobseekers are spoilt for choice. In my experience, it&rsquo;s quite usual for great applicants to have four of five offers on the table at any one time &ndash; and the reality is that often the hirer that acts decisively will win out when it comes to talent.
It&rsquo;s crucial then that hiring managers have processes and suppliers in place that let them to move at lightning speed - especially when they&rsquo;re competing for niche and in-demand skills.
The now generation
Skills shortages aside, today&rsquo;s professionals, particularly those from the younger generations in the workplace, expect instant gratification. Generation Z is accustomed to getting instant information and results at any time &ndash; and jobhunting is no exception.
We can now connect with friends across the world, shop and pay for goods, and watch any film or listen to any song instantly via our phones. Jobseekers, unsurprisingly, expect a consumer-grade experience akin to those they&rsquo;ve become used to through apps and retail websites. Retailers have long recognised that if the buying process is not first rate, then customers will abandon their basket.
We&rsquo;re <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/uk-adults-impatient-public-transport-internet-b1923293.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more impatient than ever</a> before. More than half of all webpages viewed receive under <a href="https://blog.chartbeat.com/2014/10/14/data-state-of-union/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15 seconds of attention</a>, according to Chartbeat, while 40% of audiences abandon a website if it takes three seconds to load.
It&rsquo;s no surprise, then, that the majority of jobseekers (71%) <a href="https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1742640/three-quarters-jobseekers-abandon-online-applications-15-minutes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandon job applications</a> if they take longer than 15 minutes to complete.
The value of a streamlined recruitment journey
Beyond the application process itself, recruitment journeys are often cumbersome, clunky and slow. This perhaps explains why <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/60-candidates-quit-your-application-because-took-too-long-burrola/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60% of hiring professionals</a> say that they regularly lose candidates before they&rsquo;re able to schedule an interview. Data from Glassdoor, meanwhile, suggests that most companies have an <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/5-keys-driving-candidate-experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">80% candidate drop-off rate</a> during their entire application process.
There&rsquo;s an historic misconception that a &lsquo;rushed&rsquo; recruitment process will result in poor quality candidates. However, today, this couldn&rsquo;t be further from the truth: applicants expect a level of efficiency in their professional lives that they have come to enjoy and expect in their personal lives. Hirers who insist on an extended period to consider their options, hold a committee meeting to consider a longlist, or wait to see if what they think to be the absolutely perfect candidate applies before making a hiring decision, will inevitably lose their top pick to the competition.
These hirers must trust the quality of the supply chain if they&rsquo;re to feel secure that the candidates who they&rsquo;re presented with in the first instance are the best match. We also sometimes see hirers who add unnecessary extras to a job spec, essentially creating a wish-list for an unobtainable candidate. Strip it back to basics and identify what you really need from an individual &ndash; and if this is achievable for the salary on offer. Your recruitment partner is well placed to offer market insights around the available candidate pool.
By setting realistic expectations you can be more focussed and efficient in your search. It&rsquo;s all too easy to switch on to autopilot: draft a job description and send it out. But that way of working is not fit for purpose in the current market. The reality is that there are high levels of demand and finite levels of supply.
By spending time at the earliest stages of the recruitment process reviewing the job specification, you lay the foundations for a swift hire. Have conversations with your staffing partners before you even go out to recruit. They&rsquo;ve the advantage of specialist tools and personal insights that will pay dividends. For example, they will be able to advise if there are too few candidates in the market, where they are based, and if you perhaps need to recruit for remote roles because of limited supply of resources.
Comensura works closely with its suppliers to ensure that their all-important insights on market conditions are offered to hirers to help them get the right talent. For example, highlighting candidate availability, competitor activity or candidate expectations.
Building a strong employee value proposition
You want your recruitment processes to reflect the nature and values of your company: if it&rsquo;s overly complex or rigid, it gives a negative impression.
An onerous recruitment or onboarding process sends a message that your business is culturally bureaucratic, overly process-driven, and not a fun and dynamic organisation to work for. We cannot forget that a candidate&rsquo;s recruitment journey is an ideal vehicle to promote your brand and employee value proposition (EVP) get it wrong, and you risk losing applicants to firms which offer a more straightforward, light-touch, engaging or even gamified recruitment journey.
Plan in advance, do your research and really think about what you need. Be decisive in your decision-making process. And once you have found what you need, get that person locked in. This approach makes for a better candidate experience all around, particularly when you consider that fewer applicants in the mix means you have bandwidth to give feedback to unsuccessful jobseekers.
Make no mistake, looking for a job can be horrible: it can take ages, and if you are not kept in the loop, it can be even worse. Automated ATSs, with no human input, can make for a negative experience. Use technology to facilitate a people-based experience, on the other hand, and you can actively boost your employer value proposition.
Building and maintaining a great employer brand is especially important for those businesses which regularly rely on contingent talent. Here the need for a positive user-experience from candidate perspective is even more crucial: if you keep a great contractor waiting you are likely to lose them not only for your current assignment, but also in the future.
By offering a frictionless recruitment process, businesses also maximise their chances of engaging passive candidates who may be open to moving to a new employer, but who are not yet purposefully seeking to take the next step on their career path. For example, they may absent-mindedly click on a job ad out of curiosity, but the option to apply with just a couple of clicks propels them into your candidate pool.
Speeding up time-to-hire in today&rsquo;s tough talent market
Accelerating time-to-hire is relatively easy to achieve. Here are our 5 top tips for boosting time-to-hire in a tough talent market:
1. Streamline recruitment and onboarding processes &ndash; see what steps can be removed or improved&nbsp;
2. Focus on user experience &ndash; put yourselves in the candidate&rsquo;s shoes to get a true representation of the process
3. Set realistic expectations and lean on the market intelligence of your recruitment partners
4. Set deadlines. When do you want to see CVs? When will you interview? When will you make a decision?
5. Act decisively &ndash; don&rsquo;t hang around once you&rsquo;ve identified a great candidate.
An expert partner can help hiring managers to get a grip of their processes, access a group of curated specialist suppliers, identify the best route to market and be a critical friend to help you find a smarter way to work to speed up your staffing strategies. While every situation is different, for an example a financial services company we partner with reduced its time to hire from 25 days to 15 days by following the above guidance.
Building emotional connections
At a time when hiring is increasingly transactional and automated, quickly and personally articulating that a candidate is of interest, may seal the deal. Building emotional and human connections can make a real difference, particularly if you&rsquo;re first off the starting block.
This is particularly important for firms who are not offering the most competitive salaries or perks.Today&rsquo;s recruitment is machine-led: everyone relies on tech. But there&rsquo;re points of differentiation. Brands compete on price, but aside from that, if you can deliver the &lsquo;people part&rsquo; then that can make a huge difference.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re operating in a competitive market and speed is of the essence. Jobseekers are the consumer and great candidates have more options than ever before. Hiring managers who are slow off the mark are unlikely to bag the best people. Practicing swift and effective time-to-hire processes are a unique selling point for your EVP and will help your business secure top talent amid today&rsquo;s challenging recruitment landscape. Plan and prepare correctly and trust in the process to present the best people quickly.&nbsp;

Time-to-hire: why speed is king in today’s tough talent competition

The adult care sector is one of the most affected when it comes to the labour shortage currently sweeping the public sector. 71% of local authorities are struggling to recruit adult social care workers and <a href="http://https//www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx">at the end of 2022 there were 165,000 open vacancies &ndash; up 55,000 since 2020/2021</a>.
Instead of plugging the gap relying solely on a traditional temp agency approach, many local authorities are turning to a Statement of Work approach to achieve desired outcomes in adult care, meeting the needs of vulnerable people living in their region that rely on their support.
What is a Statement of Work?
Statement of Work (SOW) is a document used to define and manage project tasks and activities, and to control a project&rsquo;s deliverables, milestones, and deadlines. An SOW document lays out what will be done, who will do it, and how and when they will be paid for this work. This has become the go-to way to resource projects that have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with measurable deliverables.
There are three standard kinds of SOW. Basic SOW, which states the amount of time that should be spent on the project and the costs that will be expected to deliver the required outcome. It does not specify how individual tasks should be completed. A detailed SOW, which defines a specific outcome for completing each task. The organisation that is buying the service prescribes project outcomes, which are measured and controlled by both time and cost.
Then there is performance-based SOW, which specifies detailed project outcomes. This is the most used type of Statement of Work since it defines project objectives and milestone goals based on time, cost and quality.
How can a SOW be used in adult care?
It might be difficult to see how to see there could be &lsquo;a beginning, a middle, and an end&rsquo; with adult care, and what measurable deliverables would look like when caring for a patient. Surely caring for people is an ongoing process?
There are actually quite a few instances where there are a set number of tasks to be carried out where outcomes can be measurable. Here are a few hypothetical examples: A quota of assessments for onward care for patients waiting to be discharged from hospital: There is a backlog of patients that need assessing before they are able to leave the hospital, meaning beds are being &lsquo;blocked&rsquo; with patients that could be recovering at home, but healthcare managers need to be sure that they have the necessary care in place to be able to do so safely. These assessments could be outsourced in blocks, for example a Statement of Work for 100 patients. This is a very measurable outcome, where the number of assessments could be recorded, and success would be defined as these patients being able to go home whenever it is physically safe to do so.
A SOW is created for the Supplier to partner with the Adult Safeguarding Team to review and make initial decisions regarding the need for a safeguarding enquiry, in line with statutory duties under section 42 of the Care Act. The SOW is based on the Supplier tackling an agreed quota of pre-reviewed concerns which have had initial research completed and considering if they meet the requirements of a safeguarding enquiry.
To partner with the local authority&rsquo;s Adult Mental Health service and carry out mental health act assessments on a number of patients. The supplier will adhere to the customer&rsquo;s policies and general ways of working to ensure a consistent and unformed approach and delivery for the end user. Instructing the supplier to carry out a pre-agreed number of these assessments will alleviate pressure on the BAU team and allow them to maintain service level agreements and quality through both internal and outsourced activity.
Statement of Work used by a local authority &ndash; a real-life example
Following a period of change with the formation of two new councils within the area, it came to pass that there was the need for just over 500 adult care reviews, to be carried out in a 6 month period, in order to make sure that the needs of people with physical, mental health, cognitive, sensory and/or social needs in the region are being met. This far surpassed what they were able to carry out with their current, permanent staffing capabilities.
The local authority sought to contract a provider, via a Statement of Work, to secure professional expertise, lead project co-ordination and oversight, and onboard a team of experienced, qualified, and skilled labour for a period of up to 5 months to deliver the reviews for clients and unpaid carers. This figure was accurate at the time of the brief but may change over time and so an element of flexibility will be factored into proposals and time allowed to enable this if needed.
There were fixed milestones required and a clear and measurable end point in mind, which lent itself ideally to a Statement of Work format in order to meet the needs of people in residential homes, using daycare centers, and living within supported housing.
This is an excellent real-life example of how Statement of Work is used by local authorities where there are concerns that adult care needs are not being met in a timely manner or where demand exceeds their ability to supply. Not only does it mean that the work required is carried out in a timely and measurable manner, but there is greater document visibility and control, risks are minimised, and compliance is ensured.
Statement Of Work across local authorities
SOW is an approach used in other areas of health and social care, including children&rsquo;s services in the community, IT system maintenance or implementation in hospitals, and planning applications for new facilities. In all these areas, there are many instances where there are projects with measurable outcomes where a Statement of Work can ensure that work stays both on time and on budget. Comensura&rsquo;s Client Solutions Director, Charles Austin states &ldquo;Councils adapting and evolving to societal and political change, as well as the changing world of work, will implement change management and digitalisation projects. These are two areas where control and visibility are vital &ndash; and a SoW solution is ideal for both scenarios.&rdquo;
Statement Of Work with c.net
Comensura uses their own propriety technology system to administer, interact and transact for all SOW projects. Our technology facilitates the completion of each stage, uploading of milestone reports, and evaluates whether financial and qualitative outcomes or other measures in place have been met prior to approval of any stage payments. It offers enhanced visibility, control and governance over your outsourced spend and ensures appropriate compliance and accountability is embedded in its usage.
Fi<a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">nd out more about Comensura&rsquo;s Statement of work managament solution</a>.

The adult care sector is one of the most affected when it comes to the labour shortage currently sweeping the public sector. 71% of local authorities are struggling to recruit adult social care workers and <a href="http://https//www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx">at the end of 2022 there were 165,000 open vacancies &ndash; up 55,000 since 2020/2021</a>.
Instead of plugging the gap relying solely on a traditional temp agency approach, many local authorities are turning to a Statement of Work approach to achieve desired outcomes in adult care, meeting the needs of vulnerable people living in their region that rely on their support.

The Rise of Statement of Work in Adult Care

In the first of a series of spotlight articles on contingent staffing we offer some tips and guidance for organisations looking to gain greater value from their use of agency staff through the effective control of demand. In some cases this has seen us help our customers to realise savings of up to 75% on annualised expenditure, and is arguably the best way to reduce cost in this category.&nbsp;
Agency staff are for many organisations an essential component of their workforce, providing amongst other things scalability, flexibility and expertise. It is very easy however to let the costs associated with them spiral out of control without an appropriate level of governance.
The agency staff cost profile
If you take a close look at the total charge rate for an agency worker you will see 5 main component parts:
<ul>
<li>pay rate&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>holiday pay</li>
<li>employers national insurance</li>
<li>pension auto enrolment fee and</li>
<li>agency margin.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Using a worked example of &pound;15 per hour pay rate to the worker, and &pound;1.50 in agency margin, the total cost for the worker equates to about &pound;20.30 per hour once the statutory costs have been applied.
The agency margin element therefore constitutes a mere 8% of the total charge. 92% of cost in this instance is attributed to an agencies cost of sale.
Extrapolated over expenditure of say &pound;10m per annum, you can see that the agency margin &ndash; the amount that is traditionally negotiated within a procurement exercise and then controlled by contract &ndash; is &pound;800,000. So if you want to make 10% savings or more on total spend, you have to start thinking out of the box.
How this cost profile can get out of control
Temporary workers should be just that, workers that are engaged for a temporary period. Why then, is it that some workers are engaged for 9 months or longer?
We carried out some analysis for a manufacturing organisation recently that had had the same temporary worker engaged since 1981, and another since 1987. Whilst this is an extreme example, it is certainly not isolated. Carrying out the same analysis with a bank, we identified several workers who had been engaged for 3 years or more &ndash; the customer actually thought they were permanent employees!
Placing this into a financial context, let&rsquo;s say that the &pound;20.30 pay rate described above has been agreed for a 3 month business case. The cost for this, assuming a 40 hour week across 12 weeks is &pound;9,744 (&pound;20.30 x 40 x 12). Now let&rsquo;s say that the same worker is in place for 12 months &ndash; the cost rises to &pound;42,224 (&pound;20.30 x 40 x 52). The difference of &pound;32,480 therefore represents an eye-watering 330% increase to the committed cost.
Within your own organisation you may feel that this cost risk is under control, but is it really? Going back to the bank that we spoke with, they certainly did. Any PO approvals for &lt;&pound;50k financial commitment required executive board sign off. The majority of contractors engaged cost the business over &pound;50k, but every time the PO approached the magical sign off figure, the cunning line manager would simply create a new PO, and then repeat the process ad infinitum. Approvals are in any case, only effective if someone is prepared to say &lsquo;no&rsquo;, and as discussed above, the real damage is done thought stealth.
How to take control back
Within our managed service models we approach demand management in two way: at a transactional level, and strategically.
Transactional demand management is as it sounds &ndash; best practice controls that place governance over the order approval process, channel opportunity to replacement channels (internal agency, employability provider and so on) and effectively manage tenure.
Strategic demand management refers to the analysis of usage and the implementation of affirmative action to eliminate waste, such as; challenging hiring behaviours; converting workers from temporary to permanent status where pertinent to do so; exiting workers that have become part of the furniture; reviewing controls, and changing these controls where required.
In order to implement both approaches, you will need:
<ol>
<li>A robust system through which contingent staff can be ordered, time-sheeted and invoiced, with flexible approval mechanisms, order allocation controls, tenure controls and detailed management information capability. The system will also need to replicate your organizational structure so that the appropriate permissions and reporting are put into place.</li>
<li>Access to an expert resource that fully understands the contingent recruitment market, can interpret management information and who can use their expertise to advise on opportunities to reduce demand.</li>
<li>A managed supply chain, where the agency&rsquo;s inherent interest in actively stimulating demand is firmly shackled and under control.</li>
<li>An internal contract manager who is prepared to challenge line manager behaviour and implement change where a business case dictates.</li>
<li>A firm, senior level mandate.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
The benefits
Working with our customers, we have helped them to realise up to 75% in savings on their total spend on temporary workers, and importantly, helped them to maintain their expenditure at this level without compromising the quality of worker provided.
For example, one of our local authority customers spent &pound;12,500,000 in 2012/2013, and through the implementation of a number of the measures discussed above had reduced annualised expenditure to &pound;3,500,000 by 2014/2015, a level which is still maintained in 2017.
More recently we have helped another customer to reduce their annual spend from peak levels of &pound;18m to a steady &pound;5.8 over an 18 month transition period. We have been repeated this pattern across a number of customers - &pound;43m per annum to &pound;19m, &pound;34m to &pound;18m, &pound;7m to &pound;3m and so on, albeit with different metrics applied and over varying time periods.
The overall opportunity within your organisation depend on your own circumstances and the tools available to you to combat demand effectively; either way, it is likely that if you spend in excess of a million on agency staff there will be money to be saved.

The Importance of Managing Demand

<h4>Watch the webinar recording <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-vaaoHUdgM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>
There is a growing trend towards the use of Statements of Works (SOW) as an alternative or &ldquo;complementary&rdquo; method of engagement. SOW has grown in popularity because it provides an outcome-based approach to getting a project or piece of work completed to exacting timelines. Yet, procuring and managing this new and exciting category still requires the same rigour and process as other areas of expenditure. In this live webinar first held in June 2020, you&rsquo;ll hear from Simon Mallender, Director at Talent Evolution Consulting and formerly of HS2 and Capita. Plus, Charles Austin, our Client Solutions Director. Both will be talking about the importance of SOW to the modern organisation. You&rsquo;ll also hear how to procure and manage suppliers in a way that empowers your ordering managers to purchase and manage SOW contracts better. Here&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;ll learn:
What is SOW and why is it rapidly expanding?
<ul>
<li>What do you need to do in order to be able to procure SOW effectively?</li>
<li>How can you empower ordering managers to purchase an SOW project effectively?</li>
<li>How do you manage this category of expenditure more effectively?</li>
</ul>
<h4>Watch the webinar recording <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-vaaoHUdgM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>

Statement of Works: Best in class ways to procure and manage this rapidly growing area of expenditure

Impellam Group is proud to be a gold partner at this year&rsquo;s <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:8f7d36bd-4857-447f-bcee-330cb1442f51">Contingent Workforce Strategies</a> (CWS) Summit Europe from Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), meaning our Comensura, Guidant Global and Lorien teams will be there in force to welcome you. The event returns to the Royal Lancaster, London, where it has been held for the past 5 years. &nbsp; We also have a limited number of free guest passes for existing customers and those looking to drive more innovation and value from their contingent workforce in 2023 and beyond. Read on for details. &nbsp; CWS Summit Europe promises to be an action-packed few days, with thought-provoking keynotes, interactive panel discussions, and plenty of opportunities to network with other industry MSP leaders. We can't wait to engage in conversations with other attendees and hear about the latest trends and best practices in contingent workforce management. Whether you're interested in learning more about MSP services, Direct Sourcing, RPO, or SoW management and Services Procurement solutions, we'll be onsite to help. Our team is passionate about delivering real value to our clients, and we are looking forward to connecting with other organisations that share the same drive for excellence. &nbsp; So, if you're looking for a high-energy, dynamic event that's packed with insights and networking opportunities, join Comensura and our fellow Impellam managed services brands <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/">Guidant Global</a> and <a href="https://www.lorienglobal.com/">Lorien</a>, alongside your peers at the premier European event for contingent workforce professionals. Free guest passes&nbsp;
We have a very limited number of free guest passes. If you are a senior Procurement, HR or contingent workforce leader and would like to attend as Comensura&rsquo;s guest, please email us on Enquiries@comensura.co.uk requesting our free guest pass code to use at&nbsp;<a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:8f7d36bd-4857-447f-bcee-330cb1442f51">registration</a>. Without the code early-bird tickets are &pound;990 +VAT. &nbsp; Why attend CWS Summit Europe 2023? 
Expand your horizons, forge new connections, and evolve your contingent workforce management strategy in an interactive and collaborative conference setting. Expert industry speakers will discuss opportunities for talent sourcing and engagement management, current and future technologies across the workforce solutions ecosystem, and strategies and innovations for contingent workforce programme improvement and programme maturity. Whether your programme is new and you&rsquo;re in search of tools to get started, or mature and ready to evolve to the next level, CWS Summit Europe offers content for all. When?&nbsp; 9th to 10th May 2023
Where?&nbsp; <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/1098bcde-b7ca-4364-9090-88f21efa9e76/websitePage:2f80d779-e259-4a0b-b4f6-65fafafcfacf">Royal Lancaster Hotel</a>, London, United Kingdom&nbsp;

SIA CWS Summit Europe 2023. Request your free guest code

Management within the public sector has always been rife with challenges, from evolving legislation and public opinion to budget cuts and lack of personnel. However, as the UK grapples with a country-wide skills shortage, the public sector is struggling more than most to make sure that they have the talent required to meet their constituents' needs. The <a href="https://www.localgov.co.uk/Nine-in-10-councils-experiencing-staffing-issues/55468">Local Government Association 2022 Workforce Survey</a> showed that more than nine in ten councils are experiencing staffing issues. 71% of local authorities are struggling to recruit adult social care workers and over 80% of councils are having difficulties recruiting children&rsquo;s social workers. The survey also found that 58% of councils are struggling to recruit planning officers and more than a fifth are finding it challenging to recruit HGV drivers. Comensura were delighted to be at last month's <a href="https://publicsectorshow.co.uk/">Public Sector Show</a> in London, where we met up with a range of leaders, managers and specialists working within local authorities and central government.
Value for money
As always, one of the key topics on the agenda was how to make the most of the available budget in all areas. For passionate public sector workers this is not about getting products and services as cheap as they can. It&rsquo;s about getting the best possible value and making the most of the budget they have to spend.
Sustainable procurement
Environmental impact was also heavily mentioned. All areas within the public sector are being driven to reduce their carbon footprint and their negative impact on the world around them. Sustainability is also important in workforce management. A recent study showed that <a href="https://workplaceinsight.net/majority-of-office-workers-want-employers-to-improve-sustainability-policies/">nearly a quarter of people would actually turn down a job if the company had a poor history in sustainability</a>. With the public sector already struggling with recruitment they cannot afford for top talent to have a reason to turn them down.
Risks and opportunities from use of technology
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in the news at the moment, with people trying to decide whether this is a labour saving opportunity or the end of personal customer service. Opinions are mixed, but there were many conversations on what could be achieved without compromising people&rsquo;s level of experience, efficiency, or safety. As more and more technology is rolled out, safety is the key concern for a lot of the public sector. The very real risk of cyber-attacks is driving the government and local authorities to take as many precautions as possible in safeguarding data and access across the board.
Those working within the public sector are looking for the most effective solutions that are also easy to implement, and this is a challenge set to continue indefinitely.
A smarter approach to using data for workforce management for the public sector
Comensura is obsessive about delivering a smarter way to work for the public sector. We overcome complex resourcing requirements for contingent and permanent labour required by local authorities and government organisations through a network of specialist recruitment suppliers. Our independent approach helps the organisations that we work with meet all of their staffing requirements, with efficiency and control at every step. If you're looking for a smarter approach to workforce management, get in touch via our <a href="../../../../../../contact">contact us page</a>, we're happy to chat!

