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

Announcing the “2024 VMS Technology Advisor” Report

Contingent Workforce Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/21/2024

Vendor Management System (VMS) platforms are considered the cornerstone of the workforce solutions market, delivering sophisticated and automated functionality that holistically oversee critical facets of contingent and extended workforce management. Integrated seamlessly with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in many cases, the VMS model has firmly established itself as a mature and pivotal platform in the ever-advancing realm of workforce management technology.

While early VMS iterations primarily served as automated procurement tools for staffing suppliers, these platforms have metamorphosed into the central “nexus” dictating all aspects of contingent and extended workforce management. Contemporary VMS solutions not only harmonize effortlessly with the principles of the Future of Work movement but also showcase remarkable advancements in navigating the intricacies of the modern workforce. In today’s dynamic, globalized technology market, Vendor Management Systems play a decisive role in charting the course of the “extended workforce.” This term encapsulates the next evolutionary phase, and modern VMS platforms have made substantial leaps in aligning with this progressive paradigm.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to announce the publication of the 2024 edition of its VMS Technology Advisor report, the market-leading guide designed to help procurement, HR, human capital, and talent acquisition executives navigate the complex and mature VMS solutions marketplace. The new report analyzes and assesses the primary VMS solution providers in the marketplace today and offers a variety of strengths, considerations, and market fits for each VMS platform evaluated as part of the rigorous research study.

For procurement, HR, and talent acquisition executives, and especially leaders tasked with managing extended and contingent workforce programs, this is the go-to guidebook for VMS solution selection. Access the report here.

How Next-Generation VMS Platforms Fuel Agile Automation

Contingent Workforce Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/18/2024

In the initial wave of Vendor Management Systems (when these solutions were typically known as “eProcurement for staffing”), simple automation of core requisition and supplier management processes was enough to drive functional value to the procurement- or HR-led contingent workforce programs of that era. As the corporate world evolved, however, businesses realized that the sharp uptick in external talent utilization meant that these workers were becoming not just a bigger piece of the total workforce, but also a more critical one as well. Today, more high-priority projects are led and managed by extended workers than ever before and the percentage gap between FTEs and contingent talent continues to shrink.

In 2024, leading enterprises are diving headfirst into this new era of talent and work, having been:

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model from the Future of Work Exchange.

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.

The Unique Impact of Direct Sourcing in Today’s World of Work

Direct Sourcing Talent Talent Acquisition by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/11/2024

Over the past three years, direct sourcing has dominated discussions across the world of talent and work, and rightfully so: it was a top priority for enterprises leading into the pandemic. During the first year or so of the crisis, businesses realized the workforce scalability and candidate experience enhancement inherent in direct sourcing programs.

Diversifying and expanding talent sources has become a critical element of this evolving world of work. Not only do businesses require the ability to directly source talent by transforming their operations into internal recruiting agencies, but they can also leverage their workplace culture, employer brand, and other organizational attributes to attract the best-fit talent and expertise.

This, of course, plays directly into the concept of “omni-channel talent acquisition,” in which hiring managers and recruiters (and, to a larger extended, the enterprise HR and talent acquisition functions) leverage real-time, on-demand talent culled from a variety of both digital and traditional sources, particularly digital staffing outlets, talent pools and talent communities, talent marketplaces, social media, and expert networks.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model from the Future of Work Exchange.

Click here to learn more.

The Fluidity of the Future of Work

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/05/2024

For well over a decade, the “Future of Work” phrase has elicited both excitement and confusion. There is an inherent joy associated with the pathways of progression around the concepts of “work,” yet, complexities remain from defining exactly what is the “future state” of how we work. As the phrase, and its subsequent movement, caught fire in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while the rules of work changed, the “Future of Work” became a foundational piece of business lexicon and we bore witness to an ever-evolving landscape of revolution, innovation, and technology.

Four years ago at this time, many of us (well, let’s be honest: all of us) were focused on the most critical of all Future of Work accelerants: remote and hybrid work. Who could know back then that this would open the floodgates into new and exciting ways of structuring workplace environments?

The Future of Work Exchange has oft-discussed this concept of “acceleration” in that pandemic-era restrictions, and, by consequence, the forced changes of how we work, pushed enterprises across the globe into a new era of work optimization.

With our backs against the proverbial wall, we responded by innovating. And by innovating, we continued to transform how we work, when we work, and where we work.

