Workforce Definitions

The vocabulary surrounding the outsourced workforce movement (and how outsourced workers are acquired) is evolving rapidly. Are you familiar with the following terms? If your company is utilizing an increased amount of continent workers (Based on the Staffing Industry Analysts Glossary)

Contingency Placement -- The practice of charging a fee to either the applicant or the employer only after a successful referral of the applicant to the employer for employment. (Compare: Retained Search)

Contingent Workforce -- The group ofconsultants, contractors, temps, and other project based workers that a company employs. Usually these contractors are employed through staffing firms, project-based consulting companies, or through outsourcing.

Just-In-Time Staffing (JIT Staffing) -- A loosely used term that equates "flexible staffing" arrangements with the concept of "just-in-time" inventory control or delivery of parts for a manufacturing process. Rather than carrying inventory (or permanent employees), arrangements are made with a supplier to deliver parts (or help supply workers) just at the time when they are needed in the work process.

Managed Services/Managed Staffing -- Term used to describe facilities support management and outsourcing services. Refers to the on-site supervision or management of a function or department at a client (customer) site on an ongoing, indefinite basis; often the staffing service has output responsibilities and accountability.

Off-Site -- Business services provided for a client (customer) at the service provider's location, not at the client premises.

On-Site -- Vendored or outsourced services provided to the client (customer) at the client site.

On-Site Management -- On-site management of a department or function by the supplier. (See also: Facilities Management, Managed Staffing.)

On-Site Supervision -- On-site supervision by the supplier. (See also: Facilities Staffing.)

Payroll Service -- A business service that provides payroll processing, paycheck writing, and payroll tax administration, for a fee. No co-employer or joint employer relationship exists; it is plainly an administrative function.

Single Source Supplier -- The provision of staffing services employees through a single supplier source.

Strategic Staffing -- The pre-planned use of alternative or flexible staffing strategies by the customer. May include the use of temp-to-perm hiring, or planned temporary staffing for work cycle peaks or projects, for example.

Supplemental Staffing -- The provision of temporary workers to a client company to supplement the current workforce for peak loads, special projects, or planned and unplanned worker absences.

Vendoring -- The provision of business services by an outside supplier (vendor), where the vendor brings its own employees on-site to perform a specific function, such as running a cafeteria or providing security services, or uses its own employees off-site to perform a specific function that was formerly done by the customer.

Vendor On Premises (VOP) -- On-site coordination of a customer's temporary help services through an exclusive, long-term general contractor relationship with a temporary help company. The designated Vendor On Premises may enter into subcontracting relationships with other temporary help suppliers, or the customer may specify such relationships.