Christopher J. Dwyer, Author at The Future of Work Exchange

The AI Revolution: GenAI’s Impact On The Future of Work

Contingent Workforce Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/16/2025

Generative AI (“GenAI”) is reshaping the landscape of talent acquisition and contingent workforce management, unlocking new efficiencies, smarter decision-making, and improved interactions across the hiring ecosystem. As this technology continues to evolve, it promises to fundamentally redefine how businesses source, oversee, assess, and report on both traditional employees and external talent, driving innovation at every stage of workforce strategy.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange, in collaboration with global workforce solution provider Magnit, are thrilled to introduce a groundbreaking eBook that explores the transformative role of AI—particularly GenAI —in reshaping talent management and workforce strategies.

This resource dives into how organizations can harness AI-driven insights, automation, and skills-based hiring to optimize talent acquisition, workforce agility, and operational efficiency. From streamlining hiring processes to enhancing decision-making and workforce planning, GenAI is set to revolutionize how businesses attract, manage, and engage top talent in an increasingly dynamic world of work. Click here to download the new study, and, check out an exclusive excerpt below:

Companies are using generative AI to better manage their workforce and respond to changing job market conditions. The technology analyzes large amounts of employee and workforce data to provide insights that help with hiring, retention, and development. Here are key ways organizations are using AI for workforce management:

Predicting employee turnover. Generative AI can identify which employees are likely to quit before traditional warning signs appear. The system analyzes employee data alongside current market salary information to spot patterns that typically lead to resignations. It then suggests specific actions managers can take to retain valuable employees, such as adjusting compensation or addressing engagement issues. Generative AI, through its application within MSP and VMS solutions, can also leverage its functionality to apply this predictive scope to contingent workers.
Improving performance reviews. Instead of using outdated annual reviews with fixed criteria, generative AI enables continuous performance monitoring that considers the complexity of each project and current market standards. The technology analyzes both measurable results and communication patterns to provide more complete feedback that helps employees improve while advancing their careers (and also helping to identify skills gaps and opportunities for reskilling/upskilling).
Creating better interview questions. Generative AI helps hiring teams develop interview questions that thoroughly assess candidates’ abilities. The system creates customized questions for each role that test technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. This leads to more effective interviews that better predict job success.
Customized training programs. Since organizations cannot always find perfect candidates in the job market, generative AI helps create personalized training plans for existing employees and contingent workers. By analyzing individual performance data, skill gaps, and market trends, the technology designs specific learning paths that help workers develop new abilities while meeting the company’s changing needs.

Download the new research eBook here.

Beeline’s Acquisition of MBO Partners Sparks a New Era for Extended Workforce Solutions

Contingent Workforce Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/12/2025

There are many differences between talent technology and workforce solutions than the rest of the enterprise market. Many industries, such as finance and operations, rely on a single system-of-record solution that serves as a lone, siloed engine for corporate processes. The world of talent, however, drives at a much faster clip and requires a deeper, more elegant network of solutions that address, enhance, and optimize the many facets of talent acquisition, workforce management, and candidate engagement.

When the Future of Work movement crosses lanes with the extended workforce, one “type” of solution just won’t cut it. Simply put: the world of talent moves differently. It operates at a faster velocity, requiring a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem of solutions that don’t just manage workflows but actively enhance, optimize, and amplify the many facets of workforce and hiring strategies that converge artificial intelligence, direct sourcing, talent communities, skills-based hiring, and, a long-growing segment of the extended workforce that is often mismanaged and unoptimized: independent contractors.

Today, global Vendor Management System (VMS) and extended workforce platform Beeline announced that it acquired MBO Partners, a leading provider of independent workforce solutions that, for nearly 30 years, has helped enterprises compliantly engage, manage, and retain high-value independent contractors and professional services talent.

“Managing independent contractors outside the VMS has long created fragmentation, inefficiency, and risk,” said Doug Leeby, Beeline CEO. “Enterprises have asked for a better way—a cohesive, global solution that delivers structure, compliance, and a seamless experience. We listened.”