Public sector leaders seek out innovative new approaches at The Public Sector Show 2023

While corporate brands are increasingly realising the economic benefits of local community engagement, public sector organisations have long understood their responsibility to provide social value in their use of external resources. By partnering with an MSP, local authorities can ensure they deliver tangible, measurable benefits to their local areas through effective services procurement.
Across the public sector, the concept of creating social value in procurement is nothing new: the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 placed a responsibility on relevant organisations to consider economic, social and environmental wellbeing in connection with public services contracts. However, with social value measurement becoming increasingly standardised, having robust processes in place to procure products and services in an ethical way has never been more important.
Today, we know that taking a socially-conscious approach is mutually beneficial for all stakeholders &ndash; and services procurement is arguably the area that can have the greatest positive impact on the wider community. But how can local authorities best ensure they are embedding social value into business decisions?
Measuring social value in procurement
Launched in 2017, The National Social Value Measurement Framework &ndash; or National TOMs &ndash; is a method of reporting and measuring social value to a consistent standard. Now endorsed by the Local Government Association, adoption has spread rapidly throughout the local government sector. It is worth noting that central government is also developing a new approach to delivering social value, which is based on similar principles.
The idea behind National TOMs is to make it simpler to embed social value into corporate strategies. The TOMs Framework has also been designed to embed local priorities and signpost businesses to areas of the greatest need in communities, where their actions will add the most value. Priorities will vary between local authorities but often include:
<ul>
<li>the need to help provide jobs for young adults leaving care</li>
<li>opportunities for the long-term unemployed</li>
<li>support for community groups, or</li>
<li>protecting the environment.</li>
</ul>
Of the five key themes promoted by the TOMs Framework, three can be directly impacted by smart, ethical recruitment practices:
<ul>
<li>building healthier, safer and more resilient communities</li>
<li>supporting the growth of responsible regional businesses, and</li>
<li>promoting local skills and employment.</li>
</ul>
Employment and the community: why partnering with an MSP makes sense
For local authorities seeking talent, the wide-ranging benefits of partnering with an MSP are hard to ignore: from access to skills and the agility to flex workforces, to a dedicated point of contact and enhanced compliance. However, MSPs are also perfectly placed to ensure that public sector organisations meet their obligations when it comes to embedding social value in MSP programmes - and recording and measuring their subsequent success. A great MSP will work with their clients to ensure that strategies are tailored to a local authority&rsquo;s individual objectives, whether that be finding suitable roles for residents, identifying training opportunities or ensuring local small and medium enterprises are part of the supply chain. The best MSPs understand that identifying social value in procurement is more than just a tick-box exercise &ndash; it offers the chance to make a real difference.
Success in Southwark
The Inner-London borough of Southwark is home to around 314,000 people. Across the Local Authority, around 40% of children are judged to be living in poverty. <a href="https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/boroughs/southwark-poverty-and-inequality-indicators/">Income deprivation</a> in Southwark is also higher than the London average, with 8.2% of the working age population claiming benefits.
<a href="../../../../../../insights/case-studies/customer-case-studies/southwark-council-">Southwark Council</a>&nbsp;originally tendered its requirement for a vendor neutral managed service provider of temporary and interim staff in 2005, awarding a contract to Comensura which went live in April 2006. Since then, this partnership has gone from strength-to-strength.
The headline reduction in spend Southwark Council has made as a result of working with Comensura are impressive, with total spend reduced from a peak of &pound;43m per annum to &pound;22m, through the introduction of demand management and workforce planning initiatives. However, outcomes from the social value elements of the contractual relationship are arguably even more notable.
With support from <a href="https://southwarkworks.com/">Southwark Works</a> &ndash; a local authority-funded programme which supports the employability needs of Southwark&rsquo;s most disadvantaged residents &ndash; Southwark Council and Comensura are offering real social value.
In fact, since partnering with Comensura, Southwark&rsquo;s jobseekers have secured invaluable opportunities working in admin, IT, finance and benefits, social and healthcare and HR. Early in 2021 local residents were also offered exciting roles in the Electoral Services team ahead of the May mayoral elections. This activity is providing individuals with high quality work experience to enhance their CV and job prospects, with temp roles often leading to something more permanent. The Council, meanwhile, is able to access previously untapped talent pools secure in the knowledge that it is helping to tackle economic inequality locally.
In addition, the partnership also provides Southwark Works&rsquo; service users with access to Comensura&rsquo;s network of suppliers, which are offering practical support in areas such as CV writing and interview techniques.
As Jane Couchman, Programme Manager at Southwark Works, highlights: &ldquo;It has been good to work with them [Comensura] because it has given us access to a large number of temporary vacancies with the Local Authority which is obviously right on our doorstep&hellip; and given us access to opportunities we weren&rsquo;t even aware of before.&rdquo;
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As the above example demonstrates, partnering with an MSP to focus on social value in procurement creates benefits beyond the hiring organisation itself. Ultimately, the practice can elevate the aspirations, opportunities and the prosperity of local communities &ndash; advantages that all local authorities will appreciate.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you provide real social value in your local community.

Providing local benefits with smarter services procurement

Comensura has again been awarded the Procurement Australia contract for Managed Services Program Providers for Contingent Labour, commencing January 2021. This is a great opportunity for Comensura and Procurement Australia to extend their relationship and deliver further value to Procurement Australia members with services increased to include Payroll Services and Statement of Work.
Procurement Australia&rsquo;s members can access Comensura&rsquo;s neutral vendor managed services, which delivers cost savings, process efficiencies, strict workforce compliance measures, and visibility and control of contingent labour spend. In addition to this market leading solution, members can now access comprehensive Payroll Services and outcome-focused Statement of Work engagements. These expanded services enable Procurement Australia members to more efficiently manage their contingent workforce, including contractors and referred workers, and generate bottom line savings.
&ldquo;Comensura is delighted to partner with Procurement Australia through the term of our second contract. This is a terrific opportunity for Procurement Australia members to benefit by working with Comensura as their MSP of Choice, gaining access to Contractor Management Solutions and Statement of Work through our leading VMS technology, c.net.&rdquo;
- Matt King, Business Development Director, Comensura
About Comensura
Comensura delivers a smarter way to work. We cut through the complexity of recruitment and simplify the process to procure and manage temporary labour. Our expert and collaborative approach has allowed Comensura to become the leading provider of temporary staffing Neutral Vendor Managed Services to local and state government in Australia.
As market leaders Comensura regularly consults with organisations on workforce solutions, providing expert knowledge backed with data. Comensura&rsquo;s services support the full spectrum of temporary staffing requirements. From ad hoc procurement of temporary labour to large, complex organisational structures and workforce demands, Comensura&rsquo;s solutions effectively and efficiently manage all contingent workforce needs.
To find out how you can engage Procurement Australia contract 2312-0618 - Recruitment, Training and Associated Services, please contact:
Matt King, Business Development Director, Comensura <a href="mailto:matt.king@comensura.com.au?subject=Procurement%20Australia%20framework">matt.king@comensura.com.au</a>

Comensura has again been awarded the Procurement Australia contract for Managed Services Program Providers for Contingent Labour, commencing January 2021. This is a great opportunity for Comensura and Procurement Australia to extend their relationship and deliver further value to Procurement Australia members with services increased to include Payroll Services and Statement of Work.

Procurement Australia awards Comensura a 3-year contract for Managed Services Program Providers for Contingent Labour.

Comensura are pleased to announce the new appointment of Aaron Wawman to Sales Director, at a time of exciting growth and renewed focus on streamlining people-based procurement for our clients.
As Sales Director and member of the Comensura leadership team, Wawman will be key to promoting our proprietary, adaptive technology and data-driven insights, and lead our team of experts dedicated to making a difference.
Commenting on his new role, Wawman says he is looking forward to this new challenge and the wider Impellam organisation:
"I am thrilled to embark on this exciting journey. Comensura's commitment to excellence and their dedication to delivering smarter workforce solutions to both public and private sectors align perfectly with direction of travel we see in the market. 
 Clients want more than just a transactional MSP; they want a strategic partner who can support them on a journey of evolution towards total talent management. It&rsquo;s great to join such a strong brand and become part of the Impellam Group and I look forward to contributing to their continued success.&rdquo; 
Wawman has spent much of his career in the recruitment and MSP delivery industry, working with flagship clients and partnering with global organisations. He is passionate about helping companies to fully optimise the way they attract, engage and manage their workforce.
Outside of work he is a compelling writer and podcast fan, as well as an avid traveller and fitness enthusiast.

Comensura are pleased to announce the new appointment of Aaron Wawman to Sales Director, at a time of exciting growth and renewed focus on streamlining people-based procurement for our clients.

New Sales Director Aaron Wawman joins Comensura to lead our committed team of experts

In this article we look at the variations of managed service providers (MSPs), the various service models, defining them and explaining some of their respective complexities and differences.
What is a managed service provider (MSP)?
According to <a href="https://staffingindustry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)</a>, an MSP is &ldquo;A company that takes on primary responsibility for managing an organisation&rsquo;s contingent workforce program.&rdquo; Not all companies are the same and this is also true of MSPs. Some are established from recruitment agency routes - to source, employ and manage contingent workers. Others (Comensura would fall in this camp) are established from a procurement-led route &ndash; maintaining independence to procure and manage a 3rd party supply chain of recruitment suppliers on a customer&rsquo;s behalf.
Understanding the capabilities and expertise of MSPs, along with what specialisms you require is essential. Why? Organisations are themselves not one-size-fits-all.
The various permutations of worker and niche role requirements, single or multiple site locations, how hiring decisions are made, and globalisation means that how one company operates will be drastically different to another. And that is even before we get into company preferences on how to engage with suppliers and their contingent workforce!
What is a managed service program?
According to SIA in staffing terms a managed service program is &ldquo;the coordinated management of a company&rsquo;s contingent workforce and associated suppliers for the betterment of the company&rsquo;s operations across four key dimensions: quality, efficiency, cost, and risk. &rdquo;** Essentially, the implementation of a managed service program should create an improved flow and calibre of contingent worker, engaged through processes that streamline efficiency while managing risk and delivering better cost outcomes. In other words, a managed service program should deliver a smarter way to work for an organisation&rsquo;s temporary labour.
Managed service programs can be delivered in-house or via a 3rd party MSP. A managed service program typically consists of a supply chain, technology to manage the transactional engagement of the supply chain (often referred to as a vendor management system, or VMS) and a team whose role it is to ensure that the whole program runs smoothly via process implementation and liaison with the end client.
Managed service programs are popular. Organisations in the UK entrust a combined total of &pound;19.7bn* of annual contingent labour expenditure under the stewardship of a 3rd party MSP.
The three types of managed service programs
There are, broadly speaking, three different types of managed service programs:
<ul>
<li>A vendor neutral model</li>
<li>A master vendor model</li>
<li>A hybrid model</li>
</ul>
As we mentioned previously, these variations have emerged to accommodate the differing needs of organisations across their unique market sectors.
It is important to note that the relative strengths and weaknesses of each of these models should solely be considered in direct correlation to your own organisation&rsquo;s needs. What works well for one organisation may not work for another.
What&rsquo;s the difference between each model?
To ensure objectivity in our look at each service model, we have refrained from listing pros and cons of each. Naturally, over the course of time people develop subjective opinions on each. These are usually attributed to the model (neutral vendor, master vendor or hybrid), where these opinions more accurately relate to the actual managed service provider (MSP) delivering the program. Watch out for this. Even global commentators like SIA can be guilty of bias. So, we have done our best to give you a completely neutral view of the brief &lsquo;facts&rsquo; for each service model, to understand their core differences.
Vendor neutral model
As the term suggests, the &lsquo;vendor neutral&rsquo; (also known as neutral vendor) service model maintains a complete separation between the MSP and the supply chain (&lsquo;vendors&rsquo; or &lsquo;suppliers&rsquo;). SIA&rsquo;s <a href="http://lexicon.staffingindustry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lexicon</a> defines vendor neutral as:
&ldquo;..a model in which a managed services or VMS technology handles its tasks (e.g. order distribution or candidate selection) based on client-defined policies that mandate that all (or a pre-defined set of ) staffing suppliers (vendors) be (a) given an equal opportunity to fill each order, and/or (b) selected for each order based on the same criteria.
Under a vendor-neutral model, a managed services or VMS provider could not, on its own accord, push orders to itself or any other staffing vendor. The presumed advantage of a vendor-neutral model is that the best supplier with the best candidate will fill each position.
The term is sometimes used in a stricter form to refer to an independent managed service provider that is completely autonomous, or semi-autonomous, from the staffing suppliers.&rdquo;
In the UK, MSPs providing vendor neutral models comprise 32%* of the total annual contingent labour expenditure via 3rd party managed service programs.
The SIA definition doesn&rsquo;t reflect that choice is given to the customer to configure the model to allow hiring managers to order via a supply chain and/or directly contact an individual supplier(s). Independence from supply, enabling the right route to market and standardisation of supply chain management are key principles of vendor neutral.
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/h32vb4nqp8b5am7mtjmzx4vmjjdj" alt="" width="738" height="266">
Master vendor model
Master vendor service models prioritise supply through a single, primary supplier, one that is (in the vast majority) affiliated to or is the MSP. In instances where the primary supplier has exhausted its own capacity, a second tier of suppliers may be engaged. SIA&rsquo;s definition is:
&ldquo;A staffing supplier that takes overall responsibility for providing clients with temporary staff. In a master supplier relationship, all orders will usually go first to the master supplier to either be filled or distributed to secondary suppliers. Sometimes a master supplier will not only provide a significant portion of the temporary staff working at the employer&rsquo;s site but also manage an organisation&rsquo;s contingent workforce program.&rdquo;
In the UK, MSPs providing master vendor models comprise 37%* of the total annual contingent labour expenditure via 3rd party managed service programs.
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5qwcuncen6xpu9ux75zmtvolzshl" alt="" width="730" height="264">
Hybrid model
As we have discussed, organisations&rsquo; requirements vary wildly, which in some cases may require elements of both vendor neutral and master vendor service models to be combined. This is known as the hybrid model. SIA&rsquo;s definition:
&ldquo; A contingent workforce program management strategy that involves blending different sourcing model attributes. Typically, a hybrid program would include elements of vendor-neutral as well as master-supplier programs. For example, a buyer might engage a single provider to act as the sole supplier for its Light Industrial job requisitions while having multiple providers competitively bid on IT positions.&rdquo;
In the UK, MSPs providing hybrid models comprise 31%* of the total annual contingent labour expenditure via 3rd party managed service programs.
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/8wsyzzj3yo44wiv5lbgqnusotizu" alt="" width="626" height="363">
So where do you go from here?
As mentioned previously, MSPs and the models they offer are not one-size-fits-all. A service model that will be a runaway success in one organisation, will fall flat in another. It is therefore imperative that you understand your own requirements first and objectively assess MSPs and their associated service model on their ability to meet your requirements, being conscious of critical service delivery elements, such as avoiding conflicts of interest for the vendor neutral aspects of the service are delivered.
Want to know more about MSPs and the benefits each model can deliver, and which may be best for your specific requirements? Drop an email to <a href="mailto:enquiries@comensura.co.uk">enquiries@comensura.co.uk</a> and we will happy to help.
*Staffing Industry Analysts Global MSP Landscape report 2019. ** http://cwstrategies.staffingindustry.com/the-model-dilemma-how-should-you-manage-your-program/#/

Managed service provider definitions: vendor neutral, master vendor, hybrid

In this guide, HR and procurement leaders will learn how to develop a successful, post-pandemic workforce strategy. What will it take to attract, keep, and manage a productive team in this increasingly tough market for talent? Get your copy to find out.
<h4>Download your free copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Soi_IEFEhMtRDUJPPI8gYj3TBOLshrNv/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>
Rapid digital transformation and remote working have fundamentally changed the nature of work - as well as what individuals want from it. Workforce strategies that were once successful are quickly becoming out of date in this post-pandemic climate.
<h4>What does this mean for HR and procurement leaders?</h4>
It means that to continue providing their organisations with top contingent and permanent talent, they must understand how things have changed - and how to adapt. In this guide, the third in our series on leadership, our workforce solutions experts provide the answers.
Get your <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Soi_IEFEhMtRDUJPPI8gYj3TBOLshrNv/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">copy</a> of the guide to learn:
<ul>
<li>the unique forces that are driving the need for new contingent and permanent workforce strategies</li>
<li>what you can do to attract, retain, and manage the right people post-pandemic</li>
<li>how IR35 changes and flexible working have changed people&rsquo;s work expectations</li>
<li>why demonstrating your value to potential workers is more important than ever.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Download your free copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Soi_IEFEhMtRDUJPPI8gYj3TBOLshrNv/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>

Leadership in the new normal Part three: your strategy

<h4>In this guide, HR and procurement leaders will discover how to manage the move back to the workplace in a way that instils motivation, productivity and togetherness in their teams.</h4>
In the coming months, millions will return to their workplaces as hybrid working becomes the post-lockdown norm. Many will return from furlough to rejoin their colleagues, and thousands will be onboarded as contingent workforces play a crucial role in recovery.
<h4>Download your free copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCcBM7MlT5-is_Vb4dCE0cEzAiY-hAuy/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>
<h4>What does this mean for HR and procurement leaders?</h4>
It means their ability to build successful teams will be more important than ever to business success. In this guide, we explain how leaders can reconnect their teams, integrate new members, and establish a culture of shared achievement under a hybrid working model. Get your free <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCcBM7MlT5-is_Vb4dCE0cEzAiY-hAuy/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">copy</a> of the guide to learn how to:
<ul>
<li>overcome the productivity challenges posed by hybrid working</li>
<li>make your team feel safe to share ideas and ask questions</li>
<li>put trust and togetherness at the heart of your team building</li>
<li>set and achieve shared goals using honest and open methods</li>
</ul>
<h4>Download your free copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCcBM7MlT5-is_Vb4dCE0cEzAiY-hAuy/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>

Leadership in the new normal - Part 2: Your team

<h4>A guide to outstanding leadership in the 'new normal'. Offering tangible, practical guidance to help you emerge a better, more successful leader - ensuring your organisation emerges fighting fit.</h4>
Over recent months, we&rsquo;ve seen trends and working practices which have been gathering momentum over many years pre-pandemic, suddenly accelerated to become common practice.
<h4>Download your copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJQ8krgZHjBHkVRiUj_vyXiyfCr-BFTU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>
So, what does this mean for HR and procurement leaders?
Today&rsquo;s leaders must shift their mindset to one of continual change. A mindset, that with change comes the potential for new and innovative ways to achieve the extraordinary. But, to achieve this, leaders need to start with themselves. In this piece we break down the areas that constitute outstanding leadership in this changed world; and give you tangible, practical guidance to help you emerge a better, more successful leader - ensuring your organisation emerges fighting fit for the &ldquo;new normal&rdquo;.
<h4>The guide covers:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Where is the 'new normal' taking us?</li>
<li>Key leadership behaviours</li>
<li>Managing continuous productivity and performance under pressure</li>
<li>Building resilience in yourself, your team and your extended workforce</li>
<li>Best practises to stay positive-focused</li>
</ul>
<h4>Download your copy of the guide <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TJQ8krgZHjBHkVRiUj_vyXiyfCr-BFTU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>

