Outsourcing the procurement of agency workers: the impact of vendor managed services in English social care

K Hoque, I Kirkpatrick, Christopher Lonsdale, A De Ruyter

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    11 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In recent years marked changes have occurred in the way employers recruit and select agency workers, with this activity increasingly being outsourced to third party organizations providing 'vendor managed services' (VMS). Drawing on data from a study of English social services, this article explores the consequences of this outsourcing. The findings reveal that although VMS has delivered cost savings, it has also resulted in less effective placement matching, rising line manager workloads and concerns about service quality. In the conclusion the wider implications of VMS for the future development of partnerships between employers and employment agencies are discussed.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)522-539
    Number of pages18
    JournalWork, Employment & Society
    Volume25
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2011

    Keywords

    • neutral vendors
    • agency workers
    • social care
    • vendor managed services

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