Choosing Enterprise Workforce Solutions: Find Partners, Not Just Vendors

By Keilon Ratliff, Chief Diversity Officer & President of Enterprise Accounts at Kelly

You're the VP of Operations at a growing manufacturing company. Your workforce needs are getting more complex by the month, with seasonal fluctuations, skills gaps, and compliance requirements across multiple states. A workforce solutions vendor comes to pitch you, and they immediately launch into their impressive suite of services—temporary staffing, payroll management, benefits administration—the works.

But twenty minutes in, you realize they haven't asked you a single question about your business challenges. They're showing you a screwdriver and a wrench when what you really need is a ruler.

This scenario plays out every day, and it illustrates the fundamental difference between vendors who sell products and partners who provide true enterprise workforce solutions. The key is knowing how to tell them apart, and understanding what to look for when you're evaluating potential partners.

What are enterprise workforce solutions?

Before we dive into what to look for, let's get clear on what an enterprise workforce solution is and isn’t. Some leaders think of it as simply "big staffing." In reality, it's a holistic, comprehensive approach to managing all aspects of your workforce.

Traditional staffing is reactive: "We need 50 people by next month." Enterprise workforce solutions are proactive: "How do we build a workforce strategy that scales with our business over the next three to five years?"

The difference is in the scope and the mindset. We're talking about meaningful partnerships that encompass everything from workforce planning and analytics to technology integration and compliance management.

How to identify a true workforce solutions partner

They:

Listen first, pitch second

When I think about the word "solution," it translates to one thing: listening.

Green flag partners ask questions and show curiosity. They want to understand not just your immediate staffing needs, but your business strategy, growth plans, and long-term workforce challenges. 

This is what I call the "toolbox approach." True partners leave all their tools in the car and come to the table empty-handed. They listen, they discover, and only then do they go back to their toolkit to bring you exactly what will solve your problem.

Have processes for disagreement

I believe any true enterprise partnership is like a marriage. It should be 50/50. The best partnerships aren't the ones without conflict. They're the ones that have established processes for working through challenges together. 

Your partner should be willing to challenge your assumptions. Sometimes the solution you think you need isn't the one that will actually move the needle for your business. Look for vendors who see disagreement as an opportunity to find better solutions, not as a threat to the relationship.

Bring technology that moves the needle

Organizations are incorporating more AI into workforce management software, but not all tools are created equal. Look for technology that makes your people's jobs easier, not more complicated.

The best AI integrations solve real problems, like predictive scheduling that reduces overtime costs, or analytics that help you identify workforce trends before they become issues.

At Kelly, we have AI-enabled technology called Helix that we offer to many of our enterprise customers. It combines internal workforce data with market intelligence to give you insights you can act on. But the real special sauce is how our people use that technology to create better solutions together. 

Your evaluation checklist for enterprise workforce solutions partners

The market is full of vendors offering enterprise workforce solutions, and the global workforce management software market is expected to more than double by 2033. Here's your practical checklist for identifying partners who will truly transform your workforce strategy.

Green flags to look for during the sales process:

• They start by understanding your problems, not showcasing their products
• They tailor their approach to your specific industry and business model
• Their technology and account teams work as an integrated unit
• They focus on strategic value, not just cost reduction
• They can show specific examples of how they've evolved with other long-term clients
• They measure success in terms of your business outcomes

The right questions to ask:

• "How do you approach disagreements with clients?" This reveals their conflict resolution philosophy and whether they see partnership as collaborative problem-solving.
• "Show me how your technology integrates with our existing systems." Don't accept theoretical integration. Ask for demonstrations with your actual tech stack.
• "Who will I be working with day-to-day, and how do they think about partnership?" You're entering a relationship, not just buying software.
• "What's your approach when market conditions change?" Workforce strategies need to be adaptable with the times. For example, 62% of workers report feeling more productive when working remotely. Your partner needs to be ready for these cultural shifts.
• "How do you measure success, and how often do we review that together?" This reveals whether they're focused on ongoing value creation or just contract fulfillment.

The ROI of the right enterprise workforce solutions partner

We know that workforce management solutions deliver an average return of $12.24 for every dollar spent, but the real value goes deeper. The right partnership transforms your entire approach to business strategy, not just your staffing processes.

The difference comes down to whether you're buying a service or building a partnership. Services are transactional. Partnerships are transformational.

When you find the right enterprise workforce solution partner, you'll know it. They'll challenge your thinking, bring you solutions you didn't know existed, and help you build a workforce strategy that becomes a true competitive advantage. That's when the real magic happens.