Leadership: In the “new normal”: Part 1 – You: the leader

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Like many, the team at&nbsp;Comensura&nbsp;were incredibly saddened by the events as they unfolded in&nbsp;Ukraine. Since the&nbsp;conflict&nbsp;started, we wanted to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK by helping&nbsp;them&nbsp;to find&nbsp;meaningful employment,&nbsp;taking into account&nbsp;their unique needs&nbsp;with roles that&nbsp;reflect their experience and&nbsp;expertise.
</div>
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&ldquo;We have been working with some superb Ukrainian candidates with excellent skills, but language barriers and lack of UK&nbsp;recognised&nbsp;certification had been holding them back in gaining employment,&rdquo;&nbsp;stated&nbsp;Kevin Atkinson, Senior Business Partner&nbsp;at&nbsp;Comensura&nbsp;and&nbsp;Impellam&nbsp;Group.&nbsp;&ldquo;Finding these candidates employment will go a long way to making their lives in the UK more settled.&rdquo;
</div>
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In 2023, we have found 50 Ukrainian&nbsp;refugees'&nbsp;employment, which takes our total since the conflict began to 120. These jobs have been in a range of roles from&nbsp;waste management to finance, and we have worked with companies equally keen to make a difference in these difficult circumstances.
</div>
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One company we have worked with significantly is Veolia,&nbsp;who have won&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW238740797 BCX8" href="../../../../../../insights/blog/comensura-shine-in-dei-at-the-tiara-talent-solutions-awards-europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TIARA Talent Solutions Awards Europe&nbsp;in 2023</a>&nbsp;for their&nbsp;ED&amp;I (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion)&nbsp;initiatives, of which Jobs for Ukraine is just one.
</div>
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&ldquo;Working with Ukrainian refugees has been challenging psychologically. Every person who turned to us for help has their own story; some&nbsp;individual&rsquo;s&nbsp;houses&nbsp;were&nbsp;bombed,&nbsp;and they have nowhere to return&nbsp;to.&nbsp;Some&nbsp;have&nbsp;lost friends or relatives,&rdquo;&nbsp;says&nbsp;Galina&nbsp;Herwins,&nbsp;Recruitment and Onboarding Administrator&nbsp;at&nbsp;Impellam&nbsp;Group,&nbsp;who has worked closely with Ukrainian refugee candidates.
</div>
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&ldquo;Employment&nbsp;is&nbsp;very important&nbsp;to them. Having a job in a foreign country is&nbsp;not only&nbsp;a means of survival, but also helpful in adapting to&nbsp;another culture.&nbsp;Each case is very individual, but when they call us and hear their native Ukrainian language on the other end of the line, they&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;feel so alone.&rdquo;
</div>
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Comensura plan to continue this work into 2024, and we will be donating 100% of the profits made from job placements to the International Red Cross, who continue to do important, lifesaving work around the globe.
</div>
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW238740797 BCX8">Jobs for Ukraine at&nbsp;Comensura</h2>
</div>
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If you are, or know of, a company that would be interested in working with us to offer support to Ukrainian refugees through employment,&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW238740797 BCX8" href="../../../../../../contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">please get in touch using our contact us page.</a>
</div>

Like many, the team at&nbsp;Comensura&nbsp;were incredibly saddened by the events as they unfolded in&nbsp;Ukraine. Since the&nbsp;conflict&nbsp;started, we wanted to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK by helping&nbsp;them&nbsp;to find&nbsp;meaningful employment,&nbsp;taking into account&nbsp;their unique needs&nbsp;with roles that&nbsp;reflect their experience and&nbsp;expertise.

Jobs for Ukraine – making a difference in 2023 and beyond

March 8th 2024 is International Women's Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges and barriers that women face in their quest for gender equality and empowerment. &nbsp;
This year's theme is #InspireInclusivity, which encourages us to inspire gender inclusion in our everyday lives and to celebrate the achievements of women who have broken stereotypes and boundaries.&nbsp;
To mark this occasion, we have asked some of our colleagues to share their thoughts on why gender inclusion is important for them and how they contribute to inspiring a more inclusive culture at work. Here are some of their thoughts and stories.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Nicol Nee, Head of Service&nbsp;
&ldquo;For me, gender inclusivity is paramount to the success of any organisation, creating a fair environment with equal opportunities for everyone. It ensures diverse perspectives, leading to improved decision-making and a positive place to work where everyone feels valued.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Hoa Ngo, UK Managing Director&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s important for everyone to inspire gender inclusion, not just women. The involvement of men is crucial for achieving gender inclusion.&nbsp;
&nbsp;Many organisations still miss the mark by focusing solely on women, reinforcing the perception that these are women's issues and overlooking systemic causes. With the active support of men, significant progress towards ending gender disparities is going to happen much faster.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Lee Hoare, Senior Business Partner&nbsp;
&ldquo;I personally think it&rsquo;s important to inspire gender inclusion because gender shouldn&rsquo;t even be an issue that needs to be discussed. The more that we raise gender inclusion now, hopefully the less future generations will have to! There shouldn&rsquo;t have to be a conversation to be equal, we are all equal!&nbsp;
Having been brought up in a family of very strong women, surrounded by strong female friends this issue baffles me. We shouldn&rsquo;t be excluding, we should be openly inviting everyone into the workplace, or any setting. I think the world would be a much better place if we do.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Delasi Dawson-Coker, Business Partner&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think inspiring gender inclusion is vital due to personal experience. I once expressed interest in an advertised role with more responsibility at a previous workplace and was met with: &ldquo;Really? Even with 3 kids? I wouldn&rsquo;t have thought you&rsquo;d be interested!&rdquo; The female HR, without speaking to me had already made up her mind that as a mother of 3, I had no intention of progressing my career further. &nbsp;
Interestingly, this was at a place where I had progressed through the ranks over the years; however, after having kids, it had been assumed that I&rsquo;d no longer be looking for career progression.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Mary Nichol Impellam Director of Sales&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a firm believer in promoting gender inclusion, it allows us to have better conversations, by nurturing a variety of opinions regardless of gender helps us come up with our greatest ideas. Having everyone think in the same way doesn&rsquo;t allow that. Having a mix of genders allow us to be open to new ways of thinking and working. I love working and hearing differing views and perspectives.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Luke Celino, Head of Service&nbsp;
&ldquo;As a single father of a 12-year-old daughter, I&rsquo;ve always felt strongly about the importance to inspire gender inclusion, and this is also filtered down into my team at work too.&nbsp;
Gender inclusion in the workplace is important. However, it&rsquo;s also important because it promotes diversity and creates a more welcoming environment for employees. When all genders are valued and respected, they are all engaged, motivated and productive. &nbsp;
Inclusive businesses around the globe are seen as more desirable places to work and are better able to meet the needs of a broader range of customers. It&rsquo;s important to inspire gender inclusion and bring balance to the workplace because that&rsquo;s what I want my daughter to experience in her future.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Hannah Fennelly, Business Partner&nbsp;
&ldquo;I had not really experienced any gender inclusion problems for a big chunk of my life, our parents pushed us girls to learn basic DIY, how to look after our cars... all the stereotypical &lsquo;manly&rsquo; type roles. This soon changed as soon as I became a parent.&nbsp;
Prior to having my son, I was always considered a valuable member of the team, I had 100% attendance and zero lateness in all the years I had worked at that previous company. After he was born, my son attended nursery and anyone who has a baby in nursery knows they constantly call you as they cannot have any unwell children mixing with other children, and at that age they pick up every germ. &nbsp;
I was made to feel sick with guilt if I was called out of work, with comments and questions on if someone else could get him, and then I would feel guilty not being able to give my son all my attention while he was unwell because I was worried about work. It dawned on me that all the years I had never been off or even been late, all the extra hours and extra work I had contributed prior to having my son meant absolutely nothing. &nbsp;
I left that role as I felt I was pushed out; I found a new role where they were thankfully very supportive, and I have never experienced this since. It&rsquo;s important to inspire gender inclusion because I still hear stories like mine and feel we have a long way to go before we get it right.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Beth Capper, Senior Business Partner&nbsp;
&ldquo;I have a 5-year-old daughter and I work really hard daily to instil the importance of gender not being an issue or something that holds us back in life and the workplace. &nbsp;
We recently bought and read together the book, &ldquo;Little People, Big Dreams &ndash; Mare Curie&rdquo; which is fabulous but clearly demonstrates inequality between genders from that time &ndash; Marie wasn&rsquo;t able to attend the same school as her brother, because she was female, and had to move countries to Paris to study where it was acceptable for females to attend. She obviously later went on to win 2 Nobel peace prizes for the work to science and set up schools to encourage women into that field&hellip; the rest is literally history!&nbsp;
It was really interesting to see my daughter being curious / flabbergasted, at age 5, as to why Marie couldn&rsquo;t attend a school because she was female &ndash; and hopefully testament that as a society, we are moving to a better place where capability and ability is not determined by our gender.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re looking to promote gender equality in your workplace, the International Women&rsquo;s Day website has tools, resources, and support that can help you. Look to make improvements today, and plan for a more diverse 2025.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/">https://www.internationalwomensday.com/&nbsp;</a>

International Women’s Day 2024 – Inspire Inclusivity

The Impellam Group is proud to have recently signed the UK Armed Forces Covenant, a commitment from the group to support and treat members of the Armed Forces Community with fairness and respect. Our CEO Global Managed Services, Simon Blockley said of this signing: &lsquo;At a brand level, Carbon60, Lorien, Comensura and Guidant Global are already signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant. By elevating this support to the Group level, we will be able to have a bigger impact on the Military community through a louder unified Impellam voice. Not only ensuring Impellam supports and treats the Armed Forces Community with fairness and respect but by influencing our extensive client base to do the same&rsquo;. This signing was organised by IM Military, Impellam&rsquo;s employee-led Business Resource Group for veterans dedicated towards providing greater opportunities for those who served in defence sector. At Impellam, we believe that fostering an atmosphere of trust and inclusivity is essential for our success. We strive to create a workplace where everyone can feel accepted without prejudice or discrimination regardless of gender identity, military background, circumstances or beliefs so they can reach their highest potential. Additionally, we are excited to provide even more opportunities for those who have served in the defence sector.
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/j5m5ilcyxqr2o4wbzpcfsg8r0ejo" alt="" width="710" height="400">
What is the Armed Force Covenant?
The Armed Force Covenant is essentially a promise from society ensuring that all current/former members of armed forces as well as their families (known as armed forces community) are treated fairly without judgement or bias regardless their circumstances or beliefs allowing them to reach their full potential in life. Currently there are over 9600 signatories representing many different sectors including major corporations, charities and SMEs each expressing their commitment in creating an inclusive culture built on trust &ndash; one which embraces diversity both inside and outside any workplace environment.

Impellam signs Armed Forces Covenant

<h3>Everest Group has once again recognised Impellam Group as a Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) Leader in its prestigious CWM PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment 2022.</h3>
Impellam Group has been named a Leader in Everest Group&rsquo;s:
<ul>
<li>Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) / Managed Service Provider (MSP) PEAK Matrix&reg; 2022</li>
<li>Services Procurement/Statement of Work (SOW) PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment 2022</li>
</ul>
Impellam group is one of only four companies around the globe to be named a Leader in both categories.
The Everest Group PEAK Matrix&reg; is a global framework used to assess the market success and overall delivery capability of CMW/MSP and Services Procurement/SOW service providers, classifying them into three categories of Leaders, Major Contenders and Aspirants.
Impellam Group has achieved Leader status in both the CWM/MSP and Services Procurement/SOW assessments &ndash; one of only four global service providers to do so. The 2022 analysis for Impellam Group combines the data and capability of four of our brands, Guidant Global, Comensura, Lorien and Medacs Global Group. This builds on the Leadership status achieved by Guidant Global in 2021 and previous years.
&nbsp;&ldquo;I am very proud that the Impellam Group and our global MSP and SOW brands have achieved the coveted Leader status in Everest Group assessments,&rdquo; commented Julia Robertson, CEO of Impellam Group. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been recognised for our rich experience, collaborative approach and diversified portfolio. Our strength and continued status in these growing outsourcing markets comes from our willingness to make significant investments in our people and technology, our belief in the power of work, and our ability to help our customers to build better businesses.&rdquo;
Krishna Charan, Practice Director, Everest Group, added: &ldquo;Impellam Group&rsquo;s continued investments in technology, consulting-driven offerings and initiatives, and services procurement solutions enabled its positioning as a Leader on Everest Group&rsquo;s CWM/MSP PEAK Matrix&reg; 2022. And its investments in developing requisite people and technology capabilities, and ability to cater to stand-alone services procurement clients, have helped position it as a Leader on Everest Group&rsquo;s Services Procurement/SOW PEAK Matrix&reg; 2022.&rdquo; About the Everest Group PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment
<a href="https://www2.everestgrp.com/reportaction/EGR-2022-25-R-5362/Marketing?SearchTerms=msp">Everest Group&rsquo;s PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment reports</a> provide the analysis and insights enterprises need to make critical selection decisions about global services providers, locations, products and solutions within various market segments.
Leading organisations around the globe trust these comparative assessments because of their unbiased evaluation of factors such as vision, capabilities, functionality, talent availability, market success, impact and cost.
If you are in need of a collaborative and innovative workforce solutions partner, please contact <a href="https://www.impellam.com/">Impellam Group</a> for a confidential discussion.&nbsp;

Impellam Group Named Leader in Everest Group Reports

Impellam Group has once again been recognised by Everest Group as a Leader in both Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) and Services Procurement / Statement of Work (SOW) in its highly regarded CWM PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment 2023. Everest Group scored Impellam Group highly on market impact, vision and capability, innovation and strategy, with the Impellam brands participating including Comensura, Guidant Global, and Lorien. The survey also found that 58% of councils are struggling to recruit planning officers and more than a fifth are finding it challenging to recruit HGV drivers. Impellam Group has been named as a Leader in the CWM PEAK Matrix every year since 2018.&nbsp;
Everest Group feedback
When talking about our Contingent Workforce Management Krishna Charan, Vice President, Everest Group stated "Impellam Group continues to demonstrate ability to address diverse contingent workforce requirements of clients spanning various industries and geographies. Through sustained investments in emerging areas such as direct sourcing, and a deliberate emphasis on fortifying its technology stack with proprietary tools and strategic partnerships, it has solidified its positioning as a Leader on the Everest Group&rsquo;s Contingent Workforce Management (CWM) / Managed Service Provider (MSP) PEAK Matrix&reg; 2023."
Continuing to discuss our Services Procurement and Statement of Work Charan stated: "Impellam Group continues to deliver effective services procurement management solutions drawing upon its experience in catering to both transactional and strategic aspects of services procurement programs.
Its efforts to enhance client value through dedicated investments to strengthen services procurement people and technology capabilities have all contributed to its positioning as a Leader on Everest Group&rsquo;s Services Procurement / SOW PEAK Matrix&reg; 2023."
Find out more about the Everest Group PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment
<a href="https://www.everestgrp.com/peak-matrix/contingent-workforce-management-cwm-managed-service-provider-msp-and-services-procurement-statement-of-work-sow.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everest Group&rsquo;s PEAK Matrix&reg; Assessment reports</a> provide the insights and analysis enterprises need to make vital selection decisions about global services providers, locations, solutions, and products within a number of market segments.
Leading organisations around the world trust these comparative assessments due to their unbiased evaluation of factors including capabilities, vision, functionality, the availability of talent, market success, cost, and impact.

Impellam Group maintain their position on the list of Leaders in Everest Group’s CWM PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2023

In <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oGVPbRtrA5YohyqMnpyK-csIvEqkGRXA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this guide</a>, HR and procurement leaders will discover how they can adapt hiring practices to find and attract the best talent in a competitive market.
The struggle for talent is intensifying in Australia with workforce preferences changing and more employers finding it difficult to fill roles with suitable staff.
What does this mean for HR and procurement leaders?
It's increasingly important for leaders to adjust their thinking and approach to hiring if they are to continue surviving and thriving in fast-changing times.
Get your free copy of the guide to learn:
<ul>
<li>what's driving the war on talent</li>
<li>how workforce preferences are changing</li>
<li>ways to tap into new pools of talent</li>
<li>steps to proactively manage retention risks and talent attraction</li>
<li>how to more effectively communicate your Employee Value Proposition (EVP)</li>
</ul>
Download your free copy of the guide<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oGVPbRtrA5YohyqMnpyK-csIvEqkGRXA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> here</a>

How to combat the talent shortage in Australia

Even before COVID-19 and the extension of IR35 into the private sector, procurement professionals were already reassessing how they approach resourcing challenges amid an increasingly complex landscape - and adapting their workforce plans in response.
Today, the need for full visibility and maximum efficiency across contingent workforce management has never been more acute. However, when making rapid adjustments amid the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses realised they had a less than complete picture of their external workforce. One solution that decision makers have found is to centralise their outcome-led <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">statement of work (SOW)</a>&nbsp;engagements to simplify what had become a complex category of spend.
SOW contracts have many major advantages over alternative workforce management methods - not least streamlined project management, consistent quality, and associated cost savings. However, at a time when organisations are open to so much risk when recruiting and managing people, the greatest statement of work benefit of all is arguably increased compliance - both with regulatory requirements and with their own internal procurement processes.
Mitigating against risks
For work packages that lend themselves to SOW contracts, procurement professionals can mitigate risk in several areas - not least worker classification. Dawn Adams, Service Manager for Commercial and Procurement at Dorset Council, has relied on Comensura to source temporary staff for several years. More recently, though, the two organisations have extended this collaborative relationship to include SOW through Comensura&rsquo;s vendor management system (VMS), <a href="../../../../../../technology">c.net</a>.&nbsp;
While Dawn is still relatively early on in her c.net SOW journey, she is already enjoying the benefits of this way of working. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s given us much more assurance, particularly around IR35. Having one arrangement for temporary staff and SOW allows us to have that assurance. If somebody tries to misclassify a job role or project, c.net and Comensura will stop them going through that wrong door,&rdquo; she says.
Aside from help with worker classification, Dawn also notes the other advantages she has seen. She adds, &ldquo;It also gives us full visibility, so if we pick up somebody else&rsquo;s project (if somebody leaves or goes off sick, for example), we can go on c.net and see exactly where that project is. It gives us transparency, which is vital for public sector organisations that may be under scrutiny for their use of resources.&rdquo;
Statement of work benefits for the public sector
Any business that procures services based solely on existing relationships between managers and their favoured suppliers is taking unnecessary risks &ndash; and could well be overspending in the process. However, for local authorities and other public sector organisations, choosing and managing suppliers in an objective and transparent way is absolutely vital.
The formal process for evaluating, approving and engaging suppliers under a statement of work through a VMS provides a full audit trail of decision making to demonstrate that public money is being spent ethically. What&rsquo;s more, projects can be monitored closely and easily throughout their entire lifecycle, from inception to various milestones and deliverables, right through to completion.
Automated audit trail
Outputs, timelines and costs are all clearly defined, approved, updated and tracked within the system, creating a single source of truth that&rsquo;s available at the touch of a login button. At a glance, users can see exactly where they are with any given project: no more chasing individual project owners or managers. If you need to know how much time or budget is left to run, it&rsquo;s all right there in the system.
As well as creating an automated audit trail, today&rsquo;s systems also provide added benefits to boost efficiencies and productivity. Our &nbsp;VMS, for example, becomes more powerful the more it is used. As you populate it with information about your statement of work projects and suppliers, it gives you deeper insight into spending trends, service categories and engagement patterns.
Beginning your SOW journey
Recent global events have brought into sharp focus the need to bring full visibility and control to workforce management. As a result, commercial and public sector organisations are increasingly using statement of work to engage suppliers, while more procurement leaders are looking for ways to improve and manage their SOW processes.
For those who have yet to begin their SOW journey, Dawn Adams at Dorset Council has one piece of advice: &ldquo;Have a conversation, find out what the solution is and how the provider can tailor it to your needs. If you have these grown-up conversations, you will feel confident they can give you what you are not currently getting. This is how you will match your goals to the solutions, benefits and outputs &ndash; which is crucial when you are building a business case.&rdquo;
Want to learn more? Get the full guide
In our guide, <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">Transforming SOW procurement with a VMS and MSP partner</a>,&nbsp;Comensura&rsquo;s services procurement specialists dive deeper into the full benefits of centralising your statement of work engagements.
<a href="../../../../../../gated-content/transform-your-sow-and-services-procurement-with-the-right-vms-and-msp">Get the guide</a> to find out how to bring greater visibility, control, and cost savings with SOW - and how to make better purchasing decisions as a result.

