resources.businesstalentgroup.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
3.98.63.202
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://groove.grvlnk.com/url/FgKRvyciwM_n7YwVgjc9siswCBM/aHR0cHM6Ly9yZXNvdXJjZXMuYnVzaW5lc3N0YWxlbnRncm91cC5jb20vYnRnLWJs...
Effective URL: https://resources.businesstalentgroup.com/btg-blog/resourcing-business-challenges-uncertainty
Submission: On July 11 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Effective URL: https://resources.businesstalentgroup.com/btg-blog/resourcing-business-challenges-uncertainty
Submission: On July 11 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form><span class="fieldset">
<p><input type="checkbox" value="check" id="chkMain" checked="checked" class="legacy-group-status optanon-status-checkbox"><label for="chkMain">Active</label></p>
</span></form>Text Content
Cookie Notice
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features
and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site
with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. See Privacy Policy
Close
Accept All Cookies
Cookie Settings
* Your Privacy
* Strictly Necessary Cookies
* Performance Cookies
* Functional Cookies
* Targeting Cookies
* More Information
Privacy Preference Centre
Active
Always Active
Save Settings
Allow All
* Who We Are
* About BTG
* Why BTG?
* Our Talent
* About Heidrick & Struggles
* What We Do
* On-Demand Talent
* Interim Executives
* Enterprise
* Resources
* Business Resource Center
* Case Studies
* Talent Resource Center
* BTG Talent Portal
* Join as Talent
* Post a Project
* WHO WE ARE
* About BTG
* Why BTG?
* Our Talent
* About Heidrick & Struggles
* WHAT WE DO
* On-Demand Talent
* Interim Executives
* Enterprise
* RESOURCES
* Business Resource Center
* Case Studies
* Talent Resource Center
* BTG Talent Portal
* Join as Talent
* Post a Project
Business Resource Center
PROBLEM SOLVERS ON DEMAND
* Blog
* Industries
* Industries
* Consumer Goods
* Financial Services
* Healthcare
* Industrial Goods
* Insurance
* Life Sciences
* Private Equity
* Retail
* Technology
* Capabilities
* Capabilities
* COVID-19
* Strategy
* Operations
* Project Management
* Interim Executives
* Digital Transformation
* Supply Chain
* Data Science
* Marketing & Sales
* Finance
* Human Resources
* Transformations
* Mergers & Acquisitions
* Market Access & Value
* Clinical Solutions
* Life Science Strategy and M&A
* Life Science Supply Chain and Manufacturing
* Commercial Excellence
* Digital Health
* Big Ideas
* Big Ideas
* 2022 High-End Independent Talent Report
* 2022 Talent Lens
* Why You Need a Dynamic Digital Talent Strategy
* 2021 Skills Index
* BTG Enterprise
* BTG Insights on Demand Podcast
* Expert Q&As
* Behind the Buzzword
* On-Demand Talent vs. Traditional Consulting: Costs & Value Analysis
* The Future of Work
* Guide to Working With Independents
* Resource Types
* Resource Types
* Blog Posts
* Case Studies
* Talent Resources
* Press Releases
* Press
* Research and Reports
* Podcasts
* Guides
* Infographics
* Videos
* LinkedIn
* Twitter
×
* Share this Article
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Email
* LinkedIn
Home » News & Insights » On-Demand Resourcing for Today’s Business Challenges
and Uncertainty
× Share this Article
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Email
* LinkedIn
ON-DEMAND RESOURCING FOR TODAY’S BUSINESS CHALLENGES AND UNCERTAINTY
Sandra Pinnavaia
A BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT FOR INDEPENDENT TALENT SOLUTIONS
As leaders across industries move from ad hoc solutions put in place during the
pandemic toward renewal and recovery initiatives—like right-sizing their on-site
and remote workforce resourcing, transforming their businesses to be more
digital, and rapidly evaluating emerging strategic opportunities—freelance
professionals are proving to be more essential than ever.
