TI: Tell me about Pixid’s journey within the talent tech space. How has the Pixid solution evolved over time?

EC: Pixid started in 2005 as a traditional Vendor Management System (VMS) addressing the complexities of the Temporary Labor Market in France; however, by working closely with staffing agencies, we realized that they lacked the ability to fully digitize day-to-day contingent staffing processes for their mid-market customers; therefore, we decided to develop technology specifically addressing this need. By working closely with major global staffing agencies, we were able to closely align our R&D with market requirements, developing Pixid VMS into a fast-to-deploy, multi-lingual, multi-currency system, with the agility and versatility required for cross-border application. Pixid VMS has since evolved to bring the key advantages of a traditional VMS in a more affordable, agile package ideally suited to non-complex projects of any size. As a result, Pixid has become the largest European-owned provider of recruitment technology, with our VMS deployed in 39 countries to over 130,000 client locations by 8500 agency branches. Enabling the digitalized management of 250,000 worker assignments daily.

TI: In your opinion, what role should technology play in a contingent labor program?

EC: We think that technology should play an important role in a contingent labor program, but it should always do so in a way that supports the recruiters and program managers, increasing the efficiency of their daily operations. It also needs to meet the end-users’ requirement for increased transparency, with more and more data delivered to them when placing a temp on a work assignment. Technology should also assist the candidates and workers – for instance, making it easy for them to upload documents, fill in timesheets etc, as well as assisting with their onboarding and payment.

“Technology needs to meet the end-users’ requirement for increased transparency, with more and more data delivered to them when placing a temp on a work assignment.”

TI: In today’s contingent labor world what are table stakes for a Vendor Management System (VMS) to be taken seriously?

EC: One of the major challenges for today’s contingent labor world is the lack of available and skilled talent. So the ‘modern’ VMS should accelerate the flow of candidates to the end user, in a reliable and efficient manner, enabling management of the whole process. Only then will it maximize value and minimize costs for stakeholders. A VMS must also be user-friendly, smooth integration capabilities and strong analytics and reporting capabilities.

TI: What does “next generation” VMS mean to you and Pixid?

EC: A “next generation” VMS must enable the relevant data to flow seamlessly from the candidate to the end user, which in terms of platforms, means from the ATS to the VMS. Unfortunately, too often, this is not the case and the 2 worlds s communicate clumsily. At Pixid, our Pixid Hub universal application connector is designed specifically to overcome this issue. This tool uses integration and automation to help transform the talent management capabilities of agencies and their end-clients, bringing about a more unified talent acquisition approach, as compared to the previous generation of VMS.

TI: Should a VMS enable the user to make more informed decisions? How? What features are best suited for this enablement?

EC: Yes, it is a key element of a VMS to enable informed decision making by its users. That means providing them with the right information, presented in a clear manner at the right time. Having to go through multiple screens, copying / pasting information etc… is no longer acceptable; a customizable dashboard type screen, clearly displaying KPIs such as time-to-fill, cost per hire and other relevant real-time information will help ensure a more informed, data-driven decision-making process.

TI: In a contingent labor program, where is the intersection between the user and the technology? How far should tech go and what elements should remain with the user?

EC: The intersection between the user and technology occurs throughout the entire process, from job requisition to the selection, onboarding and offboarding of the workers. The technology should facilitate this whole process, but the user should make the final decisions about which candidates to hire and how to manage the contingent workforce, based on the specific needs of the end-client organization. Throughout this process, the technology should always be designed to help the user; adapting to the user’s needs, rather than the user having to adapt to the technology. Of course, technology is also a way to enhance the efficiency of a process, and this will inevitably lead to certain adjustments by the user, in the way they work, to enable them to get the most of the technology – but, once again, technology must be at the service of the user, with the user ultimately in control.

“Technology needs to meet the end-users’ requirement for increased transparency, with more and more data delivered to them when placing a temp on a work assignment.”