How Leading Tech Companies Are Using Contingent Workers

A recent New York Times article cites “contingent labor [as accounting for] for 40 to 50 percent of the workers at most technology firms.”¹ support their business? And more importantly, what are the most common use cases for contingent labor and how can tech companies both large and small reap the benefits?

A contingent worker is a worker who is hired on a temporary basis to perform specific tasks. Leading tech companies typically hire contingent workers through staffing firms or via a defined service agreement, typically through a managed services provider. Many companies engage contingent labor simply because they want to focus on their core business versus managing basic tasks such as inventory management and facilities set-up. Even small tech companies engage contingent workers on a project basis to handle company events and product testing, for example.

Here are 5 common use cases for tech companies using contingent labor:

Use Case #1 - Event Support

Whether you’re gearing up for an all-hands meeting or hosting external visitors at an investors event, you will most certainly need help setting up furniture and equipment. And during the event itself, you’ll need technical support for audio, video, and other production aspects. After the event, tasks such as putting furniture and gear away are ideally suited for contingent labor.

Use Case #2 - Office Moves

Even with more tech companies embracing remote and hybrid work options, the need for reconfiguring work spaces and moving facilities altogether remains. Many tech companies are now opting for shared desk configurations, requiring constant maintenance to ensure that the space is ready for the next user. And with many tech companies downsizing their office spaces, moving desks, chairs, tables, and equipment can prove daunting without additional labor to handle the work.

Use Case #3 - IT Projects

When it comes to refreshing technology in the office, leading tech companies engage contingent labor to handle repeatable tasks such as removing wireless access points from ceilings and decommissioning obsolete AV equipment from conference rooms. The most savvy tech companies will even segment work by employing a professional services company to handle higher-level tasks such as design and configuration while engaging contingent labor for the repeatable work.

Use Case #4 - Warehouse Operations

Some leading tech companies maintain warehouses that house commercial products and/or equipment and goods for internal use. Even a super-efficient warehouse requires additional workers from time-to-time. For example, inventory counts and inventory rebalancing are ideal tasks for contingent labor. And many tech companies engage contingent warehouse labor during times of peak demand to ensure that they don’t miss a beat when it comes to meeting their customers’ expectations.

Use Case #5 - Product Testing

As good as AI technology has become at handling routine tasks, nothing compares to the human element when it comes to testing. From driverless cars to handheld devices, leading tech companies rely on “real world” human testers when it comes to improving product usability and discovering unforeseen use cases. With a small training investment, companies can tap into contingent workers to get up-to-speed quickly and start generating valuable test data to improve their products and services.

In summary, leading technology companies have come to rely on contingent labor to handle many basic work needs across a variety of use cases. To learn more about how to take advantage of contingent labor for your business, visit us at www.conneq.com. 

1 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/technology/google-temp-workers.html