The Game of Creating a Blended Workforce

How to best create a blended workforce is reliant on many factors,  but to understand this question you need to clearly define what a blended workforce is. I see it as an ideal composition of permanent and contingent workers, the contingent being those whom do not receive annual leave, such as temps and contractors.
I am sure we all have our ways of defining whether a project or a job it perm or contingent. Typically it is about the longevity of the role or project. However, there are a number of other criteria that could be considered.  Let’s us leave the legal compliance issues aside, as we all need to comply with these in any case.
Let’s consider the BCG growth-share matrix and assume that most organisation’s projects and or businesses go through the same product cycles. In many cases this process is just a question of time.

A star product is growing fast and has achieved a high market share, it generates revenues and is profitable
A cash cow has a high share of a market which has matured, it is viable and can exploit maturity to generate cash
A question mark is experimental and in a growth stage and may have achieved a relatively small market share. It is generally unprofitable and resembles a start-up which probably requires investment to improve. You hope for this to product to turn into a star
A dog has low share of a market with no or low growth. It represents a drain on an organisation’s resources, often at the expense of other products, and is a candidate for deletion. It generally is an exhausted cash cow or an unsuccessful wildcat.
If we take this approach how would you consider staffing each of these?

• Star– staffed with permanent workers, and potentially supported by some knowledge worker contractors to transfer skills.
• Cash Cow – this too would be staffed with permanent workers, but would include a component of temps or contractors, so that you could create internal mobility as required.
• Question Mark -a mix of contractors led by permanent staff. If this project turned into a star you would replace the contractors with permanent staff.
• Dogs – these projects/businesses may be outsourced or be undertaken by contract staff.

I realise this is a little radical and potentially unacceptable, but it does provide you with a new way of considering your approach to a blended workforce and whether to recruit permanent or contract staff.
 Trevor will be facilitating the World Cafe at #CWF2014. This session provides an open forum for delegates to have their say, share their ideas and gain a practical understanding of the subject matter via a series of intimate roundtable discussions.  You can find out more about this year’s agenda, here. If you wish to participate in a discussion on diversity and contingent, please let us know.