Does Flexibility work or is Flexible Resource Architecture needed?

Well, let’s start with what a Flexible Resource Architecture is and how it can protect your business…

A flexible resource architecture can help protect your business from market trends by allowing you to quickly and efficiently adapt to changes in demand, supply, and other market conditions (very handy in these uncertain time!). By having a flexible resource architecture in place, you can rapidly adjust your resources such as workforce, equipment, and inventory levels to meet changing market demands.

For example, suppose your business experiences a sudden surge in demand for a particular product or service. In that case, a flexible resource architecture can help you quickly scale up your workforce, acquire additional equipment, and increase inventory levels to meet the demand. Conversely, if demand drops, you can quickly scale back your resources to avoid excess inventory, reduce costs, and improve efficiency (especially when you play in a shared workforce environment!).

Moreover, a flexible resource architecture can help your business respond to market trends in real-time by providing you with greater visibility into your operations. With real-time data on your workforce, inventory levels, and production processes, you can quickly identify and address inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and other issues that may be impacting your business’s ability to respond to market trends.

So how should it be managed, where should you start?

Managing a flexible resource architecture with the help of a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can certainly help make further efficiencies and could even enable a shared workforce model creating the opportunity to scale and contract quickly, without harming your employer brand (and without making horrid redundancies). Here are some other potential benefits:

1. Expertise: An MSP can bring expertise in managing a flexible resource architecture and can help optimize the use of resources. They can also help ensure that the architecture aligns with your business goals and objectives.
2. Scalability: A flexible resource architecture is designed to be scalable, but managing it can be challenging. An MSP can help manage the resources and scale up or down as needed, which can help you avoid overprovisioning or underutilization of resources.
3. Cost savings: With an MSP, you can often benefit from economies of scale and reduce costs associated with managing the architecture in-house. Additionally, an MSP can help you avoid costly downtime and ensure that your resources are always available.
4. Shared workforce: With a shared workforce operating model, resources are shared across different business units or teams. An MSP can help manage the resources in such a model and ensure that they are allocated appropriately. This can help increase efficiency and reduce duplication of efforts.

So if you have a flexible resource architecture, working with an MSP can be a good way to help manage it efficiently and take advantage of the benefits that come with a shared workforce operating model – check out our recent case studies of employers we have worked with, starting within their recruitment and talent team.

What would it mean for my workforce, does it aid inclusion and diversity?

Outcome-based working in a flexible resource architecture team through a managed service provision can increase diversity and inclusion for the companies sharing their workforce in several ways:

1. Access to a more diverse talent pool: A managed service provider (MSP) can help companies to access a more diverse talent pool than they might have been able to access through traditional hiring methods. This can include candidates from different backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives, which can help to improve diversity within the workforce.
2. Flexibility to meet diverse needs: Outcome-based working through an MSP can provide flexibility to meet diverse needs, such as accommodating candidates with disabilities or accommodating the needs of working parents. This can help to create a more inclusive work environment by providing opportunities for a wider range of candidates.
3. Inclusive recruitment practices: MSPs can help companies to adopt more inclusive recruitment practices by ensuring that job postings and interview processes are designed to attract a diverse pool of candidates. This can include using inclusive language, providing accommodations for candidates with disabilities, and using blind screening techniques to reduce the impact of unconscious bias.
4. Cultural awareness and sensitivity: MSPs can provide training and support to help companies and their employees become more culturally aware and sensitive. This can include training on topics such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, and diversity and inclusion best practices.
5. Diversity and inclusion metrics: Outcome-based working through an MSP can help companies to track diversity and inclusion metrics, such as the percentage of women or underrepresented minorities in the workforce. This can help companies to identify areas for improvement and take action to improve diversity and inclusion.

Overall, outcome-based working in a flexible resource architecture team through a managed service provision can increase diversity and inclusion for companies by providing access to a more diverse talent pool, accommodating diverse needs, promoting inclusive recruitment practices, providing training and support, and tracking diversity and inclusion metrics. By embracing diversity and inclusion, companies can create a more inclusive and welcoming work environment, which can help to attract and retain top talent and improve overall business outcomes.

So in summation…

Yes, both flexible working AND outcome-based working vastly benefit from operating an outsourced flexible resource architecture. Feel free to talk to me and the team about how we offer it and the benefits to businesses that we have made, just starting with recruitment.