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29 Unlocking the Potential of Parents in the Contingent Workforce | Custom Research Powered by SIA |© Crain Communications Inc | All Rights Reserved | September 2022 SECTION 7 Playbook for Success When it comes to the ROI of contingent workforce programs, the Leaders held a clear advantage over the Followers. Their contingent workforce practices can provide guidance for organizations looking to broaden their pool of contingent workforce candidates, attract and retain parents to the contingent pools, and boost their ability to redeploy contingent workers. "It's worth doing. You'll get amazing candidates," said one contingent workforce program manager. "And it contributes positively to the world. We're getting people jobs that they need to help support their families, and there's an intrinsic value in that." Here are eight steps — organized around the four dimensions of advanced practices — that organizations can take to build a contingent workforce program that attracts and retains parents: Many of the practices followed by successful companies come down to managers doing their jobs well. Playbook for Success Opportunity To facilitate advanced practices, focus on management. Many of the practices followed by successful companies come down to managers doing their jobs well: Structure jobs carefully so that parents are offered pay and responsibilities equal to those of other workers. Avoid scope creep. And even if company policy prevents managers from including contingent workers in formal training and career-planning programs, good managers can offer informal career conversations and upskilling opportunities. Promote more women to senior roles. The lack of women in senior leadership has real-world consequences and must be addressed. Our analysis found that women were more likely than men to follow one or more advanced practices when it came to contingent workforce management. Adding women to the top ranks of organizations may be one way to promote advanced contingent workforce practices. Empathy Foster an environment of "personal inclusion." Workers want to feel included and supported, but co-employment risks may prevent contingent workers from being part of formal programs. However, there are opportunities for managers to have casual conversations that promote support and inclusion — everything from sharing information after company meetings that will help contingent workers do their jobs, to offering advice on career opportunities. Don't let co-employment concerns block all forms of inclusion. It's important to get legal advice about the specifics of any program, since co-employment laws are complex and vary by geography. But in general, co-employment risks do not always mean you have to curtail your programs. Take employee resource groups, for example: Some companies have found ways to offer them to contingent workers by employing such strategies as having their MSP offer groups for contingent workers or renaming the groups to clarify that they are not only for employees.