No two organizations are structured the same, with the same goals, operating in the same countries, and on and on. When an MSP solution is built by a partner you trust, very rarely will you see two clients receiving the same exact services structured in the very same way. Your MSP solution must be designed to support your unique goals, accentuate your strong brand in the market, deliver the talent you need when and where you need it, and, most importantly, evolve and shift as your organization and the market demand so you meet your goals. That is not to say that some organizations may be able to buy "off the shelf." Sometimes, you will luck out, and it is a perfect fit when you are just starting to embark on the journey to implementing an MSP; however, it will not usually remain as is over time, and it shouldn't.
Here are some reasons why most organizations need a partner that understands them enough to create exactly what they need!
#1: Standard MSP solutions work sometimes, and sometimes they just don't
Some providers out there will sell you off-the-shelf tech with a process you can't alter, with an account team you share with dozens of other organizations, all to put a cost-effective model into the market. This is typically seen in smaller spend programs that are $50M and below to try to offer an affordable solution.
For some organizations, if this standardized model will fit their needs and deliver on their goals, they are one out of many that this will work for. If this is your organization that this works for, that's amazing and will be a great starter program for you. However, this rarely happens! If you're taking the time to work through the process to implement or evolve your MSP solution, make sure you work with a partner that will help you define what you need and one that is committed to delivering it.
#2: Your brand and how you treat talent make an impact
Not a day goes by that you won't see something on social channels about how a job seeker feels an organization treated them. There is a rare occasion where people share how well they were treated, but most of what you will find is when a candidate feels they were treated poorly. Whether that's being ghosted after they applied, never receiving feedback after an interview, a misrepresented job, or any other negative occurrence that can contribute to a poor brand experience.
In working with the suppliers in your program, ensuring that the candidate experience is designed to be positive is essential. If you have Direct Sourcing in your model, the experience can be nothing less than perfect with this niche candidate community that is already drawn to your brand.
#3: If your model is not agile, it isn't enough
One complaint that we hear from those organizations looking to evolve their MSP solution away from a current provider is that their program is the same now as when they bought it two or three years ago. Looking at the economy, the talent market fluctuations, and the technological advancements, what can you point to that hasn't changed in the last couple of years? Pretty much nothing! So, if everything around you has changed and your program hasn't, now is the time to evaluate if it's delivering on your goals today and, more importantly, the goals you will be expected to deliver tomorrow.
#4: If you do not have the right talent, you don't have the fuel to grow
Talent can enter your organization in many ways, from direct full-time employment, contract opportunities, payroll engagements, or through a talent community opportunity. Each skill set and talent level has a preference for how they want to work and how they would like to be engaged in work. Having an MSP model that respects and capitalizes on the psychographics of talent matched with the macroeconomic environment will help to bring the talent you need into your organization and create a positive experience that keeps that door open for when you need to re-access their skills.
#5: Your organization has goals; there is no option except to meet them
At WilsonHCG, we start by partnering with our clients to do a consulting and discovery session to recommend what they should look for when implementing or evolving their MSP solution. We will evaluate the attributes of the model that will deliver the highest value while managing the hardship of change and protecting the candidate experience and your brand. Your goals become our goals, and there's nothing we won't do to make sure we exceed your expectations.
