Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Tuesday: 72% of freelancers who also have “regular” jobs want to quit and work entirely for themselves, so says a new study. Why? Freedom to work when they choose. (SIA Daily News)

Tuesday: This article offers some tips to get you settled into a new temp position quickly and happily. Keep these in mind when you start your next assignment. (Payscale)

Wednesday: A new court case this week helped further define the differences between an employee vs. an independent contractor. Learn how to ensure you’re classified correctly with some behavioral, financial and relationship questions. (Workforce)

Wednesday: More research on how CIOs are utilizing flexible labor, and this study expects this number to keep growing. Skills in demand include enterprise architecture, business analysis and mobile solutions. (SIA Daily News)

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Tuesday: As an Illinois Technology Association member, we appreciate all the work the ITA does to help promote and grow the Chicago tech community. Read here about their new focus on larger firms. (Crain’s Chicago Business)

Wednesday: By 2016, almost 80% of the workforce will be comprised of millennials. This study explains their work habits and needs, but points out one consistency between this group and non-millennials alike – everyone wants more flexible work hours and the ability to work remotely. (Talent Management)

Wednesday: Just another example of how fine the line is between the various worker types. Learn what to do when your consultants don’t quality as independent contractors but still insist on being treated as such. (Collabrus)

Wednesday: Today’s modern job seekers don’t respond to outdated recruiter tactics. Take a peek inside how it all works and learn how to recruit the best workers. (CWS 3.0)

Thursday: Just for fun… we all know what it’s like to be tied to technology. This article outlines 21 bad habits – and why we should break them. (CIO)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Tuesday: Robert Half International and BMO Capital Markets comment on the current demand for temporary workers. (Investor’s Business Daily)

Wednesday: Are you really getting enough out of your quarterly business reviews? Learn about some components of strategic QBRs. (CWS 3.0)

Thursday: Are you a new freelancer and unsure of how much your going rate should be? Check out this complete guide for establishing and negotiating your client rates. (Lifehacker)

Today: Several Silicon Valley technology companies are pushing to make the immigration process easier in order to access talented foreign workers. (The Globe and Mail)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Monday: This article celebrates the good news in the job market. Among the details, 40% of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers this year, according to a forecast by CareerBuilder. (USA Today)

Wednesday: Thinking of taking a new temporary job, with the possibility to be hired on full-time? This article outlines some great reasons why a temp-to-perm position can be great for your career. (Huffington Post)

Thursday: All independent contractors must excel as project managers to be successful. Here are seven strategies to help run a successful project from beginning to end. (MBO Partners)

Today: Ardent Partners’ analyst Chris Dwyer shares some points to consider when looking to drive additional value from your contingent workforce. Check out his thoughts on whether analytics are worth it and the importance of supplier management. (CPO Rising)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Monday: As part of its “Reworking Labor” series, this WSJ article introduces us to the Freelancer’s Union, which provides health insurance and advocates for contractors. The union hopes to reach one million members in the next three years. (Wall Street Journal)

Monday: What types of technology solutions does a staffing company need to be successful? Task management and social media tools are on the list, as is VMS solutions. (Staffing Robot)

Wednesday: Some experts argue that the new Affordable Care Act, requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to offer insurance, could lead to another temporary staffing boon. (Washington Post)

Wednesday: Do you work in the IT field? Good news. Almost 70% of respondents in a survey by TEKsystems say demand for IT professionals will always outpace supply. And, see the top five companies that IT pros want to work for. (SIA Daily News)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Monday: Are you in the customer service profession? How about engineering? Both of these careers are in high demand in 2013. Read through the rest of the list for your best shot at scoring a new gig. (Adecco Blog)

Tuesday: Industry analysts weigh in on this article on how to manage the contingent workforce. Learn the basic principles of how a VMS works and the typical benefits that can be achieved. (Workforce.com)

Wednesday: We all have heard the news. The workforce is shifting from full-time employment to temporary work. A new study just predicted how much of America’s workforce will be freelance by 2020. Click through to find out. (Quartz)

