Aligning Strategies: How to Improve Collaboration with Your MSP in 2025

As organizations prepare for 2025, evaluating strategies and partnerships is key to driving growth, innovation, and efficiency. Among your most important partnerships is your Managed Staffing Provider (MSP). A strong alignment with your MSP ensures a collaborative, productive relationship that sets the stage for a successful year.

Here are three essential strategies to align with your MSP in Q1 and optimize your collaboration for long-term success:

1. Align Your Technology Strategies for Adaptability

Technology drives success in today’s workforce landscape. Partnering with your MSP to create a shared technology roadmap ensures your tools, systems, and platforms are in sync.

Key considerations for your roadmap:

• Identify specific initiatives, such as migrating to the cloud, enhancing cybersecurity, or upgrading your network infrastructure.
• Ensure solutions are scalable and flexible to adapt to unexpected challenges or growth opportunities.
• By aligning your technology strategies, both your organization and your MSP can stay ahead of market shifts and leverage cutting-edge tools to improve workforce management.

DZConneX’s proprietary ConneX platform streamlines talent acquisition by integrating people, processes, and technology into a seamless, cloud-based ecosystem. With real-time analytics, holistic reporting, and integration capabilities with VMS, ATS, and HCM systems, it empowers organizations to optimize workforce strategies and make data-driven decisions.

Curious how ConneX can enhance your technology roadmap and talent strategy? Let’s connect.

2. Review and Evolve KPIs and SLAs

Clear metrics and agreements are the foundation of a successful MSP partnership. Start the year by reviewing and refining your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Understanding the Difference

SLAs are formal contracts between your organization and the MSP that outline specific service expectations and performance metrics.

Examples of SLAs:

• Response time for addressing service requests or escalations.
• Percentage of roles filled within a specified time frame.
• Compliance with pre-agreed reporting schedules or accuracy thresholds.

KPIs, on the other hand, areInternal metrics used to track progress toward strategic goals and evaluate performance based on SLA data.

Examples of KPIs:

• Time to Fill: How quickly open positions are filled.
• Candidate Response Rates: The percentage of candidates who engage with submitted opportunities.
• Turnover Rates: The frequency of candidate turnover during assignments.
• Hiring Manager Satisfaction Ratings: Feedback scores from hiring managers regarding the quality of candidates and services provided.

Steps to Take

Evaluate SLA Performance: Determine if your MSP is meeting response times, maintaining reporting accuracy, and addressing recurring issues. Adjust SLAs as needed to reflect evolving business needs.

Refine KPIs: Regularly review KPI data to identify inefficiencies or bottlenecks and make proactive adjustments. Evolving KPIs ensures alignment with your organization’s goals and drives continuous improvement.

By refining your KPIs and SLAs in tandem, you can ensure measurable success, transparency, and alignment with your organization’s workforce objectives for the year ahead.

A workforce solutions partner can bring deep expertise in defining and tailoring SLAs and KPIs to align with the unique goals of each program. An ideal talent partner will recognize  that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and will craft contract terms that drive mutual success while ensuring fair performance assessments. DZConneX’s pragmatic approach includes considering penalties for missed SLAs or KPIs only after the program reaches a steady state, allowing systems and processes to be fully optimized.

3. Engage in Workforce Planning to Address Talent Gaps

Partnering with your MSP can help bridge workforce gaps and provide the flexibility needed to scale your workforce efficiently. There are three key elements your organization should keep in mind in order to ensure alignment. These include the following:

1. Collaborate with your MSP to identify hard-to-fill roles and develop strategies to address them.
2. Leverage your MSP’s scalability during peak demands, such as product launches or new initiatives.
3. Establish transparent communication channels with regular check-ins to discuss pain points, share feedback, and align on evolving needs.

Tools such as collaboration platforms and IT performance dashboards can facilitate smoother communication and track progress effectively. Don’t forget to schedule Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to monitor performance and adjust goals as needed.

Ready to Optimize Your MSP Partnership?

Every organization has unique workforce challenges. Partnering with an MSP that tailors solutions to your specific needs ensures that your goals are met with precision and efficiency.

DZConneX delivers tailored workforce solutions to meet your unique hiring needs. From immediate challenges to long-term strategies, our team provides the expertise to optimize your workforce and drive results.

Click here to learn more about how DZConneX can help you achieve your workforce goals in 2025.