Jobs in Warwick, United Kingdom

At Freshminds, we have always been curious to talk to our consulting partners about the problems they are facing.

For 25 years, we’ve been the contractor partner to a multitude of consulting firms – we’re trusted to augment the brilliant teams they put forward to their clients, with the skill sets they might be missing in-house. It’s where our extensive network of interim and freelance consultants really come into their own – and are trusted to deliver.

But a shift is occurring. Speaking with some of our partners and network, it’s evident that our consulting clients are beginning to revisit their workforce strategy as a whole. The current market, with its shifting currents, is bringing new challenges to their businesses for the longer term.

The less flexible model of hiring en masse, permanently, is no longer fit for purpose – and is costing businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in hiring and restructuring costs just to meet the continuously fluctuating demand cycles.

This highly changeable market – not just in demand, but in the specialised new skill sets being requested – is forcing consultancies to review their strategy. And working in parallel with the needs of our clients, Freshminds has adapted too.

Digging deeper into what’s happening on the ground, we asked our customers why they are changing their workforce structures, and importantly, how. Comments from our consulting partners paint a fairly consistent picture.

Contingent hiring throws up its own challenges and can be difficult to manage, especially in terms of planning ahead and being able to react quickly:

Looking forward, the sense seems to be that the contingent workforce will gain in importance for consulting firms. When asked for a prediction for a future workforce structure, the Commercial Director of an SME-focused management consultancy said: “It’s quite simple. 50% contingent, 50% permanent.”

A Partner at a leading management consultancy added:

Enter Freshminds OPTA – your open talent partner, built for the future of consulting.

We’ve listened to the challenges. As more firms shift towards a contingent workforce model, the reality is that managing multiple suppliers, freelancer pools, alumni, and ad-hoc contractors quickly becomes time-consuming, inconsistent, and admin-heavy. It shouldn’t be.

That’s where OPTA comes in. Freshminds now provides a streamlined, standardised solution – a single, flexible ecosystem for temporary talent.

On top of access to Freshminds’ envied on-demand network, OPTA allows our consulting clients to extend their bench to include a wide network of curated contingent workers, with Freshminds managing briefs, selection, hiring, payroll, retention and roll off, all according to the demands of your business.

Whether you're looking to scale quickly, to fill niche skill gaps, or adapt to shifting client demands, OPTA ensures you have the right people, ready when you need them. Through our own network, managing third party agencies for you, and managing your own freelancer pool – we offer a simple, strategic solution built for today’s consulting landscape.

Freshminds OPTA is your dedicated partner to managing your contingent workforce.

If you’d like to hear more about how OPTA works – contact the Freshminds team.

Freshminds is a leading network of consulting expertise. With 25 years of experience, we combine senior recruitment with complex research and consulting projects.

With new permanent and project opportunities across a variety of leading companies being added each week, explore the range of opportunities on offer and start your next career journey.

We’re here to help with your business challenge. Get in touch to find out more and start the conversation today.