Contingent Worker User Experience as an Advantage in the War for Talent

The war for talent continues to rage on. As more businesses rely on contingent talent for increasingly business critical functions and flexibility, companies need to be more strategic than ever in their talent attraction methods. Combined with the increase of global hiring and continued adoption of remote and hybrid work models, user experience is becoming paramount for both candidates and companies. But first, let’s dive into what user experience means in the context of the candidate/worker experience.

What Is User Experience?

User experience (UX) refers to how a user interacts with a company through its websites, systems, applications and products. The user’s perceptions on their ease of use are some key aspects that determine whether their experience is positive, neutral or negative.

As it pertains to talent acquisition, user experience is slowly becoming a differentiator. According to SIA, 10 million workers utilized talent platforms and/or work services platforms within the last year. Such platforms are increasing in popularity and have changed how workers find new opportunities, communicate with employers and accept their assignments. Additionally, providing a positive experience for candidates can be a contributor to motivating the contingent talent you need and impacting the perception of your company brand.

What Is Top Talent Looking For?

There is a major lack of helpful, easy-to-use tools, solutions and tech for contingent talent. According to SIA, almost 27% of users reported that they did not find their agency’s website and app useful.

Nearly 27% of users said they do not find their staffing agency’s website or app to be useful, according to SIA.

And while a smooth user experience for candidates can be paramount, it’s not the only factor that impacts attracting and retaining talent.

Other things talent is looking for include:

• Information about assignments
• More information on company culture
• Opportunities to convert to full-time employment
• Frequent status updates
• Fully automated and intuitive hiring processes

In today’s mobile world, access to a VMS app through which workers can easily submit timecards, capture and submit expenses, review their billing history, and receive and take action on job opportunities (if opted in to a company’s private talent pool) while on the go is also a key component of a positive user experience. Having an omnichannel approach that enables users to complete tasks on various devices, including web, mobile (tablet/phone/wearable), email and text with flexibility can be a key differentiator in the war for talent. Overall intuitiveness as it relates to ease of use, without requiring a training guide, is also critical.

Additionally, workers want opportunities for upskilling, career advancement and benefits. In short, they want to have an experience that is much like their full-time counterparts.

Learn more about different ways to elevate the employee experience in our blog.

How Can Companies Benefit by Providing a Better User Experience?

Talent is not the only one that benefits from a positive user experience - companies also have a great deal to gain. According to TalentHub, 41% of candidates who had a negative experience at a business would move on to competitor opportunities, indicating that organizations can easily lose out on top talent when they lack focus on user experience.  

Extending the direct hire process to contingent workers also increases candidate satisfaction and interest. In fact, companies can see 70% improvement in their quality of hire when they build a positive candidate experience. (Learn more in our infographic)

Beyond that, as hiring managers and recruiters build relationships with candidates and better understand their needs and strengths via those platforms, they will in turn hire workers who are more aligned to the company culture, reduce new hire churn and improve employee retention as well.

See how global healthcare company, Novartis, filled 120 intern positions within four months by implementing Magnit Direct Sourcing and creating a positive candidate experience in our case study.  

Contingent Talent User Experience is a Strategic Differentiator

The tide for contingent talent is turning, and their candidate experience is becoming a major contributor in moving toward total talent acquisition. Organizations that want to be strategic in attracting top workers should aim to level out the playing field between contingent talent and their full-time counterparts. By investing in state-of-the-art solutions and tools to ensure a positive user experience, including benefits and ongoing communication, organizations stand to reap tremendous reward, especially in an unpredictable labor market.  

Learn more about emerging tools, solutions and strategies in successfully managing your flexible workforce when you check out our white paper.