Analysis of the acquisition:

Beeline has long provided solutions for managing independent contractors (ICs) within its extended workforce platform, but this acquisition takes that capability to the next level. By integrating MBO Partners’ expertise, services, and functionality, Beeline can now fully deliver on its promise to provide deeper support for this critical segment of the workforce—both for the talent itself and the businesses that rely on it.
As Beeline’s President of MBO, Teresa Creech (who will oversee the solution in a new role), told us, this acquisition is not simply an expansion of capabilities but an extension of Beeline’s firm commitment to drive flexibility, strategic control, and greater access to talent across all aspects of the extended workforce.
The integration of MBO’s core functionality will ensure, in typical independent contractor-enterprise relationships, that the skills and talent that normally exit the organization post-project will be maintained within the Beeline system…a boon for businesses that aim to retain and redeploy that expertise across the organization for future endeavors.

Within the talent technology ecosystem, this is a major acquisition from a powerful, mature player that will surely have ripple effects across the industry. From a Beeline perspective, this enables the platform to expand its strategic control over external talent beyond staffing, contingent labor, and professional services and into an IC market that has desperately required more cohesion and efficiency.

From an industry perspective, the acquisition translates into a new era for the extended workforce solutions market. It’s a bold move that doesn’t just expand capabilities—it reshapes how businesses control, sustain, and optimize their independent workforce.

The Future of Work Will Be Centered Around “Skills Tribes”

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/02/2025

If you’re an HR, talent acquisition, or workforce management leader, you’ll never again be able to escape the word “skills.” This is not an extreme thought leadership concept, nor is it one of those Future-Of-Work-Exchange-Hypes-An-Idea aspects of our industry…it’s just the hard truth of being an executive leader in 2025.

Skills are the lifeblood of the contemporary organization. It’s so true. Innovation, competition, progression, evolution, success, revenue, sales, business development…name one other corporate attribute that is linked to all of these?

Right…it’s all skills.

Furthermore, let’s discuss the hyper-relevant, top-of-mind strategies that are dominating the HR, extended workforce, talent acquisition, and recruitment arenas. Which concept stands out above all of the others?

Right…skills-based hiring.

According to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research, over the past 18 months, nearly 75% of organizations have prioritized skills in how they recruit and hire both traditional, full-time talent and contingent labor.

Skills-based hiring is revolutionizing how organizations acquire talent, shifting the focus from traditional credentials to demonstrated capabilities.

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To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the Future of Work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

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The Future of Work Exchange Podcast, Episode 803: A Conversation with Matthew Rodger, Chief Growth and Commercial Officer at AMS

Podcast by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/29/2025

The return of the Future of Work Exchange Podcast features a spirited discussion with AMS’ Chief Growth and Commercial Officer, Matthew Rodger. Matthew and I chat about the future of extended workforce management, the impact of AI on talent acquisition, and why contingent workforce programs must change in order to succeed in the months ahead. Check out the video below and stay tuned for the traditional, audio-only podcast on all major podcast platforms.

The FOWX Fifteen: Beeline

Contingent Workforce Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/27/2025

The FOWX Fifteen is an exclusive series at the Future of Work Exchange that highlights the industry’s innovative and disruptive platforms, solutions, and offerings that are driving the Future of Work movement. These providers are actively pushing talent technology innovation and ushering in a new, digital era of workforce management, staffing, and talent acquisition.

The Background

During The Great Recession of 2007-2008, an era that Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange pegged as “The Perfect Storm” event which triggered the first big spike in utilization of contingent labor, businesses experienced first-hand the ultimate value and impact of non-employee talent. In the span of less than 18 months, the average contingent workforce penetration rate exploded from 10%-to-12% to upwards of 18%.

In the years since, what we now call “the extended workforce” represents not only the future of talent, but, truly, the Future of Work. With nearly half (49.8%) of the typical organization’s total talent comprised of contingent workers in 2024, the very realm of contingent workforce management has traversed beyond a tactical, manual-laden series of tasks into a truly strategic force that sits in the center of a new world of work and talent.

From skills-based hiring and direct sourcing to diverse staffing and forward-thinking, Future of Work-oriented functionality, the contemporary extended workforce necessitates next-generation automation that can fuel total talent intelligence and help realize the definitive value of non-employee talent.

Enter Beeline.

Why They Were Selected

Beeline represents the veritable evolution of extended workforce solutions through its powerful array of artificial intelligence-led functionality, robust services procurement offerings, agile analytics and reporting, and longtime commitment to talent technology innovation.

