With a staffing background and discipline developed in the US Air Force, Wendy Stenger was well prepared when she took on the challenge of building Thomson Reuters’ contingent workforce programs.

As global lead, contingent workforce programs, the Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Contingent Workforce Professional has been instrumental in creating a hybrid design for a category that encompasses $350 million in annual spend and 12,000 workers, including freelance journalists and photographers situated in dangerous, war-torn countries. 

Throwing out a cookie-cutter approach, Stenger installed an internally managed, hybrid program that includes a technology-powered self-sourcing model to recruit contingent talent in the US. Meanwhile the specialized needs of UK stakeholders are handled by an on-site MSP.

Stenger believes in taking a comprehensive approach that doesn’t sacrifice quality for savings. While the plan has exceeded its primary aim, resulting in an 80% direct sourcing rate and annual savings of $9 million, it has also delivered improvements in stakeholder satisfaction, quality of hire, time-to-fill and contract-to-hire conversion rates. 

With the US program under her belt, Stenger is spearheading the expansion of the model into Canada and the UK. She also shares her knowledge and success with service members who are transitioning out of the military into new careers.