With nearly a quarter of 2024 in the books (time flies, doesn’t it?), the landscape of Future of Work-led shifts within the workplace (and how we work) represents the true fluidity of this movement; as technology continues to progress and as businesses seek to innovate around the areas of proficiency, efficiency, and productivity, we can anticipate a continuous evolution in the workplace dynamics, such as:

The much-vaunted four-day workweek. The Exchange’s John Yuva wrote about this strategy in 2023, finding that four-day workweeks “lead to lower stress levels as well as a happier and more loyal workforce,” as well as a major increase in productivity. The issue keeping the strategy from adoption, though? The vertical-to-vertical adherence to four days instead of five means that there’s a gap in customer- and client-facing servicing, leaving managers to struggle over another staffing issue in an era when the labor market is already volatile.
“Chronoworking” as a potential workplace disruptor. Chronoworking is innovative as it aligns work schedules with individuals’ peak productivity times, optimizing performance and creativity. However, its adoption can be challenging due to the need for a shift in traditional work paradigms, potential resistance from established routines, and the necessity for effective communication and coordination among team members following varied schedules
The convergence of new workforce generations and the importance of workplace culture. With Boomers mostly out of the workforce and Gen Xers approaching the last decade or so of their careers, it means that millennials and Gen Z workers represent the majority of today’s talent. Although this shift has been happening in some capacity over the past few years, the newer blend of workers means that there’s the utmost pressure on leaders to shore up workplace culture and ensure that the “work experience” meets the evolving requirements and desires of the younger generation.
The impact of AI on the workplace. Artificial intelligence is the next great level of innovation, with generative AI as its calling card. Generative AI is poised to revolutionize the future workplace by automating complex tasks, fostering creativity, and enhancing overall efficiency. Through its ability to autonomously generate content, solutions, and insights, generative AI will free up human resources to focus on higher-level decision-making and innovation. This transformative technology holds the potential to reshape workflows, streamline processes, and create a more dynamic and adaptive work environment, ultimately driving increased productivity and competitiveness in the evolving landscape of the modern workplace.

The Future of Work 2024

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing Events by Christopher J. Dwyer on 02/13/2024

Back in December, the Future of Work Exchange hosted an exclusive webcast focused on the trends and strategies that would shape the world of talent and work in 2024. Opptly’s Lori Hock (CEO), Beeline’s Teresa Creech (Chief Corporate Development Officer), and Talent Solutions TAPFIN’s Bill Peters (VP of Global Workforce Strategy) joined me to discuss the current and future impact of artificial intelligence, the continued evolution of direct sourcing, the reality of total talent management, and much more. If you missed the webinar, check out an on-demand replay below:

The Future of Work Exchange Podcast, Episode 715: A Conversation With Christy Forest, CEO and Executive Director at LiveHire

Podcast by Christopher J. Dwyer on 02/08/2024

The Future of Work Exchange Podcast welcomes Christy Forest, CEO and Executive Director at LiveHire, to discuss the current state of direct sourcing, the future of this high-impact strategy, the reality of total talent management, and much more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Worksuite, also highlights the importance of “balance” between human-centricity and digital evolution.

“Balance” in the Future of Work: Harmonizing Human Centricity and Digital Evolution

Business Leadership Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 02/05/2024

It can be tough to strategize around the best-fit approach for optimizing how we get work done. Digital-focused plans have been top-of-mind for the past several years, with the concept of “digital transformation” a rightly-hyped strategy that prioritizes automation, linkage of enterprise systems, scalability of core processes, and (most importantly) real-time convergence and access of insights and data.

However, the “digital enterprise” cannot survive on technology alone. Innovation does not occur in a vacuum, regardless of just how advanced businesses software (and hardware) is across the greater organization. “Human centricity” should be heralded as a proactive and forward-thinking approach that places not just people in the center of work optimization, but the skillsets inherent within the human workforce.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model from the Future of Work Exchange.

Click here to learn more.

Big Trends and Predictions for 2024 (Upcoming Webinar)

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/31/2024

The procurement function plays a critical role within the Future of Work movement. This business unit, in addition to their typical, operational prowess in optimizing spend management and supply management, also holds responsibility for influencing extended and contingent workforce management and its many links to the ways enterprises drive value from their non-employee talent. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange, in partnership with Beeline and iValua, are excited to host an exclusive webcast tomorrow focused on the big trends and predictions that will shape 2024 for this crucial enterprise function.

Andrew Bartolini (Ardent’s Chief Research Officer), Brian Hoffmeyer (SVP of Market Strategies at Beeline), and Vishal Patel (iValua’s VP of Marketing) will join me for a spirited discussion on hot-button topics such as inflation, economic conditions, the talent wars, extended workforce growth, direct sourcing, and the 2024 impact of artificial intelligence on business operations. Join us tomorrow (Thursday, February 1) at 10am ET. You won’t want to miss this event!

Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence in Talent Acquisition

Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/29/2024

The current deluge of artificial intelligence news and coverage in the wake of ChatGPT’s meteoric rise in utilization over the past eight months has resulted in many, many businesses pondering the relative future of their overall operations.

Will AI become the de-facto technology that all processes revolve around? Will AI replace the vast majority of human-led positions over the next several years? Does generative AI, like ChatGPT, signal the apocalypse?

Well, the answers here are “probably,” “possibly but probably not,” and, “no, we won’t live in a Terminator-styled future in which robots control the world.” Artificial intelligence is a powerful range of technologies that were designed (and continue to evolve) to mimic human thinking, automate redundant processes, and transform business operations into hyper-efficient layers that are harmoniously entwined.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model from the Future of Work Exchange.

Click here to learn more.