Beeline has not just revolutionized the facets of contingent workforce technology, though. Beeline Acuity is one of the industry’s most groundbreaking talent intelligence tools: it is an innovative workforce analytics and compliance engine that integrates disparate data from multiple sources into a cohesive view to provide a complete picture of an organization’s workforce.

Acuity’s place alongside the solution’s extended workforce platform (itself a giant leap from traditional VMS automation), its Best-in-Class services procurement/SOW module, and other key offerings (such as the mid-market-focused Beeline Professional and its digital staffing powerhouse, JoinedUp), is a welcome addition to a Future of Work-era provider that continues to be talent-centric, humanity-led, and innovation-driven.

In Their Own Words

“At Beeline, we are honored to be recognized by Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange as a leader in shaping the Future of Work. This accolade reflects our commitment to innovation and our dedication to driving meaningful transformation. As the workforce evolves, so must our approach—moving away from the traditional ‘command and control’ model toward one focused on enablement and oversight. AI plays a crucial role in this shift, empowering organizations to make smarter, faster decisions while amplifying the unique human qualities of judgment, creativity, and empathy. At Beeline, we see AI as the catalyst for unlocking the true potential of the external workforce.” – Colleen Tiner, Chief Product Officer at Beeline

The Outlook

True AI integrated into end-to-end automation? Check. Firm commitment to extended workforce innovation? Check. Candidate- and human-centric solution design that is aligned with the new, progressive era of work and talent? Check. Beeline’s VMS and extended workforce functionality is, and will continue to be, synonymous with the Future of Work movement.

Opptly’s Great Leap Into Skills Intelligence: The Foundation of Modern Talent Acquisition

Direct Sourcing Solution Providers Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 04/29/2025

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing that traditional hiring approaches are insufficient. Forward-thinking enterprises are pivoting to skills-based hiring—a strategy that focuses on candidates’ actual capabilities and expertise rather than their credentials or work history (or, from a recruitment perspective, the mere superficial “match” between their history/portfolio and job prerequisites).

Skills-based hiring represents a fundamental shift in how companies identify, attract, and retain talent. By prioritizing demonstrable abilities over traditional proxies like education or previous job titles and roles, organizations can access wider talent pools, improve diversity efforts, and build more adaptable and agile workforces. This approach is particularly valuable in technology/IT, healthcare, manufacturing, marketing, and other fast-changing sectors where formal qualifications quickly become outdated, but practical skills remain essential.

At the heart of effective skills-based hiring lies skills intelligence—the comprehensive understanding of the specific capabilities required for success, both now and in the future. Skills intelligence essentially entails the mapping of the current skills landscape within an organization, identifying critical gaps, and developing strategies to address those gaps through targeted recruitment and development initiatives, including (but not limited to) direct sourcing, talent communities, and deeper extended workforce engagement.

Contemporary skills intelligence platforms leverage AI and machine learning to create detailed taxonomies that identify relationships between different skills, predict emerging skill requirements, and match candidates to positions based on capabilities rather than just work history. These platforms can analyze job descriptions, resumes, and performance data to create a dynamic, evolving picture of an organization’s skill needs and assets.

For enterprises implementing direct sourcing strategies—a strategic talent acquisition approach where organizations proactively identify, engage, and hire contingent workers through internal channels and talent pools and an in-house recruitment initiative—skills intelligence provides the critical foundation. It enables talent acquisition teams to clearly articulate requirements, efficiently screen candidates, and make deeper, data-driven hiring decisions. Without comprehensive visibility into workforce capabilities, direct sourcing programs may devolve into simple expense reduction initiatives rather than serving as powerful competitive differentiators that transform talent acquisition and deployment strategies.

Skills intelligence also supports other progressive talent strategies, such as internal mobility programs, reskilling initiatives, and the creation of talent marketplaces. By understanding the skills present in their current workforce, organizations can more effectively deploy their human capital, identify development opportunities, and build succession plans.

As automation and AI continue to transform work, skills intelligence becomes even more crucial. It helps organizations anticipate which roles might be automated, which new skills will become necessary, and how to prepare their workforce for coming changes. In this way, skills intelligence serves not just as a recruitment tool but as a cornerstone of organizational strategy and resilience.

The enterprises that thrive in the coming decade will be those that master skills intelligence and skills-based hiring—building workforces defined not by static qualifications but by adaptable, future-ready capabilities.

