Dive Brief:

• Data from Impartner shows that a shortage of sales professionals is causing companies to miss their revenue goals. According to the partner relationship management (PRM) firm's latest report, 90% of the recruiting managers say that finding the right corporate sales professionals has become more challenging.
• The report also finds that more than half (57%) of recruiters say that the hiring problem has become worse during the past year and a half, and three-quarters of respondents say that reaching revenue goals is directly affected by that issue. A shortage of candidates with the right experience (46% of respondents); a shortage of candidates who relate to a company's solutions (22%); high salary demands of qualified candidates (16%); and more competition for talent from competitors (16%) have all negatively impacted hiring goals. 
• Impartner CMO Dave R. Taylor recommends sourcing indirect sales people to make up for the shortage of direct sales professionals. However, Taylor also believes that companies should build and maintain talent pipelines for hiring direct sales professionals for future openings.   

Dive Insight:

Companies facing shortages while trying to save on costs are tapping into contractors or freelancers to meet company goals, be they sales targets or other revenue goals. As talent shortages strike, more companies have opted to procure talent through other means — occasionally leaving HR out of the process entirely.

Growth in the gig economy has served as the source of talent for a range of occupations and skills.  A ManpowerGroup survey found that 94% of respondents are open to working as a contractor or freelancer. The major challenges to companies looking to hire contingent workers as a solution to the skills shortage are the growing legal concerns surrounding the use of contractors. Employers must carefully review who is considered a contractor and why or risk a misclassification suit.

One bonus to the contractor model is its affordability. But that affordability has created serious public concerns for the safety of certain gig workers, especially over their lack of protective benefits. The issue has reached the ears of Congress, where various bills are rumored to emerge.