In fact, a recent Upwork survey showed that 47% of hiring managers are more
likely to engage independent talent in the future due to COVID-19—and for good
reason. Why? It’s all about speed and options, creating the ability to pivot
quickly against both opportunity and challenge.
As we near the end of 2020, many companies face a seemingly contradictory
challenge: On one hand, they have invoked headcount freezes, halted consulting
spend, and severely reduced costs to ride out the storm. On the other, they
desperately need unique skills and expertise and a faster way to tackle
previously uncharted opportunities and atypical business demands. Or if they’re
among the very lucky, they simply can’t find and onboard talent quickly enough
to rise to the occasion.
On-demand (or freelance) talent, and firms like Business Talent Group, are an
essential tool for senior leaders and the entire enterprise to navigate this
unprecedented moment, providing just-in-time and right-sized resourcing where
and when needed—without adding headcount and without the fully loaded costs of
traditional consulting firms.
HERE ARE THREE WAYS LEADING COMPANIES ARE USING ON-DEMAND TALENT TO TACKLE THEIR
MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS AMID THE CURRENT UNCERTAINTY.
#1: RESOURCING FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS OR TEMPORARY ROLES
SCENARIO: “I need real experience, today, to tackle an unexpected challenge or
opportunity. I don’t know if this be an ongoing need or what I’ll need
tomorrow.”
SOLUTION: An experienced on-demand executive placed on a special project or in a
temporary role
Business leaders find themselves in need of expertise they never would have
expected at this time last year, and rarely do they have time to work out new
job descriptions, reporting relationships, and budgeting processes to add
permanent headcount.
Innovative companies have worked with BTG to create special projects
quickly—within days—to bring in the resources they need. These special projects
demand real hands-on participation as part of a team or function, with roles
defined for a specified period of time with real-time tweaks to priorities and
substantial operating responsibility from the outset.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES:
* When a plastics manufacturing company experienced a sudden and unexpected
uptick in demand related to producing material for COVID testing this spring,
leaders found themselves scrambling to revamp HR processes in order to keep
plants adequately staffed. Through BTG, the CEO and CHRO created a special
project to build immediate capability to remotely recruit and hire plant
workers. They brought in an experienced HR executive—nearly a peer to the
CHRO but with more recent experience in recruiting innovation—to undertake
ramping up the flagship plant’s capacity. And, this learning-while-doing
special project spawned a follow-up project to drive these new processes into
the rest of the business and all facilities.
Clients have also created formal temporary roles—roles that by design will not
be replaced in the future.
* A leading supermarket chain experienced a sudden pain point now familiar to
many retail businesses: a dramatic uptick in online demand, for which they
were not prepared. The Chief Commercial Officer needed “simply to clone
himself” to get him and the company over the hump and to a new level of
eCommerce capability to serve newly remote customers. With BTG, the company
created—within one week—two temporary roles for experienced eCommerce
executives. One had previously built an online grocery business for an F50
drugstore, and the other had led an eCommerce team for an F50 retailer. It
was known from the onset that after 6 months, their roles would no longer be
needed and, if anything, more junior managers could keep the expanded online
business running.
In these special projects and temporary roles, on-demand talent play deeply
integrated, hands-on roles at the SVP, VP, or director level as part of the
operational leadership of the client.
#2: INTERIM EXECUTIVE RESOURCING
SCENARIO: “I cannot or should not make a permanent FTE hire now, but I really
need immediate help.”
SOLUTION: An interim executive at or below the C-suite
The concept of an interim executive is expanding largely because on-demand or
freelance talent now exists in abundance and at all levels of experience, and
companies like BTG make this marketplace efficient, easy, and safe for major
companies to use. Savvy business leaders recognize the downside of making
long-term permanent resourcing decisions in many situations right now and prefer
instead to effectively borrow a solution well suited to the immediate or
short-term situation. This solves the near-term problem and has the added
advantage of “buying an option” to have better clarity about the long-term role
later.
Traditionally, an interim executive fills a C-suite level leadership gap during
a search for a permanent hire, tasked with following in the footsteps of the
previous leader to provide a seamless transition. Companies will always
experience normal gaps in leadership perfect for an interim resource—for
example, when a member of the C-suite leaves the role or goes on parental leave.
