Contractor client event, the 5th Annual Temporary & Contract Workforce Conference taking place in London on Tuesday 31 March, has finalised its line-up, which features contracting experts speaking on key contingent workforce issues.
“Those attending the event can expect to hear the latest thinking from hiring managers at major client organisations about what kind of contractors they need and how they should be managed,” highlights ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin.
Speaking exclusively to ContractorCalculator, presenter and Travelex HR project manager Abi Brewin believes that the event comes at a time when the UK workforce is undergoing major structural changes: “Over the last 15 years, we’ve seen a huge change in both the profile and management of the flexible workforce.
“What has become apparent is that those organisations that can engage with contractors to share a sense of purpose whilst maintaining the worker’s independence enjoy the greatest productivity, which in turn leads to more successful projects.”
What contracting topics will be covered at the event?
Business Forum’s International conference producer Julia O’Hegarty believes that the event team have secured a line-up of speakers who will cover all of the key issues facing contractor clients, agencies, contractors and service providers.
“Everyone wants to know about compliance, so we have Clive Dobbin from Paris Smith LLP and Fiona Coombe of Staffing Industry Analysts covering various aspects of the legislative landscape, including the False Self-Employment rules,” explains O’Hegarty.
“Client organisations are recognising that contractors offer much more than spare capacity during busy periods or in response to crises – they offer short-term access to key strategic skills. Jason West of Thales Group will describe strategies that can maximise these benefits.”
According to O’Hegarty, the other speakers include:
- Paul Leadbeater of Handley Leadbeater, who will discuss vetting contingent workers
- SearchFlow’s (former Westminster City Council HR Business Partner) Helen Marsh plans to talk about how contractors give their clients competitive advantage
- The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Tom Handley will present the latest trends in the non-permanent workforce
- Abi Brewin from Travelex intends to present tools and techniques designed to motivate contingent workers and maximise productivity.
Contractors are independent but still need to feel part of the team
Brewin, a contractor herself and a veteran of managing flexible workers of all types, believes that to get the best out of contractors, they need to identify with their client, its vision and organisational goals.
She explains: “Highly skilled contractors tend to be fiercely independent with a need to maintain a separate professional identity. As small service providers and businesses, this is an important feature, plus it helps to keep IR35 at bay.
“However, this independence is not incompatible with engaging with their client and the team in which they work. All temporary workers, from migrant agricultural workers to highly skilled IT contractors, are more motivated and therefore more productive when they feel part of the team.
“Client organisations need to set out the principles of engagement from the outset so that temporary workers who know that they are not part of the company still feel valued. If managed right, you can be a part of the team without being part and parcel of the organisation.”
The need for contractor management skills is growing
Brewin continues: “The structural changes to the UK’s workforce mean that people are moving around a lot more than they used to. Interims and contractors are expected to hit the ground running and deliver quickly.
“When contractors join a team, is the organisation’s approach to contract workers such that they feel like outcasts already? Are they given the same kind of motivation as the team or do they sit on the side? If not integral to the team, they soon lose motivation to do the best for the business.”
Brewin plans to expand on these themes during her presentation and the subsequent panel session, of which she is co-facilitator. “I don’t want to give too much away before my presentation,” she adds.
O’Hegarty concludes: “This is the fifth year we have been running this event, and each year the scope increases. There are still places remaining, but I would urge clients, agencies and contractor services providers to make their booking as soon as possible.”