How centralised statement of work improves compliance

<a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-payroll">Payroll </a>involves many steps, such as calculating wages, taxes, deductions, benefits, and compliance. If you do it yourself, you need to invest in payroll software and training, keep track of tax laws and regulations, and ensure accuracy and timeliness. Any mistake or delay can result in fines, and possibly more importantly seriously affect your employees and temporary workers. &nbsp;
The human price of payroll errors &nbsp;
If workers aren&rsquo;t paid what they expect when they expect it, this will affect their ability to pay their bills. This could go on to affect their credit rating and life plans in the long term, but with the cost of living so high, concerns could be more immediate.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/21/quarter-of-uk-households-regularly-run-out-of-money-for-essentials-survey-says">Nearly 40% of people end the month with no money left,</a> and as a result, they rely on their paycheck being both on time, and the correct amount. Any error for some people might be an inconvenience, but for others it could mean not being able to get grocery shopping &nbsp;or pay for their next day's train ticket to work.&nbsp;
Payroll issues will backfire on any employer in terms of staff retention. <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/one-in-five-brits-has-quit-a-job-over-a-poor-payroll-experience-050012263.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJprk9bu8ts_GoVftshpE8ROFLi8__3unPUU1xvIni59qMeowDkVqJb1giYDQi7SIIJ7KsMwZadggpJXlFqjnV6wtB3RLhvosyLP99BmUsun6tVhChOBdxHnG_1utffWYvgrNX_gDNp4vkWFq603bQFGfHRQFNRgrDw0QIup60KF">A fifth of Brits have changed jobs after being paid late or inaccurately by their employer</a>, which means that a single payroll error could well generate recruitment and training costs, as you work to replace the staff member lost over a preventable error.&nbsp;
Avoiding payroll errors&nbsp;
A <a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-a-vendor-neutral-msp">managed service provider (MSP)</a> can help you avoid these problems by providing you with a reliable and efficient payroll service. &nbsp;
Here are some of the ways an MSP can reduce your payroll issues:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>An MSP can automate your payroll process, saving you time and money. They can integrate your payroll software with your accounting, HR, and time-tracking systems, eliminating manual data entry and errors</li>
<li>An MSP can handle your tax compliance, ensuring that you pay the right amount of taxes and file the correct forms on time. They can also keep up with the changing tax laws and regulations, so you don't have to worry about them</li>
<li>An MSP can manage your payroll benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. They can enroll your employees, deduct the appropriate amounts, and remit them to the providers. They can also handle any payroll-related queries or issues from your employees&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
How to choose the right MSP for your payroll needs&nbsp;
Not all MSPs are the same, and you need to find the one that suits your payroll needs and budget. Here are some factors to consider when choosing an <a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/payroll">MSP for your payroll:</a>&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Experience and reputation. Look for an MSP that has a proven track record of providing payroll services to SMBs in your industry and location. Check their testimonials, and references to see how satisfied their clients are</li>
<li>Scope and quality. Compare the features and benefits of different MSPs and see what they offer in terms of payroll software, integration, automation, compliance, and support. Choose an MSP that can meet your payroll requirements and expectations</li>
<li>Cost and value. Evaluate the pricing and contract terms of different MSPs and see how they fit your budget and cash flow. Consider the value and return on investment that an MSP can provide, such as saving you time, money, and hassle&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Payroll is a crucial and complex function and by outsourcing this area of a business to a reliable and experienced MSP, you can ensure that your employees and workers are paid accurately and on time, that your payroll taxes and compliance are taken care of, and that you have more time and resources to focus on your core business activities.&nbsp;
Managing payroll with Comensura  &nbsp;
Our<a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-payroll"> easy-to-use payroll solution</a> does the hard work for you, removing the administrative burden and providing outstanding candidate experience.  &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/payroll">Find out more &nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;

How an MSP prevents payroll errors before they arise

As more people work longer into their lives, employers will need to adapt to the changing demographics.&nbsp;
The legal retirement age is rising in many countries including the UK, but this isn&rsquo;t the only reason that people are working later into their lifespan. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Some people choose to work longer because they enjoy their job and want to contribute to society or their field of expertise. They may also seek social interaction and the mental stimulation that work provides.&nbsp;
The rising cost of living is another huge factor. A single person will need &pound;31,300 a year for a moderate income in retirement, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68222807">according to a pensions industry body.</a> This means many with need to subsidise their pension with a part-time job. &nbsp;
<a href="https://blog.moneyfarm.com/en/pensions/retirement-age-in-the-uk-when-can-you-retire-and-get-your-state-pension/">As of 2024, the average retirement age for men is 65.1 and 64 for women</a>. This is a slow but significant increase from 2010 when the typical retirement age for male workers was 64.6 years old, and 62.3 for women. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1860556/retiring-71-experts-react-proposed-change-pension-age">Many believe that this steady increase will continue,</a> and potentially increase at a faster rate as lifespan continues to grow.&nbsp;
So what does this all mean for the workplace?&nbsp;
How will employers cope with the changing demographics and the implications for productivity, innovation, and diversity?&nbsp;
A rising retirement age leading to more older colleagues will have positive effects on the workplace, such as:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Retaining valuable experience, skills, and knowledge in the organisation, mentoring younger colleagues</li>
<li>Older workers in the workplace can expand the diversity of perspectives, ideas, and approaches in the workplace, and foster a culture of learning and collaboration</li>
<li>Help bridge the gap between generations and promote intergenerational communication and understanding</li>
<li>Reduce labour shortages and support the economic growth and sustainability of society&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
However, a rising retirement age also poses some challenges for older workers in the workplace, such as:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Age discrimination, stereotypes, or biases from co-workers, leading to them feeling undervalued, unchallenged, or unsupported</li>
<li>Difficulties adapting to the rate of change in digital and technology, the work environment, or organisational culture, and as a result need more training and support to update knowledge, approach, and skills</li>
<li>Experience more health problems, physical limitations and require more flexible work arrangements, such as part-time, telework, or job-sharing&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The pros appear to vastly outweigh the cons (let&rsquo;s face it, the cons could apply to anyone of any age) and many organisations could benefit from greater diversity in age range to create a balanced workforce. The presence of older employees provides more perspectives and a greater range of experiences.&nbsp;
Therefore, employers should adopt some strategies to help older employees overcome these challenges and thrive in the workplace, such as:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Creating a culture of respect, inclusion, and diversity, where older workers are valued for their experience, wisdom, and loyalty, and given opportunities to mentor, coach, and collaborate with younger workers</li>
<li>Provide ongoing training and development programmes, that are tailored to converting the experience and knowledge of older workers to tangible skills and competencies that benefit the organisation</li>
<li>Offering flexible tasks according to current physical health and not affect long-term health outlooks. For example,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/983315/england-arthritis-among-older-people/">a significant number of 60&ndash;64-year-olds - 24% of men and 42% of women &ndash; have diagnosed arthritis</a>. Regular physical activity such as muscle strength building exercises can help with the treatment of it, but anything high impact or strenuous physical activity without the ability to warm up first may be harmful and cause significant pain. It is important to ensure there is no assumption or expectation for employees with this challenge to carry out tasks that could injure them or exasperate their condition. They should never be in a situation where they are concerned to say, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not able to do that.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</li>
<li>Offering flexible working opportunities that can fit around family or personal situations such as caring responsibilities and provide relevant and appealing benefits, such as health insurance, flexible leave options, or CSR days&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
In conclusion, older workers are a huge benefit to the workforce. They bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and skills that can enhance the performance, productivity, and innovation of any business or organisation. However, they also face some challenges and barriers that may hinder their full potential and satisfaction.&nbsp;
Employers should recognise these challenges and implement strategies to support and empower older workers, as well as foster a culture of respect, inclusion, and diversity across all age groups. By doing so, employers can create a balanced and harmonious workforce that can thrive.&nbsp;
Afterall, today&rsquo;s &lsquo;younger workers&rsquo; are tomorrow&rsquo;s &lsquo;older workers&rsquo;.&nbsp;
Comensura has worked with a client that is a company that offers solutions that create a more sustainable environment and help fight climate change. The client wanted to build upon their successful ED&amp;I hiring within their permanent headcount, by expanding to focus on contingent ED&amp;I hiring across underrepresented groups. <a href="https://www.comensura.com/resources/customer-success-stories/waste-management-edi">Find out more about how they worked to attract and retain over 55's in the waste management sector.</a>

How an aging population and rising retirement age will impact the workplace

In today's competitive job market, organisations are constantly seeking ways to attract and retain the best quality talent. Many strategies have been implemented but one that has gained significant traction is <a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing">Advanced Direct Sourcing.</a> &nbsp;
Advanced <a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-direct-sourcing">Direct Sourcing</a> involves reaching out to a community of known candidates directly, avoiding traditional routes in recruitment such as job board websites and agencies. &nbsp;
It can help local authorities overcome talent shortages by attracting, curating, and engaging talent communities by activating &lsquo;employer brand&rsquo;. &nbsp;
Advanced Direct Sourcing has particular potential when addressing predictable, repeatable hiring needs in the public sector, for example covering <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/29/nhs-england-storm-of-pressure-flu-covid-cases-surge">staff shortages in healthcare in winter when flu and COVID cases increase.&nbsp;</a>
<h3>A more efficient form of talent acquisition&nbsp;</h3>
By bypassing intermediaries in the right categories, organisations can work more efficiently, streamlining the hiring process with direct access to a talent community of suitable candidates. This not only saves time but also ensures that all messaging and the employer brand are accurately communicated to potential future hires.&nbsp;
<h3>Access to niche talent &nbsp;</h3>
Relying on more traditional modern forms of recruitment such as job websites gives a wide reach to a wide range of job seekers. However, advanced direct sourcing means businesses can tap into niche talent pools, specific to their sector, role requirements, and the type of contract they are offering, i.e., permanent, temporary or project based. &nbsp;
By using advanced direct sourcing, local authorities can connect with only the most relevant individuals, with the specific skills, attributes, and qualifications they are looking for.&nbsp;
<h3>Enhanced candidate experience&nbsp;</h3>
Traditional recruitment processes often involve multiple stages of interviews and/or assessments, with waiting periods between these stages before a candidate is hired. This can add up to a stressful candidate experience, delays in filling skills shortages, and talent can be lost in this process where they find other work in between stages.&nbsp;
Advanced Direct Sourcing offers candidates a more streamlined experience, where organisations cut through red tape and provide timely feedback on their applications without compromising on essential stages such as <a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-vetting-and-screening">vetting and screening</a>, enhancing their Employee Value Proposition as an employer that treats candidates with respect.&nbsp;
This not only enhances the candidate's experience but also increases the likelihood of attracting top talent who appreciates a responsive and communicative hiring process.&nbsp;
<h3>Cost savings&nbsp;</h3>
Advanced Direct Sourcing can lead to significant cost savings: Saving on fees, reducing time spent on the recruitment process, and freeing up team members to spend time on their own roles and developing the organisation. At a time where public sector departments need to account for every penny, this is a massive benefit. &nbsp;
In addition, Advanced Direct Sourcing enables organisations to optimise recruitment spend by targeting only the right candidates and investing in leveraging their employee brand to those candidates that they are really looking to attract.&nbsp;
<h3>Advanced Direct Sourcing with Comensura &nbsp;</h3>
Advanced Direct Sourcing offers numerous benefits when it comes to talent quality. By reducing recruitment costs, enhancing candidate experience, and providing access to niche talent pools, Advanced Direct Sourcing attracts and engages the best talent in the market. &nbsp;
Selecting Comensura as your direct sourcing partner gives you the advantage of years of knowledge, as our <a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/advanced-direct-sourcing">Advanced Direct Sourcing solution</a> is powered by the Impellam Group. Impellam offers an impressive range of direct sourcing experience in a variety of industry verticals and types of roles. Customer success for us means cost savings, higher fill rates and shorter time-to-fills, but it also means better candidate experiences.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.comensura.com/gated-content/quick-guide-to-direct-sourcing-for-the-contingent-workforce">Find out more about Advanced Direct Sourcing with our new, free to download 'Quick Guide to Direct Sourcing.'&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.comensura.com/contact">Get in touch for more information&nbsp;</a>

How Advanced Direct Sourcing increases talent quality for the public sector 

The hospitality sector skills shortage has received a recent rush of concern and publicity, with government ministers meeting to discuss concerns and ideas such as <a href="https://www.restaurantonline.co.uk/Article/2023/07/17/government-considers-hospitality-boot-camps-to-tackle-recruitment-crisis">hospitality boot camps</a> where Job Centre candidates are sent to pick up key hospitality skills and placed in easy take up roles.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is also talk of hospitality being added to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations">shortage occupation list</a>, alongside care, health and STEM roles, in order to keep everything running. The run up to Christmas could prove particularly challenging.&nbsp; What has caused the skills shortage?&nbsp; The Covid-19 pandemic had a particularly adverse impact on talent availability in the hospitality sector. Repeated lockdowns shut down the industry and despite the furlough scheme, many people had to find alternative employment in new remits such as retail.&nbsp;&nbsp; However, once the sector was able to open again, many workers didn&rsquo;t return. Having discovered that they could work different, sometimes more amenable, hours, a significant proportion of ex-hospitality employees chose to continue on a different career path.&nbsp; Brexit is another factor which has impacted the availability of hospitality workers. As with HGV drivers, many staff in the sector chose &ndash; or had no other option than &ndash; to return to their home country following the UK&rsquo;s exit from the European Union.&nbsp;&nbsp; In fact, according to <a href="https://www.thecaterer.com/news/more-than-92000-european-union-eu-workers-estimated-left-uk-hospitality-sector">The Caterer</a>, around 92,000 hospitality workers are estimated to have left the country in the year that followed Brexit. Unfortunately, even for those looking to return should the government put hospitality on the shortage occupation list, the <a href="https://blog.infraspeak.com/hospitality-labour-shortage/">Tier 2 visa restrictions</a> mean that many will be unlikely to have a contract of employment that meets the annual salary requirement of such a visa.&nbsp;&nbsp; This exodus of talent has had a lasting impact on the sector. In fact, in the summer of 2023, trade body, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66021588">UK Hospitality,</a> revealed that vacancies were 48% higher than pre-Covid levels. These hiring difficulties are being noted in both the public and private sector, but focusing specifically on local authorities and other public sector employers, the shortage of catering and cleaning staff in hospitality is significant.&nbsp;&nbsp; In its <a href="https://www.apse.org.uk/index.cfm/apse/members-area/briefings/2021/21-56-local-government-skills-shortages-and-workforce-capacity/">Big Workforce Survey</a>, the Association for Public Service Excellence, found that over 55% of its members were facing severe or moderate difficulties recruiting these resources. We also saw <a href="https://www.thecaterer.com/news/houses-of-parliament-staff-shortages">reports</a> back in July of restaurants in the Houses of Parliament facing no other option than to reduce opening hours as a result of staff shortages.&nbsp; This hospitality skills shortage isn&rsquo;t just affecting private hotels, pubs, restaurants and resorts.&nbsp; &nbsp; Hospitality skill shortages in the public sector&nbsp; The public sector hospitality services skills shortages have been an issue for some time &ndash; in fact, some <a href="https://blog.infraspeak.com/hospitality-labour-shortage/">reports </a>suggest that the sector has been &ldquo;understaffed since 2006, with a steady 90,000 unfilled vacancies since 2017.&rdquo;&nbsp; Hospitality workers in the public sector cover a wide range of roles, including hospital and care home canteens and cafes, school meal production and supervision, and home care food preparation and delivery. All of these are essential roles to ensure both a good quality standard of care for those involved, and to ensure a good working environment for those working in the public sector.
Without these workers the public sector cannot run efficiently and there will be a domino effect on how this affects society.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Patients able to go home but unable to access home food provision will be stuck in hospital, where skills shortages will mean that meals are inconsistently delivered, putting the onus of care on friends and relatives, with morale low in the hospital where members of staff aren&rsquo;t able to access food and drink services.&nbsp;&nbsp; Meanwhile, children are getting a lower standard of food in their schools due to labour shortages there as well, putting further pressure on their parents to subsidise the school food provision.&nbsp; &nbsp; Targeting underrepresented groups as a labour shortage solution&nbsp; Identifying and engaging previously untapped pools of talent is a growing way of overcoming the skills and labour shortage taking place in the hospitality industry - in both the public and private sector.&nbsp;&nbsp; This might include a wide range of underrepresented groups that hadn&rsquo;t previously considered hospitality as a career option and/or have hospitality skills but hadn&rsquo;t thought to use these skills in the public sector.&nbsp; Ex offenders are one such group. <a href="https://www.guidantglobal.com/news/why-more-uk-businesses-are-offering-employment-for-ex-offenders-in-2023">Only 17% of ex-offenders are in employment within 12 months of leaving prison</a> and if this number could be increased, not only could the UK cut reoffending by at least 9%, but skills shortages could also be reduced.&nbsp; There are already big names looking into how ex-offenders might make the transition from prison to gainful employment in hospitality. <a href="https://feweek.co.uk/fred-sirieixs-prisoner-run-restaurants-to-expand-to-boost-hospitality-skills/">First Dates star Fred Sirieix has set up a charity</a> to train prisoners in the hospitality industry, spanning three prisons to date, with significant success. According to the charity, 61 individuals entered the programme in the first two years, with 95% of them obtaining at least one level 2 NVQ in hospitality areas.&nbsp; Obtaining qualifications is only half of the battle though. Employers &ndash; to include the public sector &ndash; need to create partnerships with prisons and their workforce partners, working together with prisons to identify how to help ex-offenders find the right positions. If successful, these employers may find that these ex-offenders turned hospitality workers go on to be some of their most motivated and loyal employees.&nbsp;&nbsp; For more examples of inclusive workforce solutions, take a look our whitepaper on recruiting from underrepresented groups, including age, gender, background and work history. <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/whitepaper-navigating-skills-shortages-through-inclusive-workforce-solutions">Read the full whitepaper on Navigating Skills Shortages Through Inclusive Workforce Solutions</a>
Comensura are here to help&nbsp;&nbsp; Since 2001 we&rsquo;ve been helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We save companies money and time, ensuring full compliance and quality at every step. We bring simplicity to the complex process of acquiring contingent and permanent talent, workforce management, and people-based services procurement. All of this is made possible by our proprietary, adaptive tech, as well as data-driven insights and a team of experts dedicated to making a difference.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; If you are struggling with finding the hospitality talent you need, we have strategies, advice, and solutions from our experienced team to help. Simply drop us a message on our <a href="../../../../../../contact">contact us page</a>.

The hospitality sector skills shortage has received a recent rush of concern and publicity, with government ministers meeting to discuss concerns and ideas such as <a href="https://www.restaurantonline.co.uk/Article/2023/07/17/government-considers-hospitality-boot-camps-to-tackle-recruitment-crisis">hospitality boot camps</a> where Job Centre candidates are sent to pick up key hospitality skills and placed in easy take up roles.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is also talk of hospitality being added to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations">shortage occupation list</a>, alongside care, health and STEM roles, in order to keep everything running. The run up to Christmas could prove particularly challenging.&nbsp;

Hospitality Labour Shortages: Why the public & private sectors need to think outside the box

<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/x6xx6jcw5560jt92dup371gvoiu4" alt="" width="700" height="367">
We are delighted to announce that Hoa Ngo, Managing Director, Comensura, part of Impellam Group, has been named on the <a href="http://si100women.staffingindustry.com/">2022 Global Power 150 &ndash; Women in Staffing</a> list compiled by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA).
This is the first time <a href="https://si100women.staffingindustry.com/hoa-ngo-2022/">Hoa</a> has been included in the list, which recognises the world&rsquo;s most influential women in the staffing industry that includes CEOs, entrepreneurs, technologists, operations specialists and innovators. To be acknowledged on the SIA list, they have had to have made a lasting contribution to not only their own organisations but also to the broader staffing industry over the last 12 months.&nbsp; Hoa is joined on the 2022 prestigious list by fellow Impellam Group colleagues, CEO <a href="http://si100women.staffingindustry.com/julia-robertson-2022/">Julia Robertson</a> and CEO Impellam North America <a href="http://si100women.staffingindustry.com/claire-marsh-2022/">Claire Marsh</a>. Commenting on the announcement Subadhra Sriram, editor and publisher, media products, SIA said:
&ldquo;These forward-thinking women have turned challenges into springboards to success. From heading up impactful organisations to steering essential projects to fine-tuning the hybrid model, they have led with grace and empathy. Congratulations to this year&rsquo;s honourees who are navigating, adapting and innovating in this new world of work. The remarkable women gracing our 2022 Global Power 150 list exemplify strength and leadership in the staffing industry.&rdquo;&nbsp; Speaking of her inclusion on the 2022 list, Hoa said:
&ldquo;To be recognised by SIA is a huge honour. Even more so as the list is made up of 100 inspirational women from the United States and only 50 to make up the rest of the world.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Freeing yourself from history and convention makes anything possible. As a woman of colour, this belief has driven me and Comensura UK to achieve huge growth and navigate changes in a turbulent market. I share the accolade with the entire team working across the Impellam Group. It&rsquo;s our passion for collaboration, inventiveness and agile thinking that delivers the best possible workforce management solutions.&rdquo;&nbsp; Congratulations to the 2022 Staffing Power 150 Women in Staffing List honourees! Read the SIA 2022 Global Power 150 - Women in Staffing Press Release <a href="https://www2.staffingindustry.com/eng/About/Media-Center/Press-Releases/SIA-Announces-Global-Power-150-Women-in-Staffing-for-2022?cookies=disabled#:~:text=The%20Global%20Power%20150%20%E2%80%93%20Women%20in%20Staffing%20shines%20the%20spotlight,based%20software%20powering%20recruitment%20efforts">here</a>.

