During a recent FOWX podcast, Christopher Dwyer, senior vice president of research and managing director of the Future of Work Exchange for Ardent Partners, spoke to Orli Becker, executive vice president and managing director of contingent workforce solutions for AMS, Orli Becker, on the impact of direct sourcing, the power of skills-based hiring, how AI is transforming extended workforce management, and more
In part three of our three-part series, we highlight the major discussion points and a link to the full event.
As artificial intelligence reshapes nearly every corner of the enterprise, the contingent workforce industry finds itself both energized and challenged by its potential. AI, combined with emerging workforce models like total talent management, will fundamentally redefine how organizations plan, deploy, and manage labor in the years ahead. Yet, despite the excitement, the path forward remains complex.
AI adoption in workforce solutions is accelerating rapidly. Technologies leveraging generative, predictive, and agentic AI are already enhancing sourcing, screening, workforce analytics, and program automation. These tools promise to reduce administrative burden, surface insights faster, and improve decision-making. For service-heavy industries like workforce management, AI has the potential to amplify human expertise rather than replace it, particularly when deployed with a “human-in-the-loop” approach.
AI Fragmentation and Risk Shape AI Adoption
However, the industry remains highly fragmented. Vendor management systems, MSP platforms, direct sourcing tools, freelancer management systems, SOW solutions, and contractor compliance platforms often operate in isolation. There is currently no single AI orchestrator capable of unifying these systems into a seamless user experience. This fragmentation limits AI’s impact, creating friction rather than simplicity for program stakeholders.
At the same time, organizations are approaching AI with caution. Concerns around bias, ethics, data privacy, and regulatory compliance are prompting rigorous scrutiny of AI-enabled solutions. While enterprises want innovation, they also demand assurance that these technologies are safe, transparent, and aligned with evolving legislation. This tension between opportunity and risk will likely shape AI adoption curves well into 2026.
Total Talent Management and Hybrid MSP Models Align Talent Strategies
Beyond technology, the future of workforce management will be defined by broader structural shifts. One of the most significant is the growing movement toward total talent management. Long discussed but rarely executed at scale, total talent seeks to unify internal and external workforce strategies under a single framework. This approach enables shared talent pools, consolidated analytics, and holistic workforce planning that spans full-time, contingent, freelance, and project-based labor.
The benefits of total talent are substantial. Organizations gain visibility into skills across the entire workforce, enabling more effective deployment, upskilling, and mobility. Skills-based hiring becomes exponentially more powerful when applied across all worker types, allowing enterprises to focus on capabilities rather than headcount categories. Over time, this creates a more agile and resilient workforce capable of adapting to rapid market change.
Another notable trend is the growing shift toward in-house program management. Dissatisfaction with transactional MSP models is driving many organizations to bring contingent workforce oversight internally. Increasingly, former MSP professionals are joining client-side teams, enabling enterprises to replicate cost-saving tactics without outsourcing execution. However, this does not signal the end of service providers. Instead, hybrid models are emerging, where organizations retain strategic control while leveraging external expertise for design, stabilization, or specialized services.
This evolution reflects a broader mindset shift. Talent is no longer viewed solely as a cost center but as a strategic asset tied directly to revenue, innovation, and risk management. Workforce planning, once an afterthought for contingent labor, is becoming a core discipline. Organizations that succeed in this next phase will be those that align talent strategy with long-term business outcomes rather than short-term savings.
Looking toward 2026, the message is clear. Becker remarked that the future of workforce management will demand integrated thinking, talent-centric design, and thoughtful adoption of technology. AI will play a critical role, but only when paired with human expertise and holistic strategy. Direct sourcing, skills-based hiring, total talent management, and hybrid operating models will define the next generation of programs. For organizations willing to embrace this complexity, the reward will be a workforce built not just for efficiency, but for enduring competitive advantage.