Artificial intelligence platform Opptly, which has transcended the arena of direct sourcing and talent acquisition technology to become a true “people intelligence” solution, recently launched its Skills Intelligence tool.

“Skills Intelligence represents a pivotal advancement in talent acquisition technology,” said Lori Hock, CEO of Opptly. “Organizations have long struggled with the complexity of matching talent to roles effectively. By harnessing the power of AI to analyze skills in real-time, we’re not just streamlining the hiring process – we’re fundamentally transforming how companies build and evolve their workforce. This platform empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions that ensure they’re not just filling positions, but building future-ready talent communities.”

A standout feature of the platform is its Job Taxonomy Analyzer, which addresses the complexities of skills data management in talent acquisition. This innovative tool can process multiple job descriptions simultaneously, analyze over 2,000 skills within a comprehensive taxonomy, and achieve up to 99% skills similarity scoring. Its unparalleled precision empowers hiring managers to make data-driven decisions, ensuring the right candidates are matched with the right opportunities.

Skills Intelligence also offers an array of functionalities designed to reshape hiring strategies. From lightning-fast skills analysis and bulk processing capabilities to advanced job family mapping and a robust skills database, the platform is tailored to meet the needs of talent acquisition leaders, contingent workforce program managers, and hiring teams. Its flexible input options allow users to process job descriptions and resumes seamlessly, while detailed reporting provides valuable insights across organizational groups.

“Today’s hiring managers don’t have the time to sort through hundreds of resumes, hoping the right skills stand out,” said Craig Coe, SVP of Global Customer Success, Beeline. “With AI, it’s now possible to quickly surface candidates whose skills—both listed and inferred—match the requirements of the role. The result? Significant time savings and stronger engagement outcomes, as managers can focus on a smaller, more curated pool of qualified talent. Hiring managers need both speed and accuracy. AI delivers by quickly identifying candidates with the right skills—both stated and inferred—enabling faster, more precise hiring decisions.”

By incorporating generative AI, Skills Intelligence equips organizations with the tools to evaluate candidates effectively and ensure job descriptions align with current market demands. With features like automated job matching, skill gap identification, and updated job description generation, this platform redefines how companies approach recruitment, delivering a smarter and more strategic way to build their workforce.

Skills Intelligence bridges a crucial gap in talent acquisition, delivering actionable insights and enabling seamless collaboration between HR teams and hiring managers. Its ability to analyze resumes and job descriptions with precision ensures that hiring decisions are based on comprehensive, up-to-date information. By aligning job requirements with market demands and highlighting skills gaps, the platform supports organizations in building stronger, more agile workforces that are equipped to thrive in competitive industries.

Furthermore, Skills Intelligence empowers organizations to streamline hiring initiatives through automation and advanced analytics. Its integration capabilities allow for effortless synchronization with HR systems, reducing redundancies and ensuring consistency across all processes. With tools like the Job Taxonomy Analyzer and customizable job description library, the platform fosters greater efficiency and accuracy, positioning itself as a transformative force in modern recruitment strategies.

Since we started using Opptly Skills Intelligence, our conversations with clients about the value of skills-based hiring have taken on a life of their own,” said Raleen Gagnon, CEO of TalentEdgeAI. “Seeing where roles overlap and diverge based on the skills required creates a new level of understanding that can drive job descriptions, interview questions, and compensation strategy. Having the ability to quickly compare roles and develop new job profiles makes every conversation as valuable as a white-boarding session!”

As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of a fast-evolving workforce landscape, Opptly’s Skills Intelligence tool emerges as a transformative solution that bridges gaps between talent acquisition, workforce planning, artificial intelligence, and organizational strategy. By leveraging advanced AI capabilities, companies can redefine their hiring processes, align workforce capabilities with future demands, and create agile, resilient teams that drive sustainable growth. Opptly’s great leap into the future represents a strategy that empowers organizations to build competitive, future-ready workforces in an increasingly skills-driven world.

The Incredible Potential of the Modern Talent Tech Ecosystem

Contingent Workforce Solution Providers Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 04/01/2025

There are perhaps dozens of various attributes that sets apart the talent and work technology arena apart from others. Think of the inherent relationships between solutions, staffing suppliers, talent acquisition leaders, hiring managers, and tech platforms. Think of the numerous collaborations between talent management solutions and workforce intelligence providers.