Hoa Ngo recognised on the SIA Global power 150 list

<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/ts52bkhqvudp1epk0yrf4wplozz7" alt="" width="626" height="340">
We are delighted to announce that Comensura is proud to be part of HMP Drake Hall&rsquo;s upcoming employment strategy. This strategy seeks to provide meaningful work and job opportunities for the women of Drake Hall, helping them to reintegrate into society and giving them a renewed sense of purpose.
HMP and YOI Drake Hall is a progressive resettlement prison that promotes a culture of hope and aspiration to the women it serves, provides life skills and professional qualifications to support their release and their reintegration.
We are excited to be part of this amazing initiative which will no doubt have many positive impacts on the lives of those involved.
We invite you to read the full document <a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5197fscqu8rq509fin0ongquwqox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, where you can learn more about how we plan to deliver on the strategy and measure success.
We believe that everyone should have access to fair and equal opportunities in work, regardless of background or circumstances - so please join us in supporting this incredible endeavour!
<a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5197fscqu8rq509fin0ongquwqox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the full Drake Hall Employment Strategy here.</a>
<a href="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/5197fscqu8rq509fin0ongquwqox" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/1xu2b998ye2h9fbhi4j8b4f8zscg" alt="" width="629" height="323"></a>

HMP Drake Hall announces their employment strategy

LONDON, 21st MARCH 2024: HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group today announced that they have joined forces to become one of the world&rsquo;s leading STEM talent and Managed Service Providers with a distinctive HR tech platform for professionals. The expanded group has &euro;8 billion spend under management, 2,100 expert colleagues, and over 75,000 professionals serving customers across the globe.
This strategic step provides customers with a unique, truly global tech and talent solution to ensure they stay at the forefront of their industry. The deal has created an unparalleled force in digital, IT, data, life sciences, clinical and engineering talent and leaves the expanded group well-placed to drive market beating growth and to deliver increased value for colleagues, customers, professionals, suppliers, and shareholders.&nbsp;
Han Kolff, chairman of the Board, commented: "We are proud to have brought industry leaders HeadFirst and Impellam together. As well as vast geographic reach, our expanded group combines world-class expertise and market-leading tech, providing customers with mission critical talent, hereby creating a unique platform for growth in a growing market. I am confident HeadFirst and Impellam will power the next world of work together.&rdquo;
Julia Robertson, CEO of Impellam and the enlarged group, said: &ldquo;We have an exciting future ahead of us. In a world where talent and tech must come together to build better businesses, we will collaborate to leverage the combined strength and capability of our market-leading brands, our people, and our distinctive technology. Our complementary cultures and our focus on our customers&rsquo; needs will ensure we deliver market leading, digitally enabled and differentiated solutions to our customers across the world.&rdquo;
Experienced team driving growth agenda
Leading the future success and growth of the combined business, the Board of the new group includes: Han Kolff, non-executive chairman, Julia Robertson, group CEO, Tim Briant, group CFO, Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group, as well as non-executive directors and co-founders Koen Bekkering and Boyd Sleeman.&nbsp;
There will be no immediate changes to the day-to-day operations of Impellam Group and HeadFirst Group. Impellam and HeadFirst will continue to deliver industry-leading solutions to customers, suppliers and professionals.

Headfirst Group and Impellam Group join forces to become a global leader in STEM, digital and IT talent, managed services and HR tech

It&rsquo;s a tad ironic that the recruitment industry, built on the strength of personal relationships, has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies so wholeheartedly.
While staffing firms are not alone in their desire to capitalise on the benefits of new technology, they perhaps have the most to lose by forgetting the value of the human touch.
If you&rsquo;re struggling to source, engage, and secure the talent you need now, perhaps you could reinvigorate your hiring strategy by humanising the recruitment process once again.
The rise of the robots
Today, 83% of companies <a href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ai-statistics">share</a> that having access to AI is a top priority in their business plans. This perhaps explains why the global AI market is set to <a href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ai-statistics">grow</a> to $997.77 billion in 2028, and why PwC <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/ai-analytics/ai-predictions.html">forecast</a> that AI has the potential to boost employee productivity by 40% in 2035.
Recent <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/media/press/ai-automation-300419#gref">research</a> from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), meanwhile, indicates that 25% of business leaders say that technology and automation have already replaced some jobs in their organisation over the last year.
The argument for automation in recruitment
A recent <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/artificial-intelligence-job-recruitment-process">study</a> by Harvard Business School and Accenture found that 75% of employers rely on some form of automated hiring system. Separate <a href="https://www.tidio.com/blog/ai-recruitment/">research</a> suggests that around two thirds of recruitment professionals use AI in the hiring process.
Used effectively and strategically, recruitment automation technology can:
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">introduce efficiencies</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">boost candidate engagement</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">reduce human error, and</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">help to eliminate human bias from the hiring process.</li>
</ul>
It can also cut out repetitive, mundane, and time-consuming manual work so that recruiters and hiring managers can focus their efforts on higher value tasks.
But despite these apparent advantages, we cannot ignore the fact that AI and automation recruitment technologies also bring challenges. Inbuilt or machine-learned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bsi.uk.com/news/ai-recruitment/">bias</a>, for example, can act as an unfair barrier to some applicants, while viable candidates can be &lsquo;hidden&rsquo; from recruiters when algorithms are designed to favour experience over capabilities.
When it comes down to it, machines simply cannot (yet) imitate the neurobiological&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211202113430.htm">mechanisms</a> that we as humans exercise innately when working together &ndash; and this is why re-humanising the recruitment process is vital.
The value of connections in a post-covid world
For many of us, simple professional activities and human gestures we once took for granted - such as workshopping in a meeting room, discussing strategy over lunch, or greeting a new starter with a handshake - have become either impossible or fraught with uncertainty. For many, the lack of a return to full-time in-person working has given technology an even bigger role in recruitment than it was playing pre-pandemic.
But we are social creatures. Human beings, like most mammals, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211202113430.htm">need</a> personal interactions to live and develop. As Professor James Goodwin, an expert in psychology at Loughborough University and Director of Science and Research Impact at the Brain Health Network, <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2021/october/james-goodwin-cuppa-with-a-scientist/">explains</a>, &ldquo;The brain evolved to be social because it was key to survival&hellip; humans on their own would never have survived to where we are now without a group.&rdquo;
Reduced social interaction - <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2021/october/james-goodwin-cuppa-with-a-scientist/">defined</a> as &lsquo;emails, phone calls, letters and nice little thank you notes&rsquo; as well as physical contact - has been <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202102076">linked</a> to:
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">low levels of interpersonal trust</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">a decline in physical health, and</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">even premature mortality.</li>
</ul>
So why are we not taking the opportunity to maximise human interactions with candidates when so many of us are craving them more than ever?
The power of your network
According to <a href="https://qxglobalgroup.com/rpo/us/top-5-online-recruitment-channels-for-talent-sourcing/">Gartner</a>, 78% of recruiters say their ATS helps recruit better and faster. A business&rsquo;s own applicant tracking system (ATS) is its most effective recruitment channel. Making a personal phone call, or sending tailored messages about specific roles, engages people in a way that impersonal ads or mass mailers never could.
In the age of automation, curating a robust talent pool - and then engaging with these individuals directly - can pay dividends. Have conversations with people who have already expressed an interest in working with your organisation. Truly engage with them, rather than going through a digital process.
Put yourself in the candidate&rsquo;s shoes. In this talent-scarce market, when they&rsquo;re being bombarded from all sides with job opportunities, an automated impersonal message sent to 1,000 potential recruits is likely to end up in the digital bin.
On the other hand, an email that says, &lsquo;I like your experience, let&rsquo;s have a conversation&rsquo; is likely to invoke a very different, more human response. There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with using technology as a tool in these conversations, but the human touch must be central to your strategy.
The benefits of humanising the recruitment process beyond candidate relationships
Beyond candidate engagement, these techniques can also be replicated across the supply chain to build networks, trust, relationships, and loyalty.
Connecting hiring managers directly with agencies, for example, helps them build personal relationships that can help them work together in a more agile and collaborative way further down the line. So too can making a point of having personal interactions with potential clients before bidding for contracts.
If you&rsquo;re involved in recruitment and procurement, your greatest asset is your ability to communicate - human to human. So why are we so preoccupied with automation and time-saving? You lose something along the way.
The secret to success is deploying technology sparingly to pick up mundane and repetitive tasks, so that talent acquisition professionals have the time they need to leverage their interpersonal skills to truly engage candidates, clients, and partners.
Reducing your reliance on automation and mass communication, and increasing the personal, human touch, will connect you with your audiences at a deeper level than technology alone can reach.

Have your recruitment processes lost the human touch?

Facilities management covers a number of areas. Broadly speaking, is defined as the tools and services that support the functionality, safety, and sustainability of buildings, grounds and infrastructure. But in reality, facilities management is key to keeping the country running.&nbsp;&nbsp; Keeping our towns and cities clean and tidy, transporting supplies around the country, getting kids to school or people to work, maintaining essential public amenities &ndash; facilities services are vital. This is why skill shortages in this area have such a wide-reaching impact. In the UK there are two areas where this is being more acutely felt; namely logistics and waste management.&nbsp;&nbsp; Logistics&nbsp; Employers seeking logistic staff such as warehouse operatives, HGV drivers, transport managers and more have struggled with recruitment for a number of years now. Back in 2021, <a href="https://logistics.org.uk/media/press-releases/2021/october/survey-shows-skills-shortages-are-growing-across-t#:~:text=Elizabeth%20de%20Jong%2C%20Policy%20Director,as%20warehouse%20staff%2C%20van%20drivers%2C">Logistics UK</a> reported that 96% of logistics employers in both the private and public sector had problems recruiting HGV drivers.&nbsp;&nbsp; More than 13% also revealed they have severe or very severe difficulties hiring warehouse staff. This issue has only worsened since then. By the beginning of last year, <a href="https://www.cips.org/intelligence-hub/supply-chain-management">City &amp; Guilds </a>was predicting a 400,000 labour shortfall in logistics by 2026. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT UK) has also <a href="https://ciltuk.org.uk/News/Latest-News/ArtMID/6887/ArticleID/36715/More-than-80-of-organisations-experiencing-staff-shortages-in-the-warehouse-a-survey-by-CILTUK-reveals">revealed </a>that 86% of companies are struggling to recruit and retain warehouse staff and drivers.&nbsp; While the pandemic certainly had an impact on worker numbers in logistics, IR35 and Brexit have also both had a lasting effect. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/17/shortfall-of-330000-workers-in-uk-due-to-brexit-say-thinktanks">Reports</a> from two thinktanks - the Centre for European Reform (CER) and UK in a Changing Europe &ndash; have suggested that transport and warehousing were the &lsquo;worst hit&rsquo; by a loss of EU talent, with around 8% of the workforce disappearing.&nbsp;&nbsp; The introduction of IR35 has further exacerbated driver recruitment. According to the <a href="https://www.rha.uk.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ICI0C-FWmVo%3D&amp;portalid=0">Road Haulage Association</a>, this has led to many agency labourers withdrawing their services as the impact on rates is simply &lsquo;unsustainable&rsquo;.&nbsp;
Waste management&nbsp;&nbsp; The shortage of workers in private and public sector waste management services has made headline news since pandemic restrictions were lifted. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/21/maggots-and-mayhem-a-day-on-a-bin-round-in-broken-brexit-britain">Reports</a> from 2021 onwards of delayed bin collections have created an uproar in local communities. Complaints to councils have soared as a result.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://www.mywelshpool.co.uk/viewernews/ArticleId/24475">Powys County Council</a> alone reported a 38% increase in complaints over missed bin collections between 2021 and 2022. In July of 2023, <a href="https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/23680615.swindon-council-reveals-reasons-behind-bin-collection-problems/">Swindon</a> Council faced similar challenges, and they, like many others both in the public and private sector, cited a lack of drivers as a key reason.&nbsp; But it&rsquo;s not just refuse driver shortages impacting public and private sector waste management services. Cleaning and hygiene staff are also in short supply. According to the <a href="https://www.facilitatemagazine.com/content/news/2023/05/17/government-ignoring-cleaning-sector-claims-bcc">British Cleaning Council</a> (BCC), severe staff shortages have been an issue since 2020.&nbsp; &nbsp; Again, there are a range of factors impacting this issue. The BCC cites Brexit and a lack of interest in careers in the sector from UK workers as significant challenges. In particular, the British Cleaning Council have claimed that the 2021 immigration act has made it particularly difficult for the cleaning and hygiene sector to encourage non-UK workers into the country to fill gaps.&nbsp;&nbsp; On a broader scale, the perception of work in this remit is a challenge for recruitment.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is often seen as grueling and &lsquo;dirty&rsquo; work, which puts many off a career in cleaning, refuse and waste. For waste in particular, the view that most roles are &lsquo;masculine&rsquo; has also been an issue. The fact that the term &lsquo;binman&rsquo; is still widely used highlights the perceived lack of diversity in jobs in the sector. This reputation of this type of work creates a barrier to entry for a significant proportion of the UK workforce, and arguably has been the greatest issue for recruitment in this remit for decades.&nbsp;&nbsp; Seasonal issues and response to other staff shortages have further created resourcing headaches. As a case in point, over the course of the last year we&rsquo;ve seen refuse drivers <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/13/bin-men-recruited-grit-roads-driver-shortage-adds-weather-chaos/">redeployed</a> to help grit roads during the winter months, while others have been utilised to fill in for the education sector as a <a href="https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/bin-lorry-drivers-take-children-school-bus-driver-shortage/">shortage of school bus drivers also impacted the UK</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; Recruiting under-represented groups could be the answer&nbsp;&nbsp; Perhaps the best way to demonstrate how proactive inclusive recruitment solutions work, the challenges that need to be overcome, and how a good model of best practice can set organisations up for success, is to focus on examples of where it has worked in under-represented groups.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Comensura have worked with a facilities management company recently on a number of new initiatives targeting a range of underrepresented groups, in order to attract a more diverse workforce and ensure that all contingent vacancies were filled.&nbsp; Initiatives including &lsquo;Women in Waste&rsquo; and &lsquo;Jobs for Ukraine&rsquo; proved successful alongside actively recruiting over-55s, and building partnerships with prisons to provide more employment opportunities and identify more ways for ex-offenders to be in the best possible position to re-enter the workforce, to help reduce re-offending rates.&nbsp;
Read the full case study for more information: <a href="../../../../../../insights/case-studies/customer-case-studies/waste-management-ed-i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to evolve your contingent workforce to meet skills shortages&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;&nbsp; The scarcity of workers in the UK has become a critical business issue. The country has seen crucial public and private sector services grind to a halt as a combination of skills shortages, worker strikes and high staff turnover rates all impact access to resources.&nbsp;&nbsp; Comensura&rsquo;s new whitepaper &lsquo;Navigating Skills Shortages Through Inclusive Workforce Solutions&rsquo; explores how by evolving your contingent workforce with proactive inclusive recruitment strategies. <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/whitepaper-navigating-skills-shortages-through-inclusive-workforce-solutions">Read our free-to-download whitepaper today. </a>
Comensura are here to help &nbsp; Since 2001 we&rsquo;ve been helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We save companies money and time, ensuring full compliance and quality at every step. We bring simplicity to the complex process of acquiring contingent and permanent talent, workforce management, and people-based services procurement. All of this is made possible by our proprietary, adaptive tech, as well as data-driven insights and a team of experts dedicated to making a difference. &nbsp; If you are struggling with finding the logistics and waste management talent you need, we have strategies, experience, advice and solutions from our seasoned team to help. Simply drop us a message on our <a href="../../../../../../contact">contact us page</a>.&nbsp;

Facilities management covers a number of areas. Broadly speaking, is defined as the tools and services that support the functionality, safety, and sustainability of buildings, grounds and infrastructure. But in reality, facilities management is key to keeping the country running.&nbsp;&nbsp; Keeping our towns and cities clean and tidy, transporting supplies around the country, getting kids to school or people to work, maintaining essential public amenities &ndash; facilities services are vital. This is why skill shortages in this area have such a wide-reaching impact. In the UK there are two areas where this is being more acutely felt; namely logistics and waste management.

Facilities Services Shortages: Is ED&I in facilities services the key to solving talent challenges?

The latest statistics from the annual <a href="https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Skills for Care Workforce</a> analysis show that there were around 165,000 vacant posts in the social care sector in 2021 / 22. While a staggering figure on its own, this is a significant increase from the previous year where this number stood at 55,000 and marks the largest number of empty roles recorded since records began in 2012 / 13.
Our own insight further highlights this growing pressure on skills requirements. According to statistics collated by Comensura, demand for those with child protection skills has increased 179% since 2018, while those with experience of working with children have noted a 158% uptick in desire for their skills. More broadly, social work attributes have seen a 155% spike in demand.
The care sector has faced resourcing difficulties for some time, but for public sector employers, the competition from the private sector has only served to exacerbate the issue. With the latter often able to use higher pay as an incentive, the drain on talent pools has been significant.
Long term impact of skills shortages for the community
The impact that these worker shortages are having on the general public is profound, with <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/carers-struggle-to-find-support-for-loved-ones-amid-enormous-staff-shortage-in-adult-care-sector-12835867" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">news</a> reports of carers struggling to access the support they need growing in number. <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/shortage-workers-london-crisis-social-care-b1084775.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reports</a> have also indicated that this talent crisis is adding to pressures on the NHS, with beds being taken up by elderly or vulnerable patients with no access to care packages, meaning they can&rsquo;t be discharged. 
In the UK we have an aging population. An aging population that needs assistance. According to a <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1733885/care-crisis-elderly-nhs-Caroline-Abrahams-age-uk-charity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study carried out by Age UK</a>, in October of 2022 2.5m older people said they were finding it difficult to get dressed and/or undressed, 2.2m said cooking themselves a hot meal was too much for them, and 3m were even struggling to get out of bed. These vulnerable people either need care on a day-to-day basis, or assessments in order to get the equipment or support to live comfortably.
Where is the staff shortage coming from?
The reasons behind the shortage of care workers are widespread &ndash; more demand and less staff is the underlying issue. This is unlikely to be resolved with a silver bullet solution but pay is certainly an issue. The challenge, of course, is that local authorities have <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/shortage-workers-london-crisis-social-care-b1084775.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">limited spending</a> power as budgets are continually slashed, leaving many unable to compete with the pay on offer in the private care sector. 
It&rsquo;s not just competition from other care employers adding to the drain of resources<s>,</s> though. According to a report from the <a href="https://www.apse.org.uk/index.cfm/apse/members-area/briefings/2021/21-56-local-government-skills-shortages-and-workforce-capacity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)</a>, local authorities and suppliers of care workers are also facing competition from industries such as retail, where better pay and more reasonable hours can often be provided.
There&rsquo;s also the issue of agency fee increases and a reliance on off-PSL vendors to fill urgent gaps, which is creating a <a href="https://nation.cymru/news/wales-is-facing-a-social-worker-shortage-and-some-councils-are-spending-millions-plugging-the-gaps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pay spiral</a>, with some able to command above average fees for the supply of workers. 
Despite the challenges facing care worker recruitment, a career in this remit is incredibly rewarding, which is arguably one of the key motivators of those who continue to work in this area. Indeed, a <a href="https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/who-cares/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> from the Resolution Foundation indicated that many people are attached to their job, suggesting that quite often workers view it as a &lsquo;vocation&rsquo; rather than just a job. 
The same study also indicates that the flexibility of the hours meets the requirements that some can&rsquo;t find elsewhere. For example, close to one-in-five frontline care workers are women with dependent children. 
While there may be staff shortages in care, there are clear positives to capitalise on in talent attraction strategies, beyond pay inflation. 
Overcoming care skills shortages 
<a>A local authority case study</a>
We&rsquo;ve worked with an upper-tier local authority for a non-metropolitan county in the North West of England. They pride themselves on being great employers in order to attract the best employees, so they can deliver high quality services to people in the region. 
Staff shortages in healthcare, social services, logistics and planning have a serious impact on a local authority&rsquo;s capacity to deliver services and reduces their ability to help central government meet key pledges.
They were looking to take a more collaborative and organised approach to sustainable employment, with a focus on finding local, available talent. They also wanted to help local people without the immediately required skills but who have the potential to develop and find employment within the local authority.&nbsp; The initiative needed to be cost and time efficient in its approach, but with a long-term outlook to ensure sustainable pricing and good levels of retention.
Instead of a purely contingent workforce-based approach, sourcing both permanent and temporary talent for roles was included. This was to not only ensure that all roles were filled, and labour shortages were reduced, but where permanent staff could be used, they were, in order to cut the costs involved in the recruiting and induction of new team members.
Another completely new initiative for this local authority was the introduction of a Statement of Work Management solution, which is to be used across the board in all projects that are output based &ndash; care being one of them. 
Inclusive workforce solutions
Identifying and engaging previously untapped pools of talent is another way to overcome the skills shortage which is only likely to grow as the population continues to age. This can include a wide range of underrepresented groups that hadn&rsquo;t previously considered care as a career option.
Whilst many sectors such as the facilities management sector are looking to recruit more women due to a lack of gender balance, in the care sector the opposite is true. Only <a href="https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/social-work-in-england-emerging-themes-report-launched" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">18% of care workers are currently male</a>, and only <a href="https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/social-work-in-england-emerging-themes-report-launched/#:~:text=There%20are%2099%2C191%20social%20workers,worker%20in%20England%20is%2045." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">17% of social workers are male.</a> 
The care sector can use tactics embraced by other sectors to target men as the underrepresented gender, to demonstrate to them that caring is a rewarding career option not closed to them. Likewise for different ages groups, backgrounds, ethnicities, and with disabilities.
<a href="../../../../../../gated-content/whitepaper-navigating-skills-shortages-through-inclusive-workforce-solutions">Read the full whitepaper on Navigating Skills Shortages Through Inclusive Workforce Solutions</a>
Comensura are here to help 
Since 2001 we&rsquo;ve been helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We save companies money and time, ensuring full compliance and quality at every step. We bring simplicity to the complex process of acquiring contingent and permanent talent, workforce management, and people-based services procurement. All of this is made possible by our proprietary, adaptive tech, as well as data-driven insights and a team of experts dedicated to making a difference.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
If you are struggling with finding the care talent you need, we have strategies, advice, and solutions from our experienced team to help. Simply drop us a message on our <a href="../../../../../../contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact us page</a>.
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The latest statistics from the annual <a href="https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Skills for Care Workforce</a> analysis show that there were around 165,000 vacant posts in the social care sector in 2021 / 22. While a staggering figure on its own, this is a significant increase from the previous year where this number stood at 55,000 and marks the largest number of empty roles recorded since records began in 2012 / 13.