And on-demand solutions work in these situations quite well.
But in today’s unprecedented business and public health environment, there are
many, many more situations where it simply makes good sense for the business not
to embark on a search or otherwise make a long-term permanent hire or promotion
decision.
Why? Simply, too much uncertainty abounds, both for the business and for the
talent. For example:
* Business Uncertainty: Will there be enough budget to attract the level of
talent we need? What will the department size really be next year? Are we
spinning off or shrinking this business unit? Is there leadership change
expected in the level above, making this position tough to hire into until
then?
* Talent Uncertainty: Can I imagine uprooting my family to move to a new
location during COVID? What other professional options would be available if
I wait for more of the shakeout to happen?
These days, business leaders realize that key gaps can—and often should—be
filled on an interim basis not only at the C-suite level, but also at the C
minus 1, 2, 3, and 4 levels. They are using interim leaders in critical
functions often and the corporate level and increasingly at the divisional
level, such as heads of finance, HR, or marketing.
Clients also use interim talent at the director and senior director level for
functions that have inherent variability in their workflows, such as strategy,
data analytics, and business insights teams. Several of our clients use
on-demand talent as variable resourcing for their corporate development and
transformation teams, as well as for some project management organizations. All
of these situations benefit from significant flexibility around the headcount
(savings) and—perhaps even more importantly—from better alignment of skill sets
for the specific work of the immediate quarter.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES:
* A global pharmaceutical company reached out to BTG because the company’s US
pharmacovigilance group lacked critical leadership in the US, with the
group’s leadership solely in Asia. The company hadn’t determined the path
forward just yet, and they needed an experienced leader senior enough to
guide the team, conduct a thorough review of the organizational structure,
and recruit top talent. BTG delivered an interim head of pharmacovigilance
with extensive experience in corporate and strategic planning and risk
management in the life sciences to help the company both tackle urgent
product launches and plan for long-term success.
In addition, we are seeing incredible creativity as our clients begin to treat
gaps and hiring moments quite innovatively right now, turning the gap into an
opportunity to try something new before locking into a firm job description for
hiring.
* A major health plan provider used interim professionals in both the CIO role
and in three roles beneath the CIO for a new information-based business unit
they were standing up. In this case, the timing of the investment and the
exact nature of the commercial product were still in development, and the
business needed to experiment further before finalizing the org chart and
placing people into permanent positions.
* A client backed by private equity was making a major move into the US through
acquisition. The investors, CEO, and CFO all knew that several key functions
needed dramatic overhauling right away. Long term, they needed a strong
cultural fit with the acquiring leadership team and alignment around the
company mission, but the critical work to fix what was broken simply could
not wait for the recruitment process wheels to turn. So they brought in
interim executives specifically to do some of the tough stuff right away,
getting the business on solid footing and creating an even more appealing
opportunity for a long-term growth executive hire down the road.
#3: RESOURCING WITH TARGETED CONSULTANTS
SCENARIO: “My consulting budget is frozen or cut, but I have even more to figure
out, change, improve than I anticipated.”
SOLUTION: Highly expert consultants with skills matched precisely to the
problem, delivered at the pace and team size needed
On-demand talent have long been a flexible and cost-effective source of skills
for companies in need of problem solving, such as a strategy refresh, a
marketing plan, cost reduction, or operational improvements. But in this
fast-changing and uncertain environment, business leaders are turning to
independent talent to solve problems in a very targeted fashion—precisely
matching expertise with niche consulting needs.
