If you've been watching the most recent economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, then you know we are now entering the era of the independent consultant.

Over 68% of the hiring and jobs creation that has happened over the last year has been contract-based, not so-called "permanent" jobs. And the fastest growing segment of that contract-based workforce is composed of independent contractors.

There you have it: Independent Contractors are one of the most critical talent segments to harness, and yet too often, businesses have little clarity around how to effectively (and safely) engage them. At the same time, compliance has never been a hotter issue, as state and federal governments work in tandem to crack down on worker misclassification. Wage and hour lawsuits continue to spiral out of control, and the United States Congress is mulling over several radical approaches to reforming independent contractor legislation.

So what are businesses to do? How can the modern organization successfully (and safely) use independent consultants and contractors, without running afoul of ambiguous laws?

Let me know your thoughts on the subject. Also, we conducted a webcast on December 7th that you might be interested in. Ask me about the archive. We were joined by Aberdeen Group analyst Chris Dwyer, an expert in contingent workforce management issues, who recently published the Aberdeen 2010 Contingent Labor report (see here for more about that research).

We also interviewed seasoned business leaders to discuss case studies for practical, safe, and efficient Independent Contractor engagement.

Winning Strategies for Independent Contractor Engagement: A Practitioner's Perspective

Topics will included:

* Best Practices for Accessing Contract Talent
* Contractor Risk Assessment
* Contingent Workforce Program Adoption
* The Use of 1099 Agreements
* Co-employment Risk
* Worker Classification (1099 vs W2)
* Reining in Maverick Spend
* Pending Independent Contractor Legislation in Congress
* State-led Contractor Compliance Initiatives
* Contractor Payroll Options

Bring your questions -- and your team -- and learn how your organization can also win unprecedented control, visibility, program adoption, and risk mitigation.