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4 Unlocking the Potential of Parents in the Contingent Workforce | Custom Research Powered by SIA |© Crain Communications Inc | All Rights Reserved | September 2022 Executive Summary Expanding the pool of contingent workers is a key driver of success for corporate contingent workforce programs — and workers with significant caregiving responsibilities can be a promising source of candidates, due in part to the recent rapid expansion of remote work for professional roles. "I think working moms are one of the most underrecognized hotbeds of talent in our country right now," said one contingent workforce program manager. However, research conducted by Werklabs (the research division of The Mom Project) and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) finds a gap between the expectations of parents and the offerings of companies surveyed by SIA. This conflict between workers' needs and current corporate practice harms both sides: Parents may avoid contingent work, and companies miss out on potential workers. Executive Summary Research by Werklabs and SIA finds a gap between parents' expectations and companies' offerings. Understanding this gap — and working to close it — is key to improving the attraction and retention of parents. This report details the findings of SIA's research and provides a playbook for corporate contingent workforce program managers who want to close this gap and unlock the potential of this large and often-overlooked population. Our study found clear differences between the Leaders in this area — those whose companies follow at least one of 14 advanced practices identified during in-depth discussions with leading practitioners — and Followers, whose companies do not. All of these practices relate to recruiting and retaining parents in professional contingent roles. I think working moms are one of the most underrecognized hotbeds of talent in our country right now. – Contingent workforce program manager Working Parents and Caregivers: The Overlooked Majority Research conducted by Werklabs, the research division of The Mom Project, indicates that 60% of the contingent workforce are parents (53%) or other caregivers (6%), with most caring for one to two dependents. While this figure represents both genders, child rearing and caregiving responsibilities fall disproportionally on women. This research provides a voice to this often-overlooked majority, which we refer to simply as "parents" throughout the remainder of this text.