The unbundled nature of on-demand consulting means experts can put their
knowledge to work for companies in hands-on, low-overhead, low-commitment
engagements. In fact, using independent talent saves companies an average of
35–49% on strategy projects and 31–47% on implementation projects over the big
firms just by enabling clients to build highly specialized team configurations
to solve specific problems. And these days, clients are taking advantage of this
resourcing option to stretch budgets, align projects with immediate business
needs, and stay nimble in a fluctuating market. We’re seeing clients engage in
management consulting in smaller bites than ever before—whether it’s a quick
look at acquisition opportunities or a pared-down market access evaluation.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES:
* The head of operations at a global tech company found himself grappling with
one such problem when he was faced with the task of merging sales and
delivery functions. Concerned about the difficulty of merging the two, he
turned to BTG and engaged and experienced independent process mapping expert
and marketing executive who provided the hands-on work and objective
perspective necessary to re-engineer the global sales process; he did this
alone (without a team) and quickly with a pragmatic focus stemming from his
real-world executive experience.
* When the head of R&D at a global pharma company was in the midst of a major
transformation aimed at using new technologies to drive efficiency throughout
the drug development process, she found herself needing assistance to keep up
with implementation of top-line strategy from a Big 3 firm. Through BTG, she
engaged a dedicated independent life science consultant with big firm
training who was able to jump in immediately and assume leadership on a
number of workstreams and support critical analytical tasks. The executive
was then able to maintain ownership of the broader process.
BTG’s consultants, subject matter experts, operators, and executives hail from
Big 3 consulting firms, boutique and specialty firms, and Fortune’s 50 most
admired companies, to name a few. They are leaders in their fields with
cutting-edge skills and expertise and the ability to jump in and tackle your
most demanding problems and critical needs.
IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY, WE’RE CERTAIN ABOUT THIS.
In a recent survey, 69% of respondents agreed that the pandemic will permanently
change the nature of work. At BTG, we’ve been at the forefront of thinking about
different approaches to resourcing work for over a decade. We couldn’t agree
more that the current moment is a watershed one for independent talent and the
companies who figure out how to best tap this marketplace specifically to give
them a competitive edge in this challenging moment.
The solution space is large and can be adapted to many types of situations:
We’ve seen independent professionals tackle complex problems both remotely and
on-site, sometimes moving fluidly between the two. We’ve helped companies find
niche talent for very focused endeavors as well as teams of consultants to
tackle multifaceted projects. Many companies undertaking large initiatives or
transformations choose to install PM Flexhub, a stable of project managers
installed programmatically to enable custom high-quality, adjustable project
management resourcing. Companies that want the greatest level of organizational
agility are installing enterprise-wide on-demand talent solutions, which allows
teams across business units to seamlessly access talent as needed, with the
confidence that comes with experienced scoping, talent curation, and vetting, as
well as best-in-class oversight, information security, confidentiality, and
compliance.
Now, more than ever before, is the time to engage on-demand talent proactively.
The winners are already doing so to navigate an uncertain future nimbly and to
embrace recovery opportunities with maximum speed and skill. See what on-demand
talent can do for you. Learn more or start a project today!
TALENT AGILITY FOR THE NEXT NEW NORMAL
See how leading companies are using high-end independent talent to build
competitive advantage, capture market share, and blaze paths to renewed growth
in 2021.
READ THE REPORT
> ABOUT THE AUTHOR
>
> Sandra Pinnavaia is BTG's EVP and Chief Innovation Officer. She brings over 25
> years of experience as a business leader, management consultant, and trusted
> advisor, and she drives the development of the company’s enterprise
> relationships with top clients.
>
> More Content by Sandra Pinnavaia
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
On-Demand Talent for Critical Remote Work
Business leaders increasingly rely on on-demand talent as a flexible way to
critical work done. And for goo...
NEXT ARTICLE
Marketing Tactics for Independent Consultants: Engage Your Audience
As an independent consultant, it's important to engage your audience regularly
to stay top of mind with bot...
MOST RECENT ARTICLES
* ‹
* ›
Blog
Retail and Ecommerce Trends for a Post-Pandemic World
IN THIS Q&A WITH EXPERIENCED RETAIL EXECUTIVE RACHAEL ULMAN, LEARN HOW TOP
CONSUMER AND RETAIL BRANDS ARE DRIVING ECOMMERCE INNOVATION AMID POST-PANDEMIC
SHIFTS IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.
