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The future of the talent marketplace
The future of the talent marketplace
In recent years organisations have started to look at talent strategies in a different way. Gone are the days of relying on permanent employees to complete one specific job. Now, in our new digital world, organisations are taking a more flexible approach to talent. And the most innovative companies are blending internal and external talent marketplaces to meet their growing needs.
What is an internal talent marketplace?
“A dynamic system for internal mobility, that matches buyers (teams that need additional capacity) and sellers (employees who are looking for a new, different role) within an organisation”.
Our new ways of working has increased the demand for cross-functional projects in organisations. These projects need specific skills from a variety of people across the organisation. And the internal talent market place is a great way to facilitate this. Meaning the right person for the right job is on the project team – regardless of the department they sit in.
As Carl, a regional product manager with a media and technology company, prepares for 2021, he’s assessing what talent strategies worked well this year. His team faced increased demand, and he had to redeploy employees from other departments with transferable capabilities overnight. Fortunately, he was able to post critical projects on the company’s recently launched gig platform and quickly find capable internal talent.
So it’s clear to see how this would improve efficiency and productivity in organisations – and why they are becoming so popular.
At Jam Pan, it’s our mission to connect freelance digital learning talent with organisations. So why are we speaking about internal talent marketplaces? Well the answer is simple. This new, agile approach to talent works perfectly alongside an external talent marketplace. Enter: the blended approach to talent.
Blending the talent marketplace
Combining these two marketplaces is a formidable business solution. Business can now get the most out of their permanent employees, while reaping the benefits of hiring specialist freelance talent. Ensuring the right people are working on the right project – not those in a predetermined, structured team.
Picture this:
Your CEO has asked for a eLearning course on agile working. You need; a project manager, an instructional designer, a subject matter expert, a graphic designer and a developer. You already have a project manager and developer on your team who are free to work on this project. But you need to source the rest of the team from somewhere.
You’ve spotted that there’s a graphic designer on the internal talent marketplace – who’s ready to transition over from the marketing team. That’s great, this person already knows your brand inside out, so you get them on the project. But there isn’t an SME or instructional designer available to work on this project. This is where the external talent marketplace steps in. Fortunately, you’ve found a freelancer that isn’t just a fabulous instructional designer, but is also an SME on agile working – they’ve been doing it for years! And almost like magic, your perfect project team is formed!
But I can hear you asking “Why wouldn’t I just employ more people?”
Hiring permanent employees vs. hiring freelancers
Supplementing a permanent core team with highly-skilled freelancers is growing in popularity. More so after the Covid-19 pandemic than ever before. Organisations are looking to increase efficiency and boost profits in these unstable times. So a push on full-time recruitment isn’t at the top of many agendas, especially with the constantly changing needs of the world around us. And it’s for this reason that utilisation of external talent marketplaces is on the rise.
Here at Jam Pan, we’ve witness this surge first-hand. Many of our clients have turned their backs on large, multifaceted teams, and are now opting for an out-sourced model. Supplementing their smaller core team, when needed, with expert freelancers, and for good reason too. Freelancers do not just help you to meet your upcoming deadline, they bring a whole host of skills and experience to your organisation. And when working with your internal team, they’ll be sharing this knowledge and expertise. A ‘win win’ for all involved.
How to get started with a blended talent marketplace
So with the benefits of using a blended talent marketplace so clear, how do you get started? Developing an internal talent marketplace is a big task, with many intricate steps. This ‘how to’ guide from Sage is a great starting place – but it all starts with knowing the skills you have in-house.
But fortunately, here at Jam Pan, we can help you get started with your external L&D talent marketplace today, and it’s much simpler than many expect. We have a huge database of L&D experts, in a whole range of roles – from animators to learning experience designers. Each of these freelancers have been thorough vetted, providing you only the highest calibre of freelance talent. You’re in safe hands here!
And our process of matching this talent with organisations couldn’t be easier, and we do it by following a simple six-step process:
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Initial contact: We know the needs of each of our clients are entirely unique. So we kick-off with each of our clients by having a good chat – digging deeper to understand your needs.
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Solutions and costs: Of course, you’re a business and you want to know how much this will cost you. You also want to know how we can help. So we’ll give you a variety of options, and their prices – and let you pick the solution best suited to your needs.
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Kick-off meeting: You’ve picked your solution and now we’re going full-steam ahead. We can set up all the initial meetings to kick-off your project.
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Project go-live: We provide a fully-managed service here at Jam Pan. So we’ll monitor and manage the project and any interim changes through to completion and sign off.
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Completion of project: As we are your supplier, we fully manage the payment of any freelancers on your behalf – making the process even easier for you.
See, we told you – it couldn’t be more simple.
So, if you’re ready to think differently about talent management and need help with your external talent marketplace, get in touch. We’d love to discuss your needs and match you with our expert L&D freelancers.
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