Talent Communities Help Build Trust for an Engaged Workforce

Andrew Wren, Product Owner of Talent Communities and Mobile App, Allegis Group

Transparency builds trust, and trust builds relationships.

Nowhere is that idea more evident than in a well-executed talent community. An effective talent community is more than a place where workers can chat. If done well, it is a resource that breaks down the long-standing barriers to transparency that prevent great employer-talent relationships. Through our talent communities, for example, Allegis Group companies provide true transparency for nearly 400,000 users every day, including our clients and the talent we put to work. Based on our work with communities, we have seen several key ways the resource can transform the worker experience.

Make Processes Transparent

One of the primary advantages of a talent community is improved transparency. When contractors or contingent workers log in, they see all the relevant details of their employment right away. Pending decisions and status updates are immediately visible. These details are essential to the worker who wants to be proactive about managing projects and career next steps. Providing those details up front makes the community a place where a positive experience for a flexible worker or employee begins to take shape.

Provide Immediate Access to Key Contacts

Another advantage of the community is access to contacts. The online talent community should not only provide access to the important contacts any contractor or other worker needs to know, but it should also display those contacts prominently. In our case, we put any contact directly related to current or potential future opportunities right at the worker’s fingertips on the first page the worker sees.

Create Visibility to all Opportunities

An additional feature of the community is access to opportunities. At any time, our community gives contractors the ability to explore their next career move or contract gig from across the entire organization, using smart search capabilities that best align their skills and interests to new opportunities. This capability benefits the worker who has more control of his or her career, and it benefits the employer who may fill future openings more quickly with a proven resource.

Enable a Human Connection

An effective talent community brings human support and connection to the worker experience. People have questions, whether about administrative needs or about the work itself. In the community, the employer should take an active role to ensure that a human is there to answer questions, moderate discussions, or point people in the right direction. Other community members will more fully participate, and workers will find connections to colleagues who ask and answer questions to keep the conversation going.

A Vision of Potential is Finally Realized

For years, talent communities have been hailed as a solution to the challenge of building and maintaining relationships between employers and workers. Today, the real potential of the talent community is being realized, and we’re fortunate to experience first-hand the benefits of a world-class program.

(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Allegis Group’s report, “Stepping Up: Workforce Practices That Raise the Bar on Business Performance,” which shares talent acquisition strategies that top employers use to stand out, build an engaged workforce, and achieve business success. Download your free copy today.)