Crisis in Care: Just how big are the talent challenges local authorities and private sector care facing?

Uncertainty lies ahead and everyone is trying to cut costs. Across the public sector, potential and planned budget cuts are causing employers to consider how they can reduce expenditure. With a lack of workers having an impact on services over the last year &ndash; with councils and local government authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2022/06/17/social-worker-shortages-sectors-biggest-concern-in-delivering-cap-on-care-costs/">reporting widespread staff shortages</a> &ndash; cutting headcount isn&rsquo;t an option.&nbsp;
But moving from a time and materials &ndash; or talent &ndash; focus to a Statement of Work (SOW) model where firms are thinking of resources instead of headcount, has a range of benefits.&nbsp;&nbsp;
/solutions/statement-of-work-management
The challenge with any project management, is the potential for activity to run over schedule and over budget. Procurement teams have long faced the headache of being presented with an unexpected invoice for additional hours worked where something has fallen down in the supply chain.&nbsp; With the work already completed, procurement professionals then face two options: accepting the project has had to go over budget, or challenging the additional cost. The former isn&rsquo;t possible for cash-strapped businesses while the latter requires significant administration and often a lot of trawling through contracts, emails and other records.&nbsp;&nbsp; Operating through an SOW model, however, removes this issue. People hours are no longer measured in the deliverables. Instead, outputs are all that matter. The procurement function agrees with the third party that specific work will be delivered to a set time and cost. It&rsquo;s then with the supplier to deliver this in order to be paid.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Get more from the supply chain
Having projects delivered or resources working under a Statement of Work also streamlines costs by improving efficiency across the supply chain. Procurement has <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">greater control</a>&nbsp;of who is delivering what. Hiring managers can no longer go off PSL (unless they&rsquo;re really determined to rock the boat!) and only those that have been identified as being able to deliver the best results in the timeframe and budget outline are engaged.&nbsp;&nbsp; Our own Statement of Work management services uses those who have demonstrated that they can effectively deliver the defined outcomes. This allows us to reduce the costs more significantly than traditional contingent resource solutions. (Note, though that SOW isn&rsquo;t suitable for every scenario, but that&rsquo;s a whole other topic in itself!)&nbsp;
Gain total transparency &ndash; and stop costly mistakes before it&rsquo;s too late &nbsp;
When you partner with the right provider to manage your SOW solutions, you&rsquo;ll get access to all the information procurement professionals want from a project management point of view. Our own purpose-built Vendor Management System (VMS) provides our clients with everything from real-time reporting to all project-associated documents all saved in one place.&nbsp;&nbsp; Stealth costs become a thing of the past because they can&rsquo;t hide on the platform. You can also access the latest information on supplier performance and, if needed, adjust work to make the most of those that are performing well.&nbsp; On a longer-term basis, this improves workforce spend, allowing you to identify and channel work into suppliers that will deliver the best value for money before set performance review periods come around.&nbsp;&nbsp; Save on people-hours&nbsp;
An effective Statement of Work solution that is underpinned by innovative technology also provides savings when it comes to people hours. Procurement teams have long been over-burdened with managing PSLs, constantly reviewing the supply chain, handling contract negotiations, reviewing invoicing and controlling timesheets. This list just scratches the surface of the demand on the function. But time is money, and it shouldn&rsquo;t be wasted on tasks that can be automated.&nbsp;&nbsp; An SOW that provides a <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">tech-driven</a>&nbsp;solution and allows complete transparency removes a significant chunk of this administration. Spend less time reviewing SLA&rsquo;s, digging out contracts to compare with invoices and checking in with hiring teams to confirm who is working where and under what contract, by accessing everything in one place.&nbsp;&nbsp; It might not free up enough of your time to go take a longer lunch break, but it will reduce the hours spent on tasks that can be managed by Bots rather than yourself.&nbsp;
Repurpose the scope&nbsp;
When the deliverables of a Statement of Work go to plan, you&rsquo;ve also left yourself with a project scope that can be re-purposed and re-used elsewhere in the business where similar demand arises. If a digital transformation project has worked well through an SOW in one part of the business, this can be repurposed across other divisions with relative ease.&nbsp; Not only can you provide a clearer steer on the budget needed as a result, but you also reduce the hours spent developing a whole new scope and assessing suppliers. The finite details are completely managed through the technology, allowing you to do what you do best: be the human part of the procurement process.&nbsp;&nbsp; Saving costs through SOW&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s easy to look at cutting resources in a difficult economy, but as we&rsquo;ve learnt over the last few years, skills and resources are the most critical element of every business. Projects still need to be delivered, service levels need to remain at the same level &ndash; if not improved &ndash; and firms need to be able to respond to an economic bounce back quickly and efficiently.&nbsp;&nbsp; An SOW workforce model gives you the <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">cost-control</a> and reduction you need, without hindering future growth prospects of the business.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you want to know how to control labour costs through Statement of Work? <a href="../../../../../../gated-content/sow-management-controlling-labour-costs-in-a-talent-scarce-market">Download our guide</a>&nbsp;today.&nbsp;

Controlling labour costs in tough times through Statement of Work

<h4>Watch the webinar recording <a href="https://player.vimeo.com/video/554223211" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>
Once &lsquo;unthinkable&rsquo;, a global pandemic was the unexpected catalyst it took to shift Procurement&rsquo;s perception as &lsquo;cost cutter&rsquo; and solidify our strategic role in the business. But despite this success one high-profile area of spend has remained off-limits for most procurement teams. What is it? Consulting and services spend. Why? It&rsquo;s simple. It&rsquo;s about people and relationships, and when it comes to those things, our stakeholders think they know better. And perhaps they do. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean we can&rsquo;t help them do more and better.
In this live webinar first held in May 2021, you&rsquo;ll hear from Sharyn County, General Manager Procurement, Property and Fleet at Jemena and Zinfra and Ed Cross Founder at Odesma. Plus, Charles Austin, our Client Solutions Director. If you want to&nbsp;gain control, add more value, and improve how your business manages services and consulting spend,&nbsp;then don&rsquo;t miss this enlightening conversation.
This webinar is for you if you&rsquo;ve ever asked yourself the following questions (and desperately wanted answers!):
<ul>
<li>What is the one thing that internal stakeholders want and need from procurement when it comes to services spend?</li>
<li>How do I uncover the &lsquo;iceberg costs&rsquo; of services spend?</li>
<li>What kind of savings can I help internal stakeholders make?</li>
<li>What kind of skills do I need to better manage services spend?</li>
<li>How can I better use technology to manage this process?</li>
</ul>
<h4>Watch the webinar recording <a href="https://player.vimeo.com/video/554223211" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h4>

Consulting and services spend: How procurement can gain control

Leading provider of Vendor Neutral Managed Services to state and local governments in Australia wins contract with NSW Government Stronger Communities Cluster.
Under the new agreement, Comensura will manage the Cluster&rsquo;s relationships with contingent workforce suppliers, helping Stronger Communities attract highly skilled candidates and boost diversity. It will also provide the Cluster with visibility, governance and risk mitigation strategies.
Stronger Communities brings together the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) with many other agencies from the former Family and Community Services and Justice clusters. DCJ, along with Cluster agencies including NSW Trustee and Guardian are already using the solution.
&ldquo;The new deal means managers across the Cluster can get the right short-term expertise, when and where they need it,&rdquo; said Comensura Director Kelly-Ann Lynch. &ldquo;One integrated system will simplify the contractor recruitment process and help agencies in Stronger Communities to tap into a diverse range of suppliers.&rdquo;
Having worked with the former Justice Cluster since 2016, Comensura promotes corporate social responsible procurement. This enables the Stronger Communities Cluster to support small and medium enterprises and Aboriginal-owned businesses, increasing the diversity as part of a diverse recruitment supply chain.
&ldquo;Comensura's appointment as the MSP for the Stronger Communities cluster is testament to the partnering approach our team has demonstrated during the five-year relationship held with the former Department of Justice. We are aligned to their drive for social outcomes through the procurement of people. Comensura is excited to embark on this next stage and expanded delivery of support to meet the cluster objectives.&rdquo; -&nbsp; Kelly-Ann Lynch, Director, Comensura
Since forming in 2001, Comensura is a market leader in managing the supply of temporary and contract labour for organisations across multiple sectors and is now a leading provider of Vendor Neutral Managed Services to state and local governments in Australia.
Comensura delivers a smarter way to work for customers with complex contingent, permanent and other sourcing requirements. From maximising relationships with recruitment suppliers to bringing efficiency to processes.
The Managed Service Provider brand has maintained its resilience through COVID-19 with contingent labour hiring activity almost back to pre-pandemic levels. The brand is expanding its local government contracts with 55 currently secured contracts across Australia. "We opted to retain our people, where possible, and compromise our profitability in order to come out of COVID-19 stronger and with the ability to respond to our customers as we're now seeing the volumes returning to pre-COVID levels" according to Impellam Group Asia Pacific (Comensura&rsquo;s parent company) CEO, Mark Coyle.
About Comensura
Since forming in 2001, Comensura has grown to become a market leader in managing the supply of temporary, permanent and contract labour for organisations across multiple sectors. With a combined client base of over 120 public and private sector organisations across the UK and Australia, we are trusted to manage over $1 billion of our customers&rsquo; recruitment spend each year.
Impellam Group is a leading Global Talent Acquisition and Managed Workforce Solutions provider. Our Managed Services providers are supported by talent-focused Specialist Staffing brands with deep heritages, vertical sector expertise and loyal candidate networks. Clients across the world trust us to deliver Managed Services and Specialist Staffing in the UK, North America, Australasia and Europe. Working with them are 2,500 Impellam people, bringing a wealth of expertise through our 14 market-leading brands across 76 locations. Every year, we connect carefully chosen candidates with good work at all levels. They include technology and digital specialists, scientists, clinical experts, engineers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, teachers, receptionists, drivers, chefs, administrators, warehouse and call centre operatives.
To find out how Comensura can support your contingent workforce, please contact:
Matt King, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific <a href="mailto:matt.king@comensura.com.au?subject=Comensura%20MSP%20query%20-%20Stronger%20Communities%20Cluster">matt.king@comensura.com.au</a>
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Comensura wins expanded partnership with NSW Government Stronger Communities Cluster

Comensura has unveiled its new brand vision and company purpose as we continue to evolve to meet the growing demand for our digitally enabled solutions and the ever-changing MSP and services procurement landscape.
Comensura's brand refresh is part of our evolving approach of &ldquo;a smarter way to work&rdquo; &ndash; driving greater visibility, control, compliance, efficiency and added value on sourcing spend and resource strategies.
As part of this new corporate strategy, we have redefined our digitally enabled service offering under four comprehensive solutions; <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">Vendor Neutral MSP</a>, <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">Statement of Work (SOW) Management</a>, <a href="../../../../../../solutions/payroll">Payroll</a> and Vetting Management and Talent Consulting &ndash; a bespoke solution designed to help customers address complex workforce challenges such as employer branding, diversity and inclusion, and workforce planning. The firm is committed to ensuring these solutions &ndash; which are underpinned by Comensura&rsquo;s proprietary VMS technology, c.net &ndash; help customers build better and more successful businesses through continuous improvement and best-in-class services.&nbsp; Hoa Ngo, Managing Director, UK, Comensura commented:
&ldquo;Our mission as a business is simple: to optimise our customers&rsquo; relationships with recruitment agencies and service providers to ensure employers gain greater visibility, control and value from the way they procure their talent and people-based services. Comensura is a digitally enabled people business with great technology. The refreshed brand showcases our people who are the heart of our business. Our relationships with customers succeed because we really get to know them to build solutions for the long term, by tapping into our team of experienced strategists, supply chain management experts, account managers, developers, analysts, and more.&rdquo;
"There&rsquo;s so much that sets us apart from the crowd, from our neutral approach to solutions delivery to our c.net proprietary Vendor Management System. As a digitally enabled managed services provider, our biggest USP and greatest strength is our focus on striking the right balance between technology and people. Over the last few years, the world of work itself has evolved drastically around the globe and as we&rsquo;ve emerged into this more agile and intuitive landscape, it was time for a refresh and revamp of the solutions Comensura can provide. Our new vision of four clearly defined solutions that can be implemented standalone or together as a streamlined staffing strategy, gives today&rsquo;s businesses access to everything they need to find resources quickly in a difficult talent market."

Comensura unveils new vision as brand continues to go from strength-to-strength

We&rsquo;re excited to announce that Comensura - in partnership with ecological transformation trailblazers and long-term client Veolia - has been announced as 2023 Winner of the DE&amp;I Award at the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards Europe.
The judging panel stated &lsquo;Comensura demonstrated clear metrics for success, actions and measurable results across a wide spectrum of DE&amp;I. The energy around this project leapt off the submission. The judges applauded the diversity and ambition of their targets, and the work that went into tackling each of them.&rsquo; 
Veolia has worked with Comensura on a number of new initiatives targeting a range of underrepresented groups, in order to attract a more diverse workforce and ensure that all contingent vacancies were filled.
These initiatives included Women in Waste, Jobs for Ukraine, providing meaningful employment with relevant benefits to over 55&rsquo;s, and reducing entry barriers for ex-offenders finding work at Veolia and formed key partnerships with groups and prisons to drive the initiative. In addition to increasing diversity in their workforce, Veolia were successful in taping into local talent and offering jobs to people less than 5 miles away, in turn reducing travel time and offering greater work/life balance.

We&rsquo;re excited to announce that Comensura - in partnership with ecological transformation trailblazers and long-term client Veolia - has been announced as 2023 Winner of the DE&amp;I Award at the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards Europe.

Comensura shines in DE&I at the TIARA Talent Solutions Awards Europe 2023

Comensura has been awarded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award, we&rsquo;re delighted to announce. The MoD awards annual bronze, silver, and gold ERS awards to employers that support defence and the armed forces community, and that align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant. We first signed the <a href="https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/">Armed Forces Covenant</a>, a pledge to treat the armed forces and their families with fairness and respect in the society they serve, in 2019. By receiving this award, we&rsquo;ve demonstrated that we have armed forces-friendly policies and practices, and that we employ at least one member of the armed forces community - as well as meeting a number of other strict criteria. Hoa Ngo, Comensura&rsquo;s UK Managing Director, commented on the award: &ldquo;To have been recognised with the silver ERS award is a fantastic achievement for us in such a short space of time. Our commitment to ensuring that no serving personnel, either regular or reservist, veterans or military families are disadvantaged in the world of work goes hand in hand with our core values. &ldquo;We help, enable, and empower businesses to find smarter ways to solve their complex staffing challenges - and equality, diversity and inclusivity are absolutely core to this approach. I'm delighted that we've received this recognition, which will further enhance and strengthen our commitment.&rdquo; Andrew Banfield, Comensura&rsquo;s Head of Service and a serving Army Reservist, said:
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been a serving soldier in the Army Reserve for 11 years and was awarded the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal in December 2020 to commemorate 10 years of service. For 10 of these 11 years of service, I&rsquo;ve been employed by Comensura - most recently as the company&rsquo;s Head of Service, with responsibility for a team of 10 staff who oversee service delivery to around 50 local authority customers. &ldquo;Comensura has been incredibly supportive in allowing me to complete the duties of my military role, with senior leaders recognising that the blend of civilian and military experience allows for growth of knowledge that helps me be better at both roles.&rdquo;
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Comensura receives Silver Award for its support of the Armed Forces

We&rsquo;re&nbsp;very proud&nbsp;to announce we have been awarded the Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award, in recognition of our commitment to Social Value across Cheshire and Merseyside.
The&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW60859732 BCX0" href="https://socialvaluebusiness.com/social-value-award-awardees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award</a>&nbsp;acknowledges&nbsp;high standards&nbsp;of&nbsp;staff and volunteer recruitment and retention strategy, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),&nbsp;and&nbsp;Social Value.
Some examples of what the Social Value Award&nbsp;recognises&nbsp;are a dedication to the&nbsp;health and wellbeing&nbsp;of&nbsp;team members,&nbsp;contributions&nbsp;made&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;local communities, enhanced&nbsp;learning&nbsp;and leadership across&nbsp;the&nbsp;Public Sector,&nbsp;and&nbsp;creating&nbsp;local opportunities for social innovation.
&ldquo;Empowering the community through social mobility is close to my heart,&rdquo; states&nbsp;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW60859732 BCX0" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicol-nee-6491169b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nichol Nee</a>, Head of Service at&nbsp;Comensura.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re&nbsp;dedicated to helping those with employment challenges find meaningful work whilst also boosting&nbsp;economic growth for local businesses.
Comensura&nbsp;have&nbsp;pioneered a wide range of ED&amp;I initiatives across the UK&nbsp;in a range of sectors,&nbsp;including Jobs for Ukraine, where we have placed&nbsp;120&nbsp;Ukrainian refugees&nbsp;in&nbsp;into new positions, and working with prisons to reintegrate ex-offenders back into society with employment in a bid to reduce reoffending in the UK.
Comensura are here to help &nbsp; Since 2001 we&rsquo;ve been helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We save companies money and time, ensuring full compliance and quality at every step. We bring simplicity to the complex process of acquiring contingent and permanent talent, workforce management, and people-based services procurement. All of this is made possible by our proprietary, adaptive tech, as well as data-driven insights and a team of experts dedicated to making a difference. &nbsp; If you are struggling with finding the talent you need, we have strategies, experience, advice and solutions from our seasoned team to help. Simply drop us a message on our <a href="../../../../../contact">contact us page</a>. &nbsp;
&nbsp;

We&rsquo;re&nbsp;very proud&nbsp;to announce we have been awarded the Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award, in recognition of our commitment to Social Value across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Comensura receives Cheshire and Merseyside Social Value Award

<h3>We are delighted to announce Comensura has been recognised as a finalist in the APSCo Australia Awards for Excellence MSP of the Year category. </h3>
These awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the recruitment outsourcing sector and will be judged by a panel of carefully selected industry specialists. The MSP of the Year award recognises the <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">managed service provider</a> that has promoted and demonstrated a commitment to best practice in the MSP sector.
Kelly-Ann Lynch, Director Managed Services at Comensura, commented:
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited to be nominated as an MSP of the Year finalist. Everything we do is to support our predominantly public sector customers to better serve their communities and it&rsquo;s really rewarding for our people and expertise to be recongised with this nomination."
The entire Comensura team deserves recognition for their dedicated effort over the last year. No matter the outcome of these awards, this is an incredible achievement for all at Comensura. Kelly-Ann Lynch continued to reflect on how this recognition encompasses the efforts of the full team:
&ldquo;Our people are the driving force behind everything we do. They provide outstanding service and build long-term relationships with customers, suppliers and each other to consistently deliver positive experiences. I&rsquo;m so proud to work with such incredibly talented and passionate people.&rdquo;
Congratulations to all shortlisted entrants this year. We look forward to seeing everybody at the awards ceremony on October 26 in Sydney, and best of luck! To find out more about the awards and to see the shortlists for all categories, visit the <a href="https://www.apscoau.org/how-enter-awards-excellence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APSCo website</a>.

Comensura MSP of the Year finalist in the APSCo Australia Awards for Excellence

Comensura is pleased to be taking part in a webinar series organised by Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO). The webinar series aims to give public sector organisations an overview of the current recruitment market.
We will be taking part in a webinar on Thursday 11th June at 10am. Our very own Jon Milton, Business Development Director and Kerry Pearson, Head of Service for Public Sector will both be talking about why supporting Social Value through the temporary workforce is more important now than ever.
If you work in the public sector you can <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/webinar-temporary-recruitment-capita-comensura-north-yorkshire-council-tickets-106745819620" target="_parent">register for this webinar</a>.
To summarise what we&rsquo;ll cover in the webinar: 
The Coronavirus pandemic is creating unprecedented change in the UK. With pandemic management now becoming a fundamental part of any organisation&rsquo;s business continuity plans, places of work, communication tools, job roles and working patterns are set to change for thousands, and potentially millions of people.
But with change comes opportunity. Opportunity to deliver real social value for many that will need help in managing this transition, and opportunity to support and revitalise local businesses and communities.
With many workers likely to be working from home on a permanent basis, either every day or for a significant part of the working week, there is a real opportunity to help increase demand for local business, stimulate inward investment and revitalise the local high street. Home working also provides opportunities for those that may previously have struggled to access work, given issues associated with travelling to and from the workplace.&nbsp;
The lockdown has also shown that people can be redeployed in unfamiliar roles, without having to go through a major learning curve. With the pandemic likely to create excess capacity in the available workforce (at least in the immediate future), rebalancing supply against demand for skills is likely to become a far more viable option.
How can the public sector help to drive this change and realise social value? How can managed service providers like Comensura, and their supply partners help? Within this webinar, we&rsquo;ll explore opportunities to realise meaningful social value, and the practical measures that are available through working in partnership to deliver shared goals.
We hope you can join us on this webinar. If you work in the public sector you can <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/webinar-temporary-recruitment-capita-comensura-north-yorkshire-council-tickets-106745819620" target="_parent">register for this webinar</a>.

