There are moments of crisis that transform a generation, a company, a career. During the past year, I have personally experienced all three–pivoting my career to join a new breed of company that helps talent providers, suppliers, and corporations navigate the most dramatic crisis since 9/11.
COVID-19 has stress-tested workforce strategies like no other time in our history. As the world and local economies were shutting down, and many businesses began to contract as a result, there was a frantic buzz below the surface. I could hear the edge in the voices of business managers, in 2020, as they struggled with delivering the bad news of forced lay-offs, furloughs and pay cuts. I could see it weighing on the faces of procurement leaders on Zoom calls. I could sense the angst among talent suppliers facing the unknown as they look for ways to find their niche in a volatile economy. Some industries (like life sciences and logistics) were scrambling to source specialized talent-en-masse, while others (like airlines and hospitality) were shedding workers in mass layoffs or facing death by a thousand cuts.
Everyone felt the burden of their decisions and how they would impact their businesses for years to come. And everyone had an array of talent management tools, technologies, and processes that weren’t delivering the clarity or guidance they needed.
My heart went out to these leaders, and in my head I had to find a way to help.
These are my people/my tribe! I’ve spent 20+ years working alongside the world’s leading talent providers and enterprises, deploying some of the largest, most complex and innovative workforce solutions in the industry to some of the largest, most elite brands in the world. When billions of dollars are on the line, there is tremendous pressure to never miss a beat. I know it’s hard to take a breath during a crisis, and it can feel unnatural for people who spend every day driving forward, to stand still for a moment and recalibrate. But it’s critical to understand you have options beyond the core instincts of fight or flight. Take a step back. Rather than fighting or fleeing, face the opportunity to take a 360-degree view of your talent program and how it aligns with your business goals before making your next big move.
We’re at a pivot point where companies have an opportunity—and, I would argue, a responsibility—to take a deeper look at existing supplier relationships and assess current partner capabilities for driving value, rather than plunging their companies into the disruption of a completely new program.
The thing about a 360-degree view, though, is that it can be a bit overwhelming. A holistic view pulls in even more information to process, at a time when the complexities alreadyseem overwhelming.
That’s where Chateau Consulting comes in.
We specialize in helping clients break through the complexity of multiple talent sources, inefficient processes, disparate technologies, and lack of centralized governance. We know the difference between VMS data dumps and actionable insight. We know what a healthy supply chain looks like, what benchmarks would align best with your business goals, and how a few smart adjustments in your existing program can yield measurable results.
Our team comprises industry-recognized practitioners who have decades of workforce solutions experience and have managed hundreds of programs, as well as endured the change management process as a buyer, servicer, or enterprise leader.
And we’re committed to seeing our communities—our people/tribe—continue to thrive, even during times of crisis.
The next normal demands next-gen thinking from all sides. That’s why we designed Chateau as a firm unlike any other. Tom and I aren’t competing with our former employers. We’re here to be an external voice of reason for workforce solution providers everywhere. We’re not selling staffing solutions into enterprises. We’re here to offer objective, agnostic advice about optimizing talent programs based on our 45+ years of collective experience. It’s a unique model from practitioners who have seen every other model out there and understand their inherent constraints. By having “no dog in the hunt” (as a former mentor used to say), Chateau is freed from the inherent bias, internal politics, and competing priorities that drive decision-making among enterprises and providers alike.
And—here’s my favorite part—that means we’re free to put our clients’ best interests at the heart of all we do.
No games, no gimmicks, no ulterior motives. Just straight talk and sound counsel from people who have led billions of dollars under spend, and spent 50+ years on the front lines designing world-class talent management programs, driving effective change management strategies, deploying specialized point solutions, mapping out terms & conditions, establishing governance systems, driving compliance, onboarding suppliers, and implementing and integrating new technologies for VMS and beyond.
We have a 360-degree view because we’ve lived it.
Our expertise is unparalleled, and now we’re bringing it all to your door to serve as truly objective voices of reason amidst all the noise and chaos.
We’re already living with one foot in the next normal. I’ve always been excited to help organizations take their next important step, and now I have an opportunity to truly give an unbiased 360 degree holistic view that will help drive change and innovation in the talent industry and beyond. Join me.
About Chateau Consulting
Chateau Consulting is a boutique workforce solutions consultancy positioned to solve program complexity resulting from multiple talent sources, inefficient processes, disparate technology, changing market conditions, and lack of true governance. Founded by Tom Kaminsky, Chateau offers a team of experts who have operated in the industry since the 1990s and bring an unrivaled wealth of knowledge and experience in all workforce solutions-related matters. Learn more at chateau-consulting.com.
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