On-Demand Talent: When Is It The Right Choice?

Projects may get delayed or go off track without the right team in place. On-demand talent can provide businesses with temporary and highly skilled workers to drive results under a team’s current leadership. Managed services allow companies to outsource management and control of a project to another company.

When is the right time to utilize one solution over the other? Let’s explore when it’s best to use on-demand talent or go ahead with fully managed services.

When To Implement On-Demand Talent

It may seem like any circumstance would be a great time for on-demand talent, but make sure your team has the right goals and resources before deciding on this solution.

There Is a Strong Team Already In Place

A foundational team knows what they’re doing; they may just lack the skilled resources and have gaps that prevent projects from crossing the finish line. Organizations can leverage on-demand talent to keep existing employee assignments manageable.

“Oftentimes, clients need to scale a team quickly. On-demand talent can provide a ‘swat team’ approach and in many cases reduces project timelines and provides budget relief,” explains Clare Rappaport, Chief Client Officer at Blue Acorn iCi.

Organizations can leverage on-demand talent over a short period of time when a deadline gets accelerated, meaning less training and faster results. For example, when the holiday season is around the corner, leaders can lean on full-time resources to make phone calls and assist with promotions, which creates better customer experiences and stronger sales.

Leaders Prefer to Oversee Deliverables Directly

Outsourced projects keeping managers up at night? On-demand talent is an excellent solution for managers who hate outsourcing work and want to oversee the project and the outcomes. While using this model, existing teams can easily remain in control as the augmented staff integrates into the existing team.

When On-Demand Talent Isn’t The Right Fit

Hiring unbiased subject matter experts isn’t for every project or team. Below are a few reasons to reconsider on-demand talent and decide on fully managed services.

The Internal Team Lacks The Expertise

Without a strong internal team, an on-demand talent model can be tricky. Since on-demand talent means management oversees the project itself, that team would be responsible for the outcomes. When expertise is lacking internally, completing tasks and getting the most out of the full-time resource will be difficult. In this case, a fully managed team model would solve the problem.

It’s A One-Time Project

Looking at an upcoming business need and noticing it’s more of a one-off project that doesn’t need long-term support? Both on-demand talent and managed services model work, but with some caveats.

Before deciding on on-demand talent, try not to hire full-time staff. Once the work is completed, more than likely, that person’s skills will no longer be needed, and the team will need to let staff go. Companies can save time and money by transferring control of the deliverables to a skilled team that can manage responsibilities and allocate their own resources to achieve deadlines.

What Are The Next Steps To Take?

No matter the solution, there are many reasons why businesses may take advantage of on-demand talent or managed services.

“The greatest benefit to on-demand talent is the client’s access to subject matter experts who can provide an unbiased and fresh perspective on the project approach and ongoing execution,” states Rappaport.

If a team lacks the specific expertise to complete a project, hiring outside the organization can provide an unbiased perspective. Contact us to learn more about how on-demand talent or fully managed services can help with your team’s business needs.

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