Comensura is proud to be talking about the importance of social value to the public sector

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Comensura was pleased to attend West London&rsquo;s biggest job fair, held at the famous Wembley Stadium, which opened its doors to over 200 employers, training providers, universities, and colleges.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Hosted by Brent Council, the job fair enables job seekers to meet with employers across a range of sectors, giving them access to a variety of different career options as well as resources to navigate the job market.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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<a class="Hyperlink SCXW217377189 BCX0" href="https://harrowonline.org/2023/07/16/huge-jobs-fair-to-be-held-at-wembley-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Councillor Shama Tatler shared why the job fair is so important to the local community</a>, stating, &ldquo;In Brent, we have one of the lowest average household incomes in the capital, with earnings 16% below the London average. The cost-of-living crisis is continuing to hit our low-paid workers the hardest, and we are committed to supporting our residents in every way we can to find good quality, secure work.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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The job fair was attended by Georgina Clark (Brent Council Business Partner)&nbsp;Darryl Miller (Implementation Project Manager), Sophie Williams (Comensura Business Partner) and Lee Hoare (Comensura Business Partner) where they met with a range of different job seekers, registering over 196&nbsp;new candidates on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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&ldquo;This was a great opportunity to meet motivated candidates face to face, in an exciting location, to really get to understand what kind of positions they&rsquo;re looking for and support them on their recruitment journey,&rdquo; states Georgina Clark, Brent Council Business Partner at Comensura.<span class="EOP SCXW217377189 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;
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&ldquo;We were able to register interest of 196 candidates which we followed up with after the initial event and offered further support by partnering them with suppliers that operate in their preferred industries.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW217377189 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;
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About Comensura&nbsp;
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Comensura helps employers plan, build, and manage their workforces by providing access to talent with a range of experience and skills. <a class="Hyperlink SCXW217377189 BCX0" href="../../../../../about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about Comensura</a>.&nbsp;
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Comensura hits West London’s biggest jobs fair in Wembley Stadium 

The framework is open to all public bodies to access, including Local Authorities, Central Government Agencies and Ministries, NHS and Emergency (Blue Light) Services, Schools, Academies, Colleges, Universities, Registered Charities, Registered Social Landlords.
Our award covers:
<ul>
<li>Temporary agency staff provision</li>
<li>Permanent Recruitment</li>
<li>Statement of Work</li>
<li>Payroll Management</li>
</ul>
Comensura have been awarded a place on the following lots:
<ul>
<li>Lot 1: Managed Service Provision.</li>
<li>Lot 2: Vendor Management System.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Please <a href="../../../../../../contact">get in touch</a> to find out more about our framework offer and the work we do with public bodies. Our offer includes unique and advantageous pricing and operating options.
To read more about <a href="https://www.espo.org/Frameworks/People-Professional-Services/653F_19-MSTAR3-Managed-Services-for-Temp-Agency">MSTAR 3 here</a>.
Hoa Ngo, Comensura UK, Managing Director said:
&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re absolutely thrilled to be awarded a place on the new MSTAR3 framework. We&rsquo;ve really tuned in to the needs of our customers with our unique bid, reflecting our experience of winning business with customers that include Local Government, Central Government, Regulatory Bodies, Further Education and Charities. The award also means that we can offer all three of our managed service options, meaning we have a solution for all &ndash; from our classic neutral vendor model, our new adaptive MSP and our self-serve essential preferred supplier list management technology. We&rsquo;re also able to offer our select service lines, giving our customers greater flexibility and a range of attractive options to shape their requirements, such as the management of statement of works.&rdquo;
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Comensura have been appointed as a supplier to the MSTAR3 national framework

This year&rsquo;s International Women&rsquo;s Day Comensura team members and their Impellam Group colleagues met both virtually and at The Gherkin in London to discuss the difficulties women and other minority groups may face at work, and how we can help create more equitable and diverse workplaces and opportunities for all.&nbsp;
Impellam's IM Womxn Business Resource Group hosted a London event with guest speaker Lauren Neal, author of best-selling book 'Valued at Work'. Lauren shared the stage with our Managing Director Hoa Ngo, Hayley Klaff, Director of Projects &ndash; STEM and Laura Browne, Client Services Manager for Guidant Global.&nbsp;
They discussed the question, &lsquo;why do we need to inspire inclusion?&rsquo;&nbsp;
Lauren shared her experience of dealing with bias and sexism in STEM settings while leading engineering projects in the energy sector, and said inclusion is about making sure that everyone feels valued by recognising their input and participation in the work environment: &nbsp;&ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t have an ability to have everybody take part and be valued for taking part, we&rsquo;re going to miss everything.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hoa Ngo believes that fostering inclusion should be a daily practice that we can each embody in how we communicate with our team and express appreciation for others. She stated that there have been male colleagues who have been supportive and encouraging to her throughout her career and urged more men to support their female colleagues and &lsquo;open the door.&rsquo;&nbsp;
This was a viewpoint shared by Hayley Klaff: &ldquo;Everyone has a part to play in this. It&rsquo;s important that people feel they&rsquo;ve got an opportunity to contribute, and their voices will be heard &ndash; this is why we ensure that we&rsquo;ve got an inclusive environment [at Impellam].&rdquo;&nbsp;
The panel also discussed the issues with companies that only meet the minimum requirements for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion hiring targets, rather than considering the reasons why they should hire women and people from other underrepresented groups.&nbsp;
Gender inclusivity is a subject close to the hearts of the Comensura team, both male and female. This year we asked some of our colleagues to share their thoughts on why gender inclusion is important for them and how they contribute to inspiring a more inclusive culture at work.<a href="https://www.comensura.com/insights/international-women-s-day-2024-inspire-inclusivity"> Click here to read their thoughts and stories in this article.&nbsp;</a>
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Comensura celebrates International Women’s Day as we work together to Inspire Inclusion 

Candidates with criminal convictions can now apply for jobs at Comensura UK, safe in the knowledge that they will be assessed on their ability to do the job before any convictions are fairly considered.
In signing up to the national Ban the Box campaign from Business in the Community, we&rsquo;ve joined more than 160 employers who are creating a fair chance for ex-offenders to compete for jobs and bringing down the &pound;18 billion a year cost of reoffending.
By signing up to <a href="https://www.bitc.org.uk/employment-and-skills/">Ban the Box</a> and considering whether, when and how to ask about criminal convictions, employers can play a vital role in keeping people out of prison while gaining access to a large and diverse talent pool.
Having a job can reduce a person&rsquo;s chance of reoffending by up to 50%, and we&rsquo;re proud to be leading the way in offering people a chance to turn their lives around while helping to keep communities safer.
Hoa Ngo, Comensura&rsquo;s UK Managing Director, commented:
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m absolutely thrilled to be able to commit Comensura to Ban the Box. As a staffing solutions business, we have a duty to lead from the front when it comes to diversity, inclusivity, and fairness - and this commitment is the latest proof that we take that duty seriously.
&ldquo;Banning the box is consistent with our values to treat others with respect and embrace change. By reconsidering if, when and how we ask candidates about criminal convictions, we&rsquo;re taking one step further in our constant search for a smarter way to work. I hope our commitment inspires even more employers to step forward and Ban the Box.&rdquo;
Kate Carr, Business in the Community&rsquo;s Campaign Manager said:
&ldquo;Two thirds of employers admit to discriminating against people with criminal records but the employers we work with recognise the skills and loyalty this diverse group of people can bring to their roles. Removing the barrier of a tick box can make all the difference to someone deciding to apply to your company or not and we need more forward-thinking employers to join the campaign to help stop the cycle of reoffending.&rdquo;

Comensura Bans the Box on job applications to access new talent

When we launched Comensura back in 2001, it was with one goal in mind: to deliver a smarter way to work for businesses with complex contingent, permanent and services procurement needs. Today, we&rsquo;re delighted to be celebrating 20 years of achieving that aim.
Here&rsquo;s a short video in celebration of our birthday. We asked favourite moments along the way.
To celebrate our birthday, we asked our wonderful people about their time with Comensura and what they think makes the business great - and to give us an interesting fact about themselves. Watch the video to meet the team! <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cKH0846nLjA?controls=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
Comensura at 20: the journey so far
After spotting the need for a viable alternative to traditional master vendor staffing solutions, Comensura was founded in 2001 on robust procurement, procure to pay, supply chain management, and contract management principles.
Following steady growth in the early noughties, when we established ourselves as the managed service provider of choice for UK local government, 2006 brought an exciting milestone: our expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.
Fast-forward 10 years and, with increasing numbers of private sector customers complementing our continued public sector growth, 2016 saw us arrive at another significant moment: the launch of <a href="../../../../../../technology">c.net5</a>, the most powerful version to date of our proprietary vendor management system.
Today, more than 120 customers, from councils to global corporations, trust us to manage over &pound;700m in contingent and permanent labour and <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">statement of work</a>&nbsp;services procurement spend. Commenting on our 20th anniversary, Comensura&rsquo;s Managing Director, Hoa Ngo, said: &ldquo;Comensura was created in 2001 on the belief that we could offer our customers a smarter way to work. Throughout our 20 year journey, our smarter ethos has driven our passion to remain curious and continuously innovate to ensure we evolve with market changes and the maturing needs of our customers. The fact that a number of our early-adopter customers are still with us is testimony to this.&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Today, our obsession to deliver smarter solutions remains undimmed. Global challenges caused by the pandemic and changing attitudes to work and talent acquisition means that our neutral managed service solution, underpinned by c.net, is now more relevant than ever.&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Happy birthday Comensura, thank you to the brilliant Comensura family that I have the pleasure of working with, and all the Comensura pioneers who have been part of this exhilarating journey.&rdquo;
We&rsquo;d like to thank our customers, suppliers and partners, past and present, for their support - and we look forward to 20 more years of working with them to find a smarter way to work.

Comensura at 20: The journey so far

<h4>CEO Simon Blockley Named Workforce Solutions Trailblazer in SIA 2023 Staffing 100 Europe</h4>
We are pleased to announce that Impellam Group CEO of Global Managed Services Simon Blockley has been named on the 2023 Staffing 100 Europe list as a workforce solution trailblazer and trend-spotter, for the 7th consecutive year.
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) is a global research and advisory firm that focuses on staffing and workforce solutions. They have recently announced the publication of their 2023 Staffing 100 Europe, which is now in its 10th year and recognises European staffing leaders that are creating new pathways within the transforming workforce solutions ecosystem.
Barry Asin, president of SIA states &ldquo;The world of work is changing dramatically, especially when we look to the major technological innovations occurring, such as what we are seeing with artificial intelligence. What sets the 2023 Staffing 100 Europe apart from others is how they have approached and managed this brave new world. Congratulations to our 2023 honourees for being the trend-spotters, trailblazers and revolutionaries moving the workforce solutions ecosystem onward and upward.&rdquo;
Simon has worked within the Impellam Group for the last decade, and as CEO of Impellam Group Global Managed Services for the past 5 of those years. Simon promotes a people-focused approach to talent acquisition and engagement, and passionately believes that it is our people, clients, suppliers and candidates that benefit from our focus on ensuring exceptional service on a global scale.
&ldquo;It is always a huge honour to be included in this prestigious list among so many forward-thinking industry leaders,&rdquo; says Simon. &ldquo;There have been unprecedented changes of late, and to be considered someone who has not only met the challenges that have arisen, but also helped those around me to thrive in spite of them is fantastic.
I&rsquo;d like to give credit to the people around me though. It is our determination as a team to be ambitious for our customers and candidates that is the base for any acknowledgments I receive.&rdquo;

We are pleased to announce that Impellam Group CEO of Global Managed Services Simon Blockley has been named on the 2023 Staffing 100 Europe list as a workforce solution trailblazer and trend-spotter, for the 7th consecutive year.

CEO Simon Blockley Named in SIA 2023 Staffing 100 Europe as Workforce Solutions Trailblazer

On the 27th - 29th August this year, Comensura was a proud sponsor of the 3rd Australian Government Procurement Summit in Sydney.
This year's summit united government procurement leaders from Australia and the world. Delegates were able to learn about:
<ul>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">How to increase procurement efficiency through digitisation, automation and innovation</li>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">How to implement a versatile procurement framework that promotes and demonstrates high standards of probity.</li>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">How to get better procurement value by implementing innovative, agile purchasing methods.</li>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">How to deliver whole-of-government outcomes by working collaboratively with departmental procurement teams.</li>
</ul>
Our very own CEO, <a href="https://www.comensura.com/about-comensura/meet-the-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Coyle</a>,&nbsp;delivered a keynote address on Day 1. Along with his guest Cameron Spence (Social and Economic Programs Lead - ArcBlue Consulting), they discussed how Government across Australia, through collaboration, is using technology to enable improved cost, compliance and productivity of their non-permanent workforce.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.comensura.com/case-studies/customer-case-studies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Find out more about the benefits we are delivering to local and state government across Australia</a>.
What did we learn?
<ul>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">When it comes to managing suppliers, previous years' strategies have paid particular attention to cost saving and process improvements, whereas this year we witnessed a noticeable shift from supply chain management to creating true supplier partnerships.</li>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">The sentiment echoed in each of the keynote addresses was of the need to keep in step with the broader procurement community, with far more importance on intelligent and purposeful spending, supporting diversity and local community.</li>
<li style="background: white; margin: 1rem 0px 19.5pt; padding: 0px;">Another important theme approached by the speakers and debated in the roundtable sessions was around procurement's role in the age of digital transformation. It seems clear that procurement departments will increasingly influence decision making by helping articulate their organisation's objectives and how these are communicated to&nbsp; supply partners.</li>
</ul>
<a href="mailto:valeria.valero@comensura.com.au?subject=I'd like a copy of your presentation at the Government Procurement Summit">Request a copy</a> of Comensura's presentation at the Government Procurement Summit and find out more about:
<ul>
<li>The growing challenge that contingent, casuals and gig workers present to government.</li>
<li>How government collaboration can create better outcomes for all.</li>
<li>The benefits of harnessing technology for workforce visibility, compliance and cost control.</li>
</ul>
<a href="../../../../../../contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get in touch</a> today and discover how Comensura's <a href="../../../../../../technology">c.net technology</a> can help you navigate the challenges of managing your non-permanent workforce.

Australian Government Procurement Summit 2019

Planning talent needs in line with a business&rsquo;s objectives makes strategic sense. By taking a holistic view of available skills - both within the organisation and beyond - talent management professionals can ensure their workforces operate at maximum efficiency.
However, according to research from <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/insights/talent-analytics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gartner</a>, just 21% of HR leaders believe their organisations are effectively using talent data to shape talent acquisition and recruiting strategies, improve employee engagement, and inform other business decisions. So, what does an effective workforce planning strategy really look like? And how can your business benefit from taking this approach? Here's what you need to know about workforce planning.
What is workforce planning?
Workforce planning is the process of ensuring that the right people, with the right skills, are in the right place at the right time to deliver a business&rsquo;s commercial strategy. Today, effective (and even advanced) workforce planning is a feasible talent management strategy for any size company, thanks to the widespread availability of advanced HR and talent analytics tools.
<a href="https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/talent-solutions/talent-intelligence/workforce/pdfs/Final_EMEA_Rise-of-Analytics-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn reports</a> that at least 19% of companies have adopted HR analytics to plan workforces more effectively, and 12% have dedicated HR analytics roles. However, for many HR leaders, the concept of workforce planning still seems daunting.
The good news is that applying analytics to answer critical HR questions is a lot simpler than you may imagine. For example, by calculating the percentage of employees who are eligible to retire in the next five years, firms can ensure their talent pipeline is ready to fill these gaps accordingly. And that&rsquo;s just one, basic example.
Why is workforce planning important?
Workforce planning is absolutely integral to wider organisational strategy and now every HR team, in theory, has access to huge volumes of valuable data. The benefits of harnessing this information to implement total workforce planning strategies, in order to aid organisational efficiency, should not be underestimated.By harnessing data to predict the behaviours of employees and market demand fluctuations, HR teams can plan to overcome forecasted skills gaps. This also allows them to bring in external expertise to bolster growth and push into new markets.
In its most sophisticated form, workforce planning can also show where a surplus of talent is available, helping businesses to make better informed decisions about where skills need to be redeployed, or which geographies to target or avoid.
Workforce planning can also be used to model various possible commercial scenarios, in effect helping to future proof an organisation - an invaluable asset in this increasingly unpredictable, fast-paced, globalised world.
By digitally tracking the availability of skills, both within the business and externally in the market, leaders can:
map where permanent workforces can be deployed most effectively see where automation can pick up process-driven tasks that reduce productivity identify the skills they are lacking, and determine if skills gaps can or should be filled on a full-time or contingent basis. The elements of workforce planning
By identifying short and long-term strategic priorities, businesses can build a robust workforce plan to enable HR leaders to target inefficiencies, see where people can and should be moved within the organisation, and identify relevant strategies for focussed people development.
The key is to keep business goals front and centre of every plan. Where are you now? And where is your target destination? Any business is only as good as its people, and by pinpointing the gap between present and future talent needs, firms can ensure they are equipped to meet their business objectives.
Of course, there is no exact science to predicting future workforce needs. Indeed, some of today&rsquo;s most in-demand roles didn&rsquo;t even exist a decade ago. However, we can assume that some skills, such as digital, will only continue to grow in prominence. Having a policy of assessing potential recruits for - and hiring based on - core competencies, rather than strictly on specific experience, can also be an effective strategy.
The role of learning and development in workforce planning
When it comes to closing workforce gaps, the argument for offering learning and development opportunities to existing teams, rather than automatically seeking external hires, is a convincing one. Redeploying staff where a business needs talent most is much more efficient than hiring and firing as markets ebb and flow, and staff retention should be a top priority for every company.
At a time when talent scarcity and skills shortages are impacting almost every sector, identifying overlaps in ability and mismatches in skills allows companies to close gaps in a sustainable way. Retraining, upskilling, and redeploying existing talent where possible - rather than continually buying in fresh skills - also has the distinct advantage of promoting a positive corporate culture.
Using technology to predict and meet workforce needs
Today&rsquo;s talent technology can provide reliable data around which employees are suitable for re-skilling, which are likely to move on over time, and what talent is likely to be available in the external market. This helps with predicting gaps within the workforce that may open and close as market demand fluctuates.
This type of data can also be used to implement a policy of growing your own internal talent, which can subsequently help to close projected gaps in the future.
Workforce planning for fluctuations in demand and turnover
A great workforce plan allows a business to flex along with peaks and troughs as demand dictates, as well as undertake robust succession planning. One common misconception about a successful workforce plan is that it is rigid and set in stone. In fact, the opposite is true.
The best strategic workforce plans are dynamic, shifting and evolving in line with both changing organisational objectives and market conditions. An effective plan must be adaptable and almost constantly fine-tuned in order to stay in line with market demand. Covid-19, and associated restrictions on business activity, is a perfect example of why firms must always plan for the unexpected.
Workforce planning example: managing sudden changes in demand
With the outbreak of Covid-19, our customer, which specialises in the delivery of essential public services, saw an exponential increase in demand for healthcare services to support the health crisis.
Demand for workers almost tripled within two months. Elsewhere, the customer was awarded a contract to manage call handling for contact tracing, which also meant that huge volumes of staff had to be recruited, trained and deployed in a matter of days.
By drawing on our deep understanding of the recruitment industry, and working closely with our recruitment agency supply chains, we were able to on-board almost 2,000 workers in an incredibly tight window. This would not have been possible without our extensive experience of planning for similar seasonal fluctuations in demand, and implementing processes to allow the rapid ramping-up of hiring activity.
Find out more about this project and its outcomes in our C<a href="../../../../../../insights/case-studies/customer-case-studies/business-services-client" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ovid-19 customer case study</a>.
The benefits of workforce planning
Mapping skills across the workforce, and using data to drive talent management decisions, can enable a business to accomplish its goals and strategic plan. Analytics tools can help talent managers understand why and when certain individuals, both inside and outside their business, are likely to make career moves. This leads to more effective recruitment strategies and an ability to pinpoint potential areas of concern.
There is no doubt that strategic workforce planning is key to enabling sustainable organisational performance. This perhaps explains why research from Deloitte has found that more than 70% of companies now say they consider people analytics to be a high priority.
Find out how Comensura can help with workforce planning
Ultimately, a workforce should be built to boost output, reduce costs, and increase productivity - while also being adaptable to the needs of the future. By balancing talent supply with skills demand, organisations can ensure their teams perform to maximum efficiency, without skills gaps (or surpluses) so that they are future-fit and firing on all cylinders.
Contact us today to find out how our specialists can help your organisation plan for future workforce needs, and meet them in the most efficient and sustainable way.