Today: Organizations have been singing the praises of cloud technology for years. The benefits – like cost savings, scalability and reliability – are proven. Learn about the positive impact of cloud technology adoption within the staffing industry. (The Staffing Stream)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Tuesday: Two new studies are proving the move to and benefits of cloud technology. A recent CDW survey found that 50+% of organizations are adopting cloud. And, another study by Rackspace Hosting shows the majority are recognizing cost savings and increased profits. (CIO)

Wednesday: Searching for an overview of the shift towards a flexible, non-employee workforce? Look no further. (M Squared Consulting)

Wednesday: Three must-haves for VMS adoption – buy-in, process clarity and usability. Read about how Staffing Industry Analysts say each can affect your contingent workforce program’s success. (CWS 3.0)

Wednesday: There are several keys to ensuring independent workers are classified correctly. Check out this article for three tips. (Wall Street Journal)

Did we miss anything? Let us know in comments. Have a great weekend, everyone!

In the same way you can’t go grocery shopping without a detailed list before cooking an elaborate dinner, you can’t build a business case for implementing a new technology without going through a thorough checklist. Because a VMS touches so many parts of an organization, getting internal buy can be difficult and overwhelming. If you have a checklist to steer you through the process, you can “tick off” items as you address critical internal concerns and stakeholders.

With this in mind, we’ve created an eBook with a checklist of items to walk you through building a business case for a VMS. As go through each item, we’ve also provided a list of questions to ask of your organization to ensure you’ve addressed key concerns. Here’s a sneak preview of the eBook and some of the items you’ll need to evaluate as you build your business case:

1. Assess Your Current Business State. If you don’t know the problem, how can you even find a solution? You should define the current state of your contingent workforce including spend, number of workers, locations, etc. You should also understand the state of your non-employee workforce not considered contingent, such as SOW workers and independent contractors.




2. Obtain Buy-In from Critical Stakeholders. Having a champion (or two) for the VMS is important. To find one, you’ll need to identify your organization’s key stakeholders and pinpoint their specific challenges and pain points. If you identify the benefits a VMS will provide them, it’s much more likely you’ll get support for the program. It’s also important to ensure all stakeholders are aware of and agree to the IT commitment necessary to implement a VMS.




3. Clearly Define Your Objectives. Drivers such as improved cost, efficiency, compliance and quality should be prioritized and can help focus the program once it’s in place. You should also evaluate current program opportunities and identify potential integration points such as ERP and IT systems. As with any organization-wide initiative, determining cost is imperative – try to define the ROI drivers and soft benefits that will result in hard cost savings.

You can download the Building a Business Case for a VMS eBook here for the rest of the checklist items.

If you’ve already successfully built your business case and are now pursuing potential providers, check out our white paper, Essential Questions to Include in a Vendor Management System RFP.

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Monday: Are you looking to go the freelance route? We’ve hit the mother lode of reasons to do so here, judging by the results of a recent survey. This blog post also lists 3 positives and 3 negatives associated with this career choice. (Emergent)

Monday: Congrats to our CEO Jai Shekhawat on the announcement of his induction into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame! (UIC)

Wednesday: VMS as matchmaker? In the latest survey, 25% of buyers were introduced to their suppliers via their VMS provider. (CWS 3.0)

Today: While this isn’t exactly workforce “news”, we’d like to wish a happy 8^th anniversary to the Illinois Technology Association today. We’re proud to be a partner to them in our home state, and congratulate the ITA team on their role in enhancing Chicago’s technology community. (ITA)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Welcome to the weekly news roundup! Below are the top stories we’ve read or shared this week affecting our industry.

Monday: Congrats to all of the new “Pros To Know”, named last week by Supply & Demand Chain Executive. We’re thrilled to have our Director of Implementations Chuck Baren included! Stay tuned for our formal announcement next week. (Supply & Demand Chain Executive)

Monday: Learn about the current state of temporary work from the point of view of the staffing provider. Great points on some of the myths and misconceptions, too. (Union Leader)

Wednesday: “Hiring talent on a temporary basis enables companies to assess and align the increasingly broad range of modern skills – and even discover new ones – that will give them a competitive edge in their industry, ” says ManpowerGroup CEO. Read more about how temporary labor can boost business growth. (Star Global Tribune)

Thursday: Did you know that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs are expected to grow four times faster than all other jobs in the next decade? (Inside Jobs)

Have a great weekend, everyone!