And, now, think of another thing that sets this space apart: the integrations, the coordination, the nuances, and the ultimate power of the talent technology ecosystem.

Many other industries rely on core integrations between integral systems for the sake of operational efficiency; think ERP and financial planning, or maybe spend management and accounts payable. The partnerships in those arenas are certainly robust and provide its millions of users with necessary information, data, and intelligence, as well as contemporary process orientation, to effectively manage hundreds of enterprise tactics.

The difference between these “other” industries and the human capital world is this: there are substantially more expansive outlets of value from the technology ecosystem in talent solutions, ranging from higher-quality candidates, a better overall ROI on talent strategies, deeper visibility into talent intelligence, and, most importantly, the ability to truly transform the realm of innovation within the greater enterprise through next-generation skills and expertise.

So, this is so much more than “Solution A” integrates with “Platform B,” and it’s more expansive than a handful of technology systems working together in such a way to improve processes or drive efficiency.

We’re not talking just cost efficiency or improvements in operations. This is about the total transformation of how we address how work is done. This is about the ways businesses harness the true power of technology, automation, relationships, and innovation to become truly and formally agile.

This is the Future of Work.

What makes this ecosystem truly revolutionary is how…

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Introducing a New Subscription Model

To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the future of work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

Click here to learn more.

2025 Future of Work Trends and the Role of the MSP

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Events Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/25/2025

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining Atrium and their Chief Revenue Officer, Brad Martin, for an exclusive webcast that not only focused on the trends that will shape the Future of Work and extended workforce in 2025, but also unveiled an “MSP playbook” for those enterprises currently leveraging Managed Service Provider offerings or those businesses seeking their next workforce solution. Check out an on-demand recording of the webinar below.

The Future of the MSP Model Hinges on Future of Work Innovation

Contingent Workforce Procurement Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/03/2025

Earlier this year, I wrote a feature on the next generation of Managed Service Providers that focused on how these solutions have evolved over the past several years to meet the dynamic needs of recruitment, contingent workforce, and talent acquisition programs across the globe.

Ordinarily, another feature would take, let’s say, a few months before revisiting the scope of MSPs, right? Well, no. There’s so much more to be said about how the MSP model is becoming a nexus of Future of Work innovation.

“Innovation” in and of itself is an interesting concept; given where we are in the greater Future of Work movement, the talent technology industry is awash in new technology, enhanced functionality, fresh approaches to automation, and a convergence of both old- and new-school hiring strategies.

Late last year, Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange had the opportunity to evaluate and analyze the Managed Service Provider arena. The MSP Solution Advisor provider landscape highlighted the strengths and differentiators of 13 global managed services solutions.

One of the major learnings for me, even after nearly two decades in this industry, revolved around the idea of innovation within the MSP world. Many enterprises that leverage the MSP model for extended workforce management do so with “traditional” outcomes in mind: outsourced CW processes, payroll support, staffing supplier management, with a sprinkle of “next-gen” approaches like direct sourcing and skills-based hiring.

However, the Managed Service Provider structure is a foundational solution for talent engagement, workforce management, and Future of Work-era thinking for a major reason: many of these providers are actively blending their robust features with offerings that drive scalability, talent sustainability, and talent intelligence.

Companies mentioned in this article include Magnit, Airswift Resourcing, HireGenics, and KellyOCG.

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The Extended Workforce Continues to Drive Value

Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 02/25/2025

The Future of Work is many things: technology, transformation, work optimization, innovation, collaboration, and, of course, talent. Depending on who you’re talking to, the Future of Work movement’s nexus could be defined as any of those previous attributes, and rightfully so: technology and innovation drive the optimization of how work is done, while the transformation of business leadership translates into an enhanced ability to retain top talent while attracting new skillsets and expertise.

The extended workforce has long been a critical realm within the concept of the Future of Work, fueling a strategic approach towards talent management that has a variety of key benefits ranging from shorter-term engagement, more focused projects and initiatives, access to the world’s deepest skillsets, and the traditional cost savings that have long been associated with this type of labor.

And, speaking of the “traditional” aspects of the extended workforce: the Future of Work Exchange defines this talent as the natural evolution of the contingent workforce, meaning that, at its core, this workforce is still comprised of non-employee talent, however, its impact, value, flexibility, purpose, and accessibility have all progressed to become key elements of the Future of Work movement (even more so than ever before).

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