Talent Experts on FOWX — Evolution of Staffing and Growth of Extended Workforce

Direct Sourcing General Insights Podcast Solution Providers Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/25/2024

Our “Talent Expert Series” on FOWX features podcast excerpts of today’s Future of Work thought leaders who appear on The Future of Work Exchange Podcast. The series kicks off with an excerpt from Season 7, Episode 12 featuring Kara Kaplan, CEO of High5, as she discusses a range of topics from the evolution of staffing to the growth in the extended enterprise to the next stage of direct sourcing.

Click to listen to the full interview. Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.

Christopher Dwyer: Let’s begin with your general insights into the staffing industry, especially given your unique vantage point with High5. When you think of the evolution of staffing and the rise and continued growth of the extended workforce, where are we today?

Kara Kaplan: For starters, the evolution of staffing and the emergence of the extended workforce has ushered in this profound transformation that we’re seeing. It’s a fundamental shift in how companies view and engage with talent. The traditional employment model has been supplemented and, in some cases, supplanted by an extended workforce. Thus, you see many organizations today, if not most, embracing the extended workforce as an integral component of their talent strategy.

And when we look at the term “employee” in general, it’s really evolving with these new models. You have everything from full-time, part-time, contract, gig, remote, hybrid, shared and other terms emerging. Those organizations that rigidly stick to the traditional relationship are going to find themselves fighting an uphill battle. Conversely, enterprises that appreciate and use a mix of workforce models will ultimately be the ones that succeed and have access to more talent and better talent.

It’s more of an adaptation to the new global economy that we now live in and all the complexities and opportunities that are part and parcel of that global shift. At the end of the day, organizations need to embrace this evolution not as an option but more as a strategic imperative. The exciting thing is that organizations are starting to do that.

CD: There is definitely a talent revolution occurring and obviously companies like High 5 fit into that. However, how do you see companies like High5 and other digital staffing platforms fitting into this change in talent acquisition?

KK: Today’s talent revolution signifies a profound shift in how organizations acquire and engage talent. We’re seeing it become much more commoditized. Talent is more dynamic and diverse, as well as more digitally connected than ever before. With the rise of talent marketplaces and digital staffing solutions, they’ve been instrumental in reshaping talent acquisition strategies and truly enabling organizations to adapt and thrive in this global landscape.

At their core, talent marketplaces democratized new access to a global pool of talent. These platforms are empowering organizations to source talent with levels of speed and accuracy that were not possible just a short time ago. For example, in the recent past, when working with many staffing agencies, there was a significant amount of manual effort required in matching a worker with a shift — even if they had a robust ATS, it would only benefit them to a degree. However, today’s digital staffing solutions driven by artificial intelligence and automation have redefined the recruitment process and streamlined nearly everything from candidate sourcing to screening to onboarding and payrolling. It saves a vast amount of time and resources.

CD: In our industry when you think about digital staffing, what comes to mind is BMS, MSP, direct sourcing, total talent, workforce management technology, and artificial intelligence. AI has moved beyond hype and is generally accepted as table stakes in our industry. What are your views on AI and its impact?

KK: To your point, we can’t have this conversation without talking about generative AI and what it means. However, the idea that AI is table stakes for competitive differentiation may be overly simplistic. While AI can undoubtedly provide a significant edge, it’s not a cure-all as companies are seeing. Enterprises still have to remain focused on their core offerings and the human aspect of talent as well as customer relationships to build a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s certainly an exciting time for AI but also a scary one as well. AI is not going away and we’ll continue to hear frequently about the technology, but going forward we need to think about AI in the right way and in the smart way.

CD: Let’s pivot to direct sourcing which was gaining momentum even before the pandemic and is now another table-stakes strategy for businesses if they want to deepen their talent pool and scale their workforce. There’s so much more to direct sourcing than simply contingent recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). With that in mind, where do you see direct sourcing heading?

KK: So much has changed in just the year since I started High5. There’s no doubt that direct sourcing has emerged as a pivotal force in recruiting and is definitely here to stay. There are sessions at major conferences dedicated to direct sourcing with brands like Northern Trust, Toyota, and Meta espousing its benefits. When that starts to happen, the more prominence direct sourcing will have. Clearly, in terms of the future of direct sourcing, the benefits are there. However, its adoption will require an education process. Anytime an education process is involved, it’s going to slow things down, particularly from a sales cycle perspective, but that process plays a vital role in ensuring that organizations realize the efficacy of direct sourcing. To be successful means ensuring that best practices are being followed. When direct sourcing initiatives fail, it’s because they didn’t follow best practices. Again, I’m extremely bullish on the future of direct sourcing, but I do think it will take some time for that education to catch up.

CD: Before we wrap up, 2023 is quickly coming to an end. What do you see on the horizon in the year ahead?

KK: I wish I had a crystal ball. For us, 2024 is about strengthening our position in the market. Being known as the “tech first” company, we’re making heavy investments in our tech enablement, our marketplace, and our other platforms. We have a great deal of excitement around some of our recent tech acquisitions and the compelling value proposition that creates for us going forward.