Cross-functional Teams Made of Internal and External Talents are a Growing Model for Business Success
Teams composed of internal and external talent is one of the four macro trends leading to the rise of alternative work arrangements, cross-functional teams, and project-based work. Companies, eager to drive innovation and revenue, are leveraging highly skilled talent that’s now available in the marketplace because this work style matches their wants and needs. In fact, according to Deloitte and MIT Sloan School of Management’s research, 80% of digital-maturing companies foster partnerships with outside individuals, groups and partners. These cross-functional teams empower organizations to optimize talent they have and borrow needed talent to hit their targets and out-innovate their competition.
Onboarding external talent plays a pivotal role in enabling companies to not just pull these diverse project groups together but to accelerate their working relationships. It facilitates the speed of raw knowledge transfer to the team members and provides an avenue for a standardized but curated project introduction experience. Thoughtful, engaging onboarding allows external team members (regardless of their experience with your organization) to show up to that first project meeting feeling prepared, knowledgeable, and ready to contribute.
A positive, mobile-first onboarding experience makes for a wonderful first impression to top industry talent that can easily move between organizations seemingly at will.
Crafting a modern approach welcoming these individuals and groups leaves a lasting impression for the next opportunity that your teams will certainly have to offer externally. And, separating your company from competitors who still use paper-based analog onboarding techniques is savvy, smart, and necessary to win the war for talent.
Strategically hiring temporary external talent to bolster cross-functional project teams is a great way to get the skills needed for a specific project. Just make sure you onboard (and offboard!) the talent so amazingly well they’ll sing your praises in the gig worker talent pool marketplace and want to come back next time you need their help.
