Mike Cleaton is the deputy director, workforce at Crown Commercial Service, overseeing the contingent workforce and permanent recruitment programs for the UK’s central and local government agencies. His program oversees £600 million in annual spend and approximately 11,000 contractors.

With over 20 years’ experience in human resources procurement, he assumed his current role in July 2019. His role took on new significance this year amid the pandemic, as healthcare facilities are among his client base. Non-healthcare clients also saw an impact in workforce needs and Cleaton’s team was responsible for ensuring continuity within the supply chain as well as delivering a flexible workforce safely.

His team reacted quickly to the evolving scenario, which he counts as one of the program’s biggest achievements during his tenure.  “I am hugely proud of the way that the team responded to the unprecedented situation, working tirelessly under extreme pressure to support key Covid initiatives and to positively impact hundreds of suppliers and thousands of workers.”

Achievements notwithstanding, serving in the public sector is a challenging endeavor given the breadth of clients and the regulatory environment within which he and his team have to work, Cleaton notes, such as preparing for Brexit or IR35 reform.

Looking ahead, Cleaton doesn’t expect the contingent space to slow post-pandemic, as the need for flexibility, blended talent, and technology advancement will continue to be factors.