5 Signs You Need Talent On Demand

Talent on demand offers businesses the ability to be agile – to put together the team they need to face challenges that require specialized knowledge, to add resources during the weeks or months leading up to a product launch, to explore new opportunities without committing an inordinate amount of resources before the time is right.

Of course, it’s easy to imply that talent on demand is the answer to every challenge you face. Obviously, that’s not the case. But here are five indicators that talent on demand might be the way to solve a critical problem or position your business to expand in its existing markets or a new one.

You’re Missing Deadlines. Sometimes your team needs more hands. It could be because an aggressive schedule has called for more work than they can produce in the time allotted, or market circumstances have put more responsibilities on their shoulders than they can reasonably handle. In such cases, independent professionals can assist in areas like planning and project management, helping to set priorities, allocate resources and in general make sure things get done.

Talent on demand allows you to match a professional’s skills to the specific challenges you face.

You Need Unique Expertise to Plug a Gap. Your team may be talented in many things, but technology and business methodologies change so quickly today, it might not have the expertise to develop and implement the best plan in, say, data warehousing or projecting market trends. In some cases, you may only need specialized knowledge to create certain components of a business plan. In others, you may require an on-demand executive to lead a complete product development cycle. Either way, talent on demand allows you to match a professional’s skills to the specific challenges you face.

A Key Leader Departs, But Their Work Can’t Stop. Companies like to think that no one is irreplaceable. But when key executives leave, their organizations are often either thrown into turmoil or grind to a halt. An independent leader can take up the reins so that the group’s work continues while you search for the right full-time replacement.

You Want to Explore a New Business Without Committing. On-demand professionals can back up your strategy team by plunging into the specifics of a new opportunity –conducting market research, developing product specifications and creating a business plan without requiring you to add full-time staff. Not only does this save money in terms of salary and benefits, it allows you to put together a team experienced in the intricacies of the new areas you’re exploring. As a result, you bring real knowledge to bear at less cost, and your core team can continue its own work without interruption.

On-demand executives can use their experience to create the structure you need now, even while you search for its permanent leader.

You’re Making an Organizational Change. Sometimes companies require a dramatic change in their approach, but can’t wait to find the right leader before starting. A seasoned on-demand executive can use their experience in business and management to create the structure you need now, even while you search for its permanent leader. In this way, the full-time executive can begin work with a functioning organization that’s ready to get down to business. 

By bringing in independent talent when it’s needed, companies can cost-effectively navigate situations that in the past may have been back-burnered, despite their strategic potential. Talent on demand makes it possible to address unique situations with unique skills, at a time when opportunities can appear suddenly and competition can threaten from unexpected directions.