An introduction to workforce planning

The global pandemic drove a range of changes in the world of work. For us at Comensura, the switch to remote and then permanent hybrid working shone a light on a range of things, but one issue we perhaps didn&rsquo;t expect to become so prominent is the level of Digital Poverty in the UK.
Digital Poverty in the UK
The digital divide was already a real issue before the pandemic. People of all ages &ndash; from those in education through to the older population &ndash; were facing digital exclusion through a mix of limited household incomes, internet connectivity issues and a lack of tech skills.
In fact, according to Lloyd&rsquo;s Banking Group&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/insights/tackling-the-digital-divide.html#:~:text=Digital%20skills%20%E2%80%93%20confidence%20and%20capability,email%20or%20find%20a%20job.">Essential Digital Skills Report</a>, &ldquo;11 million (21%) UK adults lack the digital skills needed for everyday life, meaning they&rsquo;re unable to do things such as make a payment online, write an email or find a job.&rdquo; Once the pandemic hit and lockdowns forced people into a virtual word, this digital divide grew. While it&rsquo;s a broad issue impacting people of all ages, during Covid-19, it was more apparent in the education sector. A Government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learning-during-the-pandemic/learning-during-the-pandemic-review-of-research-from-england">review</a> of learning during the pandemic revealed that in May and July 2020, senior leaders and teachers reported that limited internet access was a significant challenge for around a quarter of their pupils. Around 4% of students were estimated to have had no access to a digital device at all during the first lockdown. Ofcom also reported that 20% of children did not have consistent access to a suitable device whilst 84% of teachers predict that the attainment gap for pupils increased over the lockdown period.
Our Fighting Digital Poverty Project
When we shifted our teams to remote working, we found ourselves with an abundance of equipment that could no longer be used. Laptops, PC&rsquo;s, keyboards, screens and more were being stored in unused office spaces, serving no further purpose.
At the same time, our people were seeing first-hand how Digital Poverty was exacerbating digital inequalities. Many of our team are parents, so they knew first hand that there were people across the UK without access to the equipment needed to home school. Teachers across the country were doing everything they could to support children&rsquo;s education remotely, but schools simply didn&rsquo;t have enough physical resources to hand out to those in need. To tackle this, our team took action and called on the rest of the business for support &ndash; and the Fighting Digital Poverty Project was the result.
Driving digital inclusion
<a href="https://www.impellam.com/">Impellam Group</a>&rsquo;s vision is to be a trusted, caring and responsible company. We live through our Virtuoso culture, and we help our people find meaning in what they do. When launched the Fighting Digital Poverty Project, we gained backing right from the top of the business.
Having found a charity that can take old equipment from businesses, safely remove all data and repurpose them to be used by others, we were able to send an initial batch of 300 PCs and laptops to people across the UK who were in Digital Poverty. But the project didn&rsquo;t stop there. Having the backing of the wider Impellam Group as well, the redistribution of equipment is continuing for several of our sister brands. The Group is also supporting skills development in local communities to further help close digital inequalities. Our staff are given two days off each year in addition to their holiday allowance to use for volunteer work and CSR related activities. As part of the Fighting Digital Poverty Project, we&rsquo;ve had teams giving their time to help train others in the local community on the core digital skills needed in the modern world of work. We&rsquo;ve worked in partnership with our Local Authority customers and pulled in contacts from across our supply chain to deliver workshops to vulnerable people and communities across the UK. And we will continue to provide this for the foreseeable future.
Can you help?
As more office spaces are reduced, equipment shelved to provide home sets up and even as systems are upgraded, businesses across the country will be sitting on items that others can really use. With a Cost-of-Living crisis making digital poverty more widely felt across the UK, allowing anything to go to landfill when it could help others makes no sense.
Employers may have concerns around data protection &ndash; particularly with laptops and PCs &ndash; but there are compliant and safe solutions. If your firm has any equipment that can be repurposed to help those in digital poverty, reach out to charities such as <a href="https://www.weeecharity.com/index.php">WeeeCharity</a> today.
You could change someone&rsquo;s future &ndash; so what are you waiting for?

Addressing Digital Poverty in the UK: The Comensura story

A Managed Services Provider (MSP) can deliver a range of benefits for businesses looking to fill permanent and contingent roles efficiently. From cost saving and risk reduction to scalability and access to technology, an MSP is an essential platform all organisations should be utilising. With centralised Statement of Work (SOW) and service procurement on the rise as an effective procurement strategy, let&rsquo;s explore 7 benefits of partnering with an MSP to manage your services category of spend.
1. Visibility of spend
Perhaps the most obvious is the <a href="../../../../../../solutions/vendor-neutral-managed-services">visibility an MSP affords an employer</a>. SOW engagements are notoriously difficult to track, and monitor spend without the right systems in place. A preferred supplier may be seemingly delivering the most cost-effective solution, but without the data to track this in real-time, it is impossible to accurately identify how much a service provider is costing until the invoices come in. An MSP will deploy and manage a Vendor Management System (VMS) tech, providing visibility for every transaction, broken down by category or supplier, enabling you to make more informed decisions. Comensura&rsquo;s c.net VMS technology, for example, provides hiring managers with completely visibility of everything related to an SOW in one place, all in real-time.
2. Control over spend
Aside from visibility, an MSP can also provide <a href="../../../../../../solutions/statement-of-work-management">control over spend</a>. Where processes aren&rsquo;t in place, the risks of hiring managers going off a Preferred Supplier List or outside contract spend increases. This adds to hidden costs and project &lsquo;creep&rsquo; (where spends creep up over the course of the project) &ndash; all elements to Statement of Work management that procurement teams naturally want to avoid. With a Managed Services Provider &ndash; and VMS technology &ndash; it&rsquo;s entirely possible to set parameters of control. This enables a clear hierarchy of approvals for budget spend changes to project scope and supplier alteration decisions. As an MSP will also give you SOW visibility, those who are granted the permissions to alter any of the parameters of the project or contract also have the real-time data to hand to ensure they&rsquo;re making the right decision based on current costs.
3. SOW project sign-off
One of the key challenges of a successful SOW management solution implementation lies in ensuring the foundations are right from the get-go. Even for those with experience running Statement of Work projects before, ensuring the finite details of the specification are aligned with budgets, hiring manger needs and corporate objectives is no easy task. To achieve this, there needs to be a clear record that all internal stakeholders agree that the project will add value to the business and that the supplier brief is aligned to this. An MSP will not only make sure that this is achieved &ndash; and facilitate the conversations to do so &ndash; but also have the systems to ensure this information is recorded and is translated into the supplier briefs, project metrics and on-going assessment.
4. SOW specification
Having a Managed Services Provider on board to manage Statement of Work and services procurement also has the added value of expanding your SOW specification so that the best solutions can be delivered &ndash; even if they aren&rsquo;t perhaps what the business initially expected. It&rsquo;s important not to box suppliers in. They need to be able to think outside of the box and be encouraged to challenge thinking so that the best outcomes are achieved. Enabling this starts with the specification that is developed. Too narrow and you limit the potential scope of suppliers, too broad and you&rsquo;re at risk of being swamped with information that doesn&rsquo;t help make a decision. An MSP, however, has the experience in developing specifications that work and can steer you in the right direction as a result.
5. Supplier selection
For any SOW project to be successful, the right suppliers need to be identified and on-boarded. While procurement teams may already have a PSL in place, the question must be asked: are they the right suppliers for this particular job? An MSP will have access to a range of suppliers including firms that specialise in a particular niche that could add real value to the project. Given that the Managed Services Provider will likely have worked with them before, they will be able to steer you in the right direction. When it comes to ensuring the right suppliers are eventually chosen for each category, though, a Managed Services Provider will be able to facilitate honest and open two-way dialogue. This enables procurement teams to not only clearly vet potential suppliers against criteria and ensure every business has an equal opportunity, but it also allows the supplier to challenge the project scope should they feel, it can be delivered in a more effective way.
6. Objective and measurable outcomes
So, your SOW project is up and running, what now? The supplier &ndash; or suppliers &ndash; will continue working to the agreed milestones, with the systems in place for the appropriate people within your business set up to approve payment once these milestones have been reached. The benefit? It&rsquo;s possible to clearly measure and track objectives throughout the duration of the work. It&rsquo;s important to add that once the project is up and running with an MSP, it&rsquo;s handed over to your team or the project manager to control and approve milestones and payments. A Managed Services Provider will not make the approvals for you, ensuring the full control remains in your hands.
7. Building a knowledge library
Finally, running an SOW or services procurement management through an MSP means that you have access to a full library of information that can be accessed, shared across the business and, most importantly, acted upon. You will be able to store and retrieve all specifications, supplier intel and proposals, costs and, where appropriate, the end results, so that any future projects or decisions can be based on informed data. These may be our top seven benefits, but there&rsquo;s so much more value that a Managed Services Provider can deliver when it comes to SOW or services procurement management. Why not <a href="../../../../../../contact">contact the team</a> to find out how we can help you?

7 Benefits of partnering with an MSP to manage SOW and services procurement

Research shows <a href="https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/time-to-hire-rates-2023-josh-bersin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it now takes an average of 44 days to appoint people to a role, up from 43 days in 2022</a>. This increase might seem small, but unfilled positions for any length of time negatively affect productivity, morale, and growth. With too many vacant positions, achieving success is nearly impossible and the longer this goes on, the more difficult it is to come back from. Thus handing&nbsp;your competitors an advantage. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.comensura.com/what-we-do/what-is-talent-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talent bank</a> provides an adaptable technology platform customised to meet your bespoke workforce management needs and can significantly reduce time-to-hire, leaving you with less or ideally, no open vacancies to worry about. But how does talent bank achieve this?&nbsp;
Using a Talent Bank in recruitment can significantly reduce the time to hire in several key ways:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Pre-qualified candidates: Talent Banks often feature <a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/vetting-and-screening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pre-screened and vetted candidates</a>, eliminating the need for extensive initial screening processes, which means that your team can focus on more targeted and strategic tasks and assignments.</li>
<li>Fast access to pools of relevant talent: Instead of starting the hiring process from scratch for each position, you can quickly access a pool of available and relevantly skilled candidates, significantly streamlining the search and selection process.</li>
<li>Skill matching technology: Many talent banks employ advanced algorithms to match position requirements with candidate skills. This automated process accelerates the identification of suitable candidates, which is significantly faster than manually reviewing CVs and applications.</li>
<li>Reduced number of positions advertised: With a ready pool of candidates to hand, there is less reliance on posting jobs and waiting for applications. You can instead tap into the existing talent pool, cutting down on the time typically spent advertising and waiting for responses.</li>
<li>Improved candidate experience: The streamlined process and quicker response times contribute to a positive candidate experience. This, in turn, can help attract top talent and reduce the risk of losing candidates to competing opportunities.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
By creating and maintaining your own Talent Bank of potential employees and contingent workers, you can attract and retain talent with the skills, experience, and knowledge that your organisation needs, significantly shortening the time it takes to identify, evaluate, and hire suitable workers, leading to a more efficient recruitment process.&nbsp;
<h3>Talent bank with Comensura&nbsp;</h3>
Selecting Comensura as your talent bank partner gives you the advantage of years of knowledge, as our <a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/talent-bank" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talent bank solution</a> is powered by the Impellam Group. Impellam is a connected group offering unparalleled workforce and STEM talent solutions expertise to provide your organisation with mission-critical skillsets to future-proof your business. Though Impellam, Comensura have wide-reaching Talent bank experience across a variety of industry verticals and types of roles, sourcing and nurturing talent across the UK.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.comensura.com/solutions/talent-bank">Get in touch for more information&nbsp;</a>

5 ways a talent bank reduces time-to-hire, saving money and improving efficiency in your organisation.

5 ways a talent bank reduces time-to-hire 

<h2>A perfect match?</h2>With 100+ employees split between the UK and Australia, we’re a tight-knit team that feels more like a family - a place where all contributions are important and valued. Here’s what we look for in new team members. Here’s what we look for in new team members:

<h1>Join us</h1>At Comensura, hiring isn’t just about getting you through the door; it’s about us growing together and helping our customers succeed. See what it’s like to be part of the Comensura team and view our vacancies.

<h3>Join Team Comensura</h3>With 100+ employees split between the UK and Australia, we’re a tight-knit team that feels more like a family - a place where all contributions are important and valued.

<h2>Book a demo</h2>Book a demo of our c.net platform with our workforce experts and find out the art of the possible. They’ll show you exactly how Comensura’s leading technology can work for you.

<h1>What makes us different</h1>We’re an experienced, reliable pair of hands – with the passion, knowledge, and a hard-earned reputation to give you the confidence that Comensura is the smart choice for your organisation. But what makes us stand out from the crowd?

<h2>We take ESG seriously</h2>We use recruitment and the power of work to build better futures for our colleagues, clients, communities, and planet. We are committed to operating responsibly, sustainably, and ethically, and choose to partner with customers and suppliers who share these guiding principles.&nbsp;Below are just a few of the initiatives we are delivering as part of Impellam Group to play our part in cultivating a better world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Book a demo</h2>Arrange a demo of our c.net system with one of our supply chain management specialists. They’ll show you exactly how Comensura’s leading technology can work for you.

<h2>Smarter workforce solutions</h2>We bring simplicity to the complex process of acquiring contingent and permanent talent, workforce management, and people-based services procurement. All of this is made possible by our proprietary, adaptive tech, as well as data-driven insights and a team of experts dedicated to making a difference.

<h1>About Comensura</h1>Since 2001 we’ve been helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We save companies money and time, ensuring full compliance and quality at every step.&nbsp;We’re way more than just a vendor-neutral MSP. We provide access to essential talent - through bespoke CWM solutions, Statement of work management, superior supply chain management, direct sourcing and the fullest capability of our parent group, Impellam.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>We take ESG seriously</h2>We use recruitment and the power of work to build better futures for our colleagues, clients, communities, and planet. We are committed to operating responsibly, sustainably, and ethically, and choose to partner with customers and suppliers who share these guiding principles.&nbsp;Below are just a few of the initiatives we are delivering as part of Impellam Group to play our part in cultivating a better world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Award winning workforce solutions and technology</h2>

<h2>Insights to drive workforce performance</h2>

<h3>Generating employer brand-led, technology-enabled communities of talent, managed by experts</h3>

<h2>Unique in the market</h2>Our approach is not reliant on technology alone. It’s a holistic, integrated solution that includes talent marketing and talent delivery expertise - underpinned by the latest technology. We work in partnership with you to develop a bespoke direct sourcing strategy and build talent communities.

<h2>Book a Demo</h2>Arrange a demo of our c.net system with one of our supply chain management specialists. They’ll show you exactly how Comensura’s leading technology can work for you.

<h1>Award winning workforce solutions and technology</h1>Our smarter workforce solutions and proprietary, adaptive technology have received multiple awards, accreditations, and outstanding analyst rankings.

<h2>We’ve been recognized for our CWM, DE&amp;I &amp; direct sourcing capabilities</h2>

We simplify workforce acquisition and management with smart tech, enabled by smart people, streamlining people-based procurement. We save companies money and time, while ensuring full compliance and better access to talent.

<h1>Smarter workforce solutions</h1>We simplify workforce acquisition and management with smart tech, enabled by smart people, streamlining people-based procurement. We save companies money and time, while ensuring full compliance and better access to talent.

<h2>Smarter workforce solutions</h2>Our flexible, adaptive VMS platform, c.net, and our team of experts work seamlessly together to solve your complex, workforce management and people-based procurement challenges. Our solutions bring a vast pool of contingent workers, permanent candidates, and service providers straight to your fingertips.

<h1>Our smart people become your smart people</h1>Our people are the heart of our business. From our experienced strategists and supply chain management experts to our account managers and system developers, our brilliant people set us apart from the rest. It’s our determination to do even more and to always be ambitious and brave for our customers.At Comensura and Impellam Group we call it Virtuosity and you’ll see it every day in the way we are innovative and creative, using our decades of global experience to unleash potential.

<h2>Book a Demo</h2>Book a demo of our c.net platform with our workforce experts and find out the art of the possible. They’ll show you exactly how Comensura’s leading technology can work for you.

<h2>Workforce insights in your inbox</h2>Sign up for our newsletter with the latest workforce management news, insights, analysis and more.

<h3>Source and pay staff from your own network with our end-to-end payroll solution</h3>

<h2>Payroll</h2>Our easy-to-use payroll solution does the hard work for you, removing the administrative burden associated with non-employee payroll and providing outstanding candidate experiences.

<h1>Smarter workforce solutions</h1>From vendor neutral and hybrid contingent and permanent staffing supply chains to services procurement, our flexible, adaptive VMS platform, c.net, and our team of specialist experts work seamlessly together to solve your complex, people-based procurement challenges.&nbsp;

<h2>Solution benefits</h2>We make things simple – with one place for all your people-based procurement needs. Forget the chaos of multiple hiring managers juggling multiple systems and invoices from multiple suppliers.

<h2>Our Smarter Solutions</h2>From contingent and permanent staffing supply chains to services procurement, our flexible, adaptive VMS platform, c.net, and our team of specialist experts, work seamlessly together to solve your complex, people-based procurement challenges.

<h2>Book a demo</h2>Book a demo of our c.net platform with our workforce experts and find out about the art of the possible. They’ll show you exactly how Comensura’s leading technology can work for you.

<h2>Award winning workforce solutions and technology</h2><h2> </h2>

<h3>Optimise your services procurement with ultimate visibility and control</h3>

<h1>Suppliers</h1>Working with Comensura gives suppliers, the potential to supply temporary, consultant, interim and permanent staff to more than 133 large public and private sector organisations. We manage over £1 billion of workforce spend globally – so it’s no surprise that our recruitment suppliers see Comensura as a key route to market and have seen significant growth as a result.

Free yourself from sales and marketing costs&nbsp;Orders come directly from our c.net VMS platform. There’s no selling or marketing involved, saving suppliers both time and money and allowing them to devote more resources to what they do best: outstanding sourcing, candidate management and customer service.&nbsp;Keeping our suppliers happy&nbsp;Comensura can only provide the best service for our clients if our suppliers are happy. And that means making sure our suppliers get real benefits from being part of our network.&nbsp;Access wider opportunities&nbsp;Suppliers can respond to opportunities from organisations which they wouldn’t be able to reach any other way. In our UK and Australia regions, we have wide coverage of some of the largest private sector companies and a public sector organisations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Compete on a level playing field&nbsp;We’re independent and don’t supply workers ourselves. What matters to us is a supplier’s expertise and ability to fulfil our client’s requirements. Small or large, every supplier competes for business on equal terms, each able to maximise opportunity on their own specific strengths.&nbsp;&nbsp;Build a track record and get greater opportunities&nbsp;We rank suppliers using a mixture of quantitative measures and customer feedback. The better client needs are met, the more opportunities a supplier gets. Suppliers can see exactly how they rank and compare with competitors.&nbsp;Get paid sooner&nbsp;Our automated payment process includes online timesheets and gives clients an accurate single weekly invoice covering all their Comensura workers. This makes it quick and easy for clients to check and process payments, so suppliers get paid sooner - which is great for cashflow.&nbsp;&nbsp;Save admin time&nbsp;Our c.net software streamlines workflow and saves suppliers time. The technology is simple to use, and we help suppliers make the most of it. Initial training gets suppliers up and running, and there’s 24/7 support from our Customer Service Centre with dedicated supplier support.&nbsp;

<h2>Become a supplier</h2>We only work with the best recruitment suppliers. Like-minded partners that share our candidate-centric approach. If you would like to join the Comensura supplier network, get in touch.

<h2>Talent bank</h2>Our Talent bank solution provides real-time access to a pool of high quality, pre-screened contingent workers, ready to go – for any unexpected or last-minute positions you need to fill fast.

<h1>Technology</h1>Make efficient and informed decisions with our intuitive and adaptable VMS technology platform c.net.Based on customer feedback to overcome staffing challenges, c.net helps you to recruit better workers objectively, saving time and money without compromising on technology that fits around your organisation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Technology benefits</h2>We make things simple – with one place for all your people-based procurement needs. Forget the chaos of multiple hiring managers juggling multiple systems and invoices from multiple suppliers.

<h2>ESG initiatives/credentials.</h2>Norem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc vulputate libero et velit interdum, ac aliquet odio mattis.

Award winning workforce solutions and technology<h2> </h2>

<h3>Vendor neutral contingent workforce management solutions for finding and keeping great talent, time and cost effectively</h3>

<h2>Vendor neutral managed services</h2>We will change the way you manage your contingent workforce – removing the challenges&nbsp;and simplifying working at scale.&nbsp;Our MSP solutions evolve with you and can be infused with Impellam’s extensive expertise for improved access to talent.

<h3>Effective and consistent pre-employment and governance checks</h3>

<h2>Vetting and screening</h2>We deliver effective and consistent application vetting and screening regardless of assignment type. This covers a variety of pre-employment and governance checks.

<h2>A practical guide:&nbsp;How to buy complex services</h2>
This step-by-step guide is aimed at procurement professionals and other stakeholders involved in the buying process.
Buying complex services is by definition never going to be a straightforward process, but if you don&rsquo;t get the buying process right, you&rsquo;ll be accused of not understanding the business and run the risk of stakeholders buying extensively off contract. It&rsquo;s important therefore to deliver a thorough tender and pre-tender process and this guide will show you how to achieve that.
<h4>To download the full practical guide, fill in the form opposite.</h4>

How to buy complex services

A practical guide: How to buy complex services

To download the full practical guide, fill in the form opposite.