BI: Improve your CW program via SIA survey participation

Imagine knowing what your counterparts in other programs are doing without leaving your office. Take our 2019 Workforce Solutions Buyer Survey, now open through Friday June 14, and stay competitive. It takes just 15 minutes.

Think about it this way. If you were in a room with 200 other contingent workforce program managers, you would likely want to ask them questions to compare your program against theirs. What are the priorities of their programs? How much of their companies’ contingent workforce spend do they estimate is actually “rogue” spend outside the program? What are their payment terms and communication methods for staffing suppliers, and if they operate in the UK, what are they doing to prepare for IR35?

By taking part in SIA’s survey, you can understand how your counterparts would answer these and other questions. The survey is now open to contingent workforce program leaders across the globe through Friday, June 14th. Companies of all sizes are encouraged to participate, from small and midsize businesses in a single country to large multinationals. Results in our report will be categorized by size, geography, industry and other features.

In addition to receiving our summary report of results, participants will also receive results from our separate Temporary Worker Survey and our report on Talent Acquisition Technology.

Applying the data. When using survey results to help make decisions, it is useful to keep a few things in mind, especially given the amount of noise out there. You’ll want to consider the size of the respondent pool in the survey, and if it is large enough to yield meaningful results. If an organization conducts a survey and does not note the sample size in its report of results, that can be a red flag. You’ll also want to know a little bit about the respondent pool. For example, if the sample mostly represents business in the United States, and your company conducts most of its business in a separate country with a vastly different legal framework and culture, the results may not be useful, and could even be misleading. If the sample primarily represents companies in industries other than yours, and your industry has specific, unique needs regarding contingent labor, the results should be taken with a grain of salt. You’ll also want to consider the size of the companies in the sample, relative to yours.

Critical eye. Most of all, if you are reading an article that quotes another organization’s survey results, try to go directly to the primary source. Articles often misinterpret survey results, especially if the survey is conducted from a separate organization. One common problem is that headlines exaggerate differences between two categories that may not even be statistically significant. Another example of sloppy work is comparing a survey from one year to a survey from the prior year and saying something to the effect of “X% more people are doing this than last year” when X% is within the margin of error for both surveys.

Survey results are a powerful tool, but one to use carefully, and from a trusted organization. It is our pleasure to conduct our 14th annual Workforce Solutions Buyer Survey and help you obtain the information you need to make thoughtful decisions and achieve success for your company. You may participate in the survey by clicking here.

Tony Gregoire

Tony Gregoire
Tony Gregoire, CCWP, is director of research at Staffing Industry Analysts He can be reached at tgregoire (at) staffingindustry (dot) com

Tony Gregoire

Share This Post

Tweet

Recent Articles

Powered by staffingindustry.com ·