Resource management
Engagement

The challenges of assignment in service companies in 2022

July 27, 2022
4 min
The challenges of assignment in service companies in 2022

Since 2020, the health environment and inflation have caused a lot of upheaval. Companies (especially service companies) have been hit hard by massive resignations. In the United States, this phenomenon is referred to as the "Big Quit" for nearly 4.5 million monthly resignations in the year 2021 alone (source: Economic World). 

This phenomenon has been particularly pronounced in service companies. The turnover rate in consulting structures in 2021 would reach 33%, compared to 20% annually over the last 3 years. An increase in early departures after 1 year is also to be noted, especially of young graduates.

The place of a software of assignment takes even more sense in this period. In order to ensure project planning until the end, service companies must surround themselves with powerful software that brings them closer to the human being. 

The challenges of resource planning in the current context

The assignment will play a key role on two main issues:

  1. Retention/attractiveness. From now on, it is necessary to seduce and give arguments to consolidate the base of talents in the company. Retaining employees who are project leaders is essential to provide real added value and ensure the continuity of projects.  
  2. If talent is scarce, it is above all necessary to have cross-functional solutions to respond quickly to market needs. 

What a program!

The role of resource management in the fight against Big Quit

In the United States, nearly 40% of employees want to change their work environment and the company they work for. It is becoming essential for project planning to offer concrete solutions to attract, retain and keep employees. In other words, it is necessary to motivate the employee and to bring him/her a real added value to motivate him/her. 

Bringing more diversity

In order to attract employees, it is above all a question of bringing intellectual curiosity and a personal challenge. The missions must be renewed, not added to the existing ones, in order not to risk burn-out of the employees. There are two key points to consider: reducing the individual workload and setting a time limit for each assignment. 

Provide a balance between personal and professional life

While telecommuting has given employees more free time, the line between work time and personal time is becoming blurred. Any manager can offer activities, such as team building, to bring employees together in a non-work setting. 

Moreover, flexibility according to the time and occupations of each person develops a real company culture. For example, a young parent can start earlier and leave earlier: adapting also builds loyalty!

Take into account professional aspirations

Taking into account the desires for career development and evolution, as well as the desires for certain missions, gives a feeling of being listened to and of being more than just a number in a box. This is the best way to give importance to the employee, who wants to invest in a company that listens to him, to evolve and to use his new knowledge. 

Finding the balance between performance and management 

In order to keep your teams from the Big Quit, the first thing to do is to set up a driving work environment and create competent teams. This is where the software of assignment comes in, during the project planning. 

Your software at assignment lists all the data inherent to your project management: skills, aspirations, professional experience, certifications, etc. Your software is therefore your best asset for assigning missions to the various employees in your database. 

By creating teams that are motivated (by respecting their aspirations) and competent (they have already carried out similar missions in the past), you develop their operational performance. This way, you can carry out all of your project management missions in the most efficient and optimal way possible.

To remember on the issues of resource planning in service companies

Your assignment software is not intended to replace your project management organization. However, it does help to create the link between employee engagement and performance that is certainly missing in many service companies. The assignment is not only an operational process, but a strategy in its own right, impacting the daily work of employees. Consequently, the deployment of a assignment software should not be done by convention, but be considered as a priority by service companies in 2022. 

Estelle
Content manager

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