Read Post
Blog
5 Conflict Resolution Strategies for Independent Talent
KNOWING HOW TO RESOLVE DISPUTES AT WORK IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE SKILLS YOU
CAN HAVE, ESPECIALLY AS INDEPENDENT TALENT.
Read Post
Blog
Fluidity Is the Future of Work
WITH 53% OF US EMPLOYEES SAYING THEY ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES
OR AT RISK OF LEAVING THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER, AND SIMILAR TRENDS PLAYING OUT
AROUND THE WORLD, THE GREAT RESIGNATION...
Read Post
Blog
Is Boss Loss the Next Step in The Great Resignation?
AS THE GREAT RESIGNATION MARCHES ON, COMPANIES ARE INCREASINGLY EXPERIENCING
“BOSS LOSS” AS HIGH-LEVEL EXECUTIVES SEEK GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND WORK-LIFE
BALANCE. HOW CAN COMPANIES STEM THE TIDE?
Read Post
Blog
How to Wrap Up a Project on the Right Foot
AS AN INDEPENDENT TALENT, HOW YOU WRAP UP A PROJECT CAN LEAVE A LONG-LASTING
IMPRESSION WITH YOUR CLIENT. CHECK OUT THESE TIPS FROM SEASONED INDEPENDENTS TO
HELP YOU WRAP UP STRONG.
Read Post
Blog
5 Ways to Drive Digital Health Strategy and Innovation with On-Demand Talent
DIGITAL HEALTH HAS GROWN AND EVOLVED RAPIDLY IN THE PAST DECADE—SPURRED BY
EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS IN AI, MACHINE LEARNING, AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT),
ALONGSIDE NEARLY UBIQUITOUS ADOPTION OF SMAR
Read Post
Blog
Interim CFOs: Who’s Using Them and How?
THE COMPLEXITY AND OPERATIONAL SCOPE OF THE CFO ROLE IS EXPANDING—REQUIRING MORE
OF TRADITIONAL CANDIDATES. LEARN HOW INTERIM CFOS CAN HELP.
Read Post
Blog
5 Tips for Succeeding in an Interim Role
BTG AND HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES PANELISTS PARTICIPATED ON A WEBINAR TITLED “HOW TO
LAND AN INTERIM ROLE: BECOMING ON-DEMAND TALENT” BY BLUESTEPS.
Read Post
Blog
How to Transition Your Side Hustle Into a Full-Time Consulting Business
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE READY TO QUIT YOUR JOB AND GO FROM SIDE HUSTLE TO
FULL-TIME CONSULTING? HERE ARE THE STEPS TO MAXIMIZE SUCCESS.
Read Post
Blog
A New Lever for Private Equity Value Creation: Talent Optimization
TALENT INNOVATION IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL PRIVATE EQUITY VALUE CREATION
LEVERS. LEARN HOW TO PROVIDE PORTFOLIO COMPANIES WITH ACCESS TO TOP TALENT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THEIR USE AT SCALE.
Read Post
Blog
How to Expand Your Skill Sets as an Independent Consultant
CONTINUING TO DEVELOP SKILLS IS CRUCIAL AS AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT IF YOU WANT
TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND WORK WITH TOP COMPANIES.
Read Post
Blog
Tackling the Banking Talent Shortage
THE BANKING TALENT POOL IS SHRINKING, AND THE COMPETITION FOR QUALITY TALENT HAS
BECOME CUTTHROAT. LEARN HOW TO TACKLE THE BANKING TALENT SHORTAGE TODAY.
Read Post
Blog
How to Bounce Back From a Project Setback
NOBODY LIKES EXPERIENCING A SETBACK AT WORK, BUT THESE MOMENTS CAN BE VALUABLE
LESSONS. AVOID FEELING DISAPPOINTED OR DISCOURAGED WITH THESE TIPS.
Read Post
Blog
Independent Talent Trends for 2022, Revealed
EACH YEAR, THE BTG HIGH-END INDEPENDENT TALENT REPORT REVEALS THE TOP
INDEPENDENT TALENT TRENDS THAT EXECUTIVES SHOULD KNOW. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR
FINDINGS.
Read Post
Blog
New Data Reveals Independent Talent Fuel Growth and Operational Excellence for
Executives
A NEW REPORT FROM BUSINESS TALENT GROUP (BTG) REVEALS HOW LEADING EXECUTIVES ARE
LEVERAGING ON-DEMAND TALENT AMID ONGOING ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND LABOR
SHORTAGES.
Read Post
Blog
5 Steps to Write a Powerful Elevator Pitch
A WELL-CRAFTED ELEVATOR PITCH CAN HELP YOU STAND OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE AND FIND
MORE PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE. HERE ARE SOME TIPS.
Read Post
Podcast
Pitchbook In Visible Capital Podcast: Innovations in Talent Advancement
BUSINESS TALENT GROUP CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO JODY GREENSTONE MILLER RECENTLY
JOINED TIM SANDERS OF UPWORK ON THE “INNOVATIONS IN PRIVATE EQUITY: A FRESH
PERSPECTIVE” SERIES CO-PRODUCED BY PITCHBOOK.
Listen Now
Blog
On-Demand Talent for Innovation, Transformation, and Growth in Life Sciences
INDEPENDENT TALENT PROVIDE AN AGILE SOURCE OF CRITICAL SKILLS THAT ALLOW LIFE
SCIENCE LEADERS TO KEEP PACE IN A FAST-CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.
Read Post
Blog
10 Ways Freelance Marketing Consultants Can Accelerate Business Growth
THOUGH THERE’S NO ONE SECRET TO BUSINESS SUCCESS, THERE IS ONE CHALLENGE THAT
EVERY BUSINESS FACES DURING TIMES OF RAPID GROWTH: GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON
BOARD. IN MARKETING AND SALES, SECURING...
Read Post
Blog
How to Get Ahead in the Hiring Waiting Game
FOR MOST COMPANIES, THE ERA OF PANDEMIC-INDUCED UNCERTAINTY AND HESITATION HAS
BEEN REPLACED BY A FRENZY OF HIRING TO KEEP PACE WITH GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
GOALS. WITH MILLIONS OF WORKERS...
Read Post
Return to Home
© 2020 Business Talent Group
ABOUT
About BTG
Press
Leadership
Careers
Diversity & Inclusion
Resources
Blog
About Heidrick & Struggles
SERVICES
On-Demand Talent
Interim Executives
Enterprise Programs
Why BTG?
Our Talent
Case Studies
Collaborations
REACH OUT
Start a Project
Become Talent
Talent Login
Refer a Project
Refer Talent
Contact Us
STAY CONNECTED
Join the BTG mailing list to receive expert insights, research, news, and more.
Sign me up
© 2022 Business Talent Group | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
× Streams
* Blog
* Industries
* Consumer Goods
* Financial Services
* Healthcare
* Industrial Goods
* Insurance
* Life Sciences
* Private Equity
* Retail
* Technology
* Capabilities
* COVID-19
* Strategy
* Operations
* Project Management
* Interim Executives
* Digital Transformation
* Supply Chain
* Data Science
* Marketing & Sales
* Finance
* Human Resources
* Transformations
* Mergers & Acquisitions
* Market Access & Value
* Clinical Solutions
* Life Science Strategy and M&A
* Life Science Supply Chain and Manufacturing
* Commercial Excellence
* Digital Health
* Big Ideas
* 2022 High-End Independent Talent Report
* 2022 Talent Lens
* Why You Need a Dynamic Digital Talent Strategy
* 2021 Skills Index
* BTG Enterprise
* BTG Insights on Demand Podcast
* Expert Q&As
* Behind the Buzzword
* On-Demand Talent vs. Traditional Consulting: Costs & Value Analysis
* The Future of Work
* Guide to Working With Independents
* Resource Types
* Blog Posts
* Case Studies
* Talent Resources
* Press Releases
* Press
* Research and Reports
* Podcasts
* Guides
* Infographics
* Videos
* LinkedIn
* Twitter
* Share this Hub
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Email
* LinkedIn
×