The HR Dictionary

Blended Workforce

A blended workforce consists of a variety of employees on different types of contracts such as full-time staff, part-time employees, temporary employees, independent contractors, and freelancers. Technology and the digital era are the driving forces behind this hiring strategy. Today, non-permanent employees can easily work for a company even when they're not in the office because staffing firms help HR and procurement teams find workers quickly with the skill sets they need for upcoming projects.

Advantages of a Blended Workforce

  1. Scalable operations - Employing a blended workforce enables businesses to scale their operations up or down as necessary, lower the cost of physical office space, and hire staff as needed rather than under long-term contracts. This means that an organization can hire the personnel it requires at the moment it is required.

  2. Specialization - To meet urgent demands for specific skill sets, a blended workforce is one of the key driving forces. This can entail bringing on a temporary employee when a particular project calls for a talent that isn't part of the company's core competencies. Instead of hiring someone full-time who may only be needed six months out of the year, the business can adjust to its specific needs and recruit employees as needed.

  3. Agile workforce - Organizations will have more staffing flexibility if it makes the most of an agile workforce that utilizes workers who can be engaged on demand. When demand is at its peak, such as during the holidays, organizations will be able to hire temporary workers, and will always have access to the best talent in the sector.


Having a blended workforce with several part-time and temporary employees might seem challenging for an organization and the HR team. However, current HRM systems provide the ability to easily manage the large volume of employee data, multiple pay policies, attendance, time, and much more in just a few clicks instead of maintaining physical documentation. It takes away all the hassle of having and managing a large blended workforce from the HR team.