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Contingent Workforce

The 2025 MSP Playbook, Part I

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingEvents by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Just last week, I had the opportunity to join Atrium and their Chief Revenue Officer, Brad Martin, for an exclusive webcast focused not only on the 2025 trends that will shape the Future of Work, but also the impact of the Managed Service Provider (MSP) model on those areas in the months ahead. Today’s article is the first of a two-part series that will recap Brad and I’s discussion.

The “Strategic” Contingent Workforce Program: A Major Priority for 2025

Nearly 65% of organizations (as discovered by Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research) state that they plan to develop a more strategic foundation around their contingent workforce programs in 2025. As the extended workforce marches to its 50% threshold (49.7% of the average organization’s total workforce is now considered non-employee), it is critical that businesses take a more deliberate pathway towards managing this type of talent in lieu of leveraging traditional, archaic, and “tactical” approaches that undermine the greater impact of the contingent workforce.

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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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Mental Health Steps Out of the Workforce Shadows

Contingent WorkforceHR by John Yuva on

Today’s remote and in-person workforce is doing more with fewer people, which is putting renewed focus on a critical Future of Work topic — employee mental health. When left untreated, mental health concerns can lead to substantial costs for enterprises — $60,000 annually for one organization and $105 billion nationwide — according to the Center for Prevention and Health Services. The COVID-19 pandemic helped bring the issue of employee mental health further into the forefront. However, HR and workplace leaders must do more to recognize and address what has historically been a stigma-plagued health issue. Ignoring the effects of workplace stress, anxiety, and burnout often leads to productivity and performance decline as well as employee satisfaction and retention challenges.

A Prevalent Health Issue   

In its “2025 Workforce Mental Health Trends Forecast,” report, Lyra cites stress as the “common denominator” most affecting workplace mental health where “more than 1 in 3 HR and benefits leaders identified work-related stress and burnout as the most common challenge impacting employees, citing ‘excessive workload’ as the main work-related factor negatively affecting mental health.”

Among the report statistics:

  • 50% of respondents reported that stress and anxiety impact their workers throughout the past year
  • 39% of HR and benefit leaders cite financial stress as a top-three factor affecting workforce mental health (more than doubling last year’s 18%)
  • 24% ranked managerial stress as the third-leader workplace stressor by HR and benefit leaders
  • 22% cited incivility and unruly behavior at work as negatively impacting their mental health.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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The NPS Fallacy and Why We Need To Continue to Embrace the MSP and VMS Models

Contingent WorkforceTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The past five years have brought unprecedented change to the greater world of work. The COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses across the globe to reevaluated business operations in the face of critical change. Too, the ramifications of the virus itself on human lives (both physical and emotional) sparked people to reimagine how they approached the very concept of “life.”

The unimagine toll of the pandemic was, of course, heartbreaking. Talk to anyone who lost someone from COVID, or, speak to someone who is still suffering from the devastating effects of long COVID. Don’t ever forget how unemployment sparked to 15% in those early, scary months.

I’ve often said (many times on the Future of Work Exchange Podcast) that it’s incredibly difficult to find a “silver lining” amongst the destruction. However, what occurred in the direct wake of the pandemic and throughout the years that followed was a new sense of “thinking” that cascaded from reevaluating business processes into questioning just exactly how we got work done.

So, we head into 2025 with a sharp sense of wonder unlike any other year before. We are free to question anything and everything, free to desire innovation, and, of course, free to pursue the change that we need to experience in order to evolve.

The world of work and talent has long been buoyed by several key solutions, particularly MSP and VMS, that have anchored many of the world’s foremost extended workforce and talent acquisition programs. Now, you may be wondering: “Chris, what the hell is going on? What do MSP and VMS have to do with “change” and “desire” and “evolution” and the pandemic and such?”

Good question. It has become commonplace to push back on ordinary conventions both in our personal and professional lives. We are free to question and ask “Why?” in the face of continued change in business operations, daily life, etc.

I’ve spent nearly 20 years in the extended workforce, HR tech, and talent technology industries. I’ve seen monumental