Michelle DeRocher, associate manager of the CW program at General Mills, last year brought CW management inhouse rather than outsourcing to an MSP. “Our goal was to mature the program and ensure a flexible talent solution for our businesses,” she says.

A year into the new program, DeRocher continues to pursue improvements and cost savings. General Mills employs contingent workers across all locations, primarily in light industrial. The CW program is also set up for SOW engagements.  One of her biggest challenges is expanding program capabilities while ensuring vendors’ platforms are aligned with internal systems and processes. “We want our hiring managers to have to navigate only one system,” she says.

Covid-19 has presented its own challenges to the program. Because food is an essential service, General Mills, known for popular consumer brands that include Cheerios, Gold Medal Flour, and Betty Crocker, must maintain production even when a pandemic shuts down other industries. DeRocher takes this responsibility seriously. “Our supply chain leaders did an amazing job of making adjustments to provide a safe work environment in the plants and addressing worker shortages.”

Outside the manufacturing environment, DeRocher sees advantages to remote work, even beyond the Covid-19 crisis. “Remote work has expanded access to talent that’s not local. Previously we were dependent on people being in the office to work. Being more comfortable with remote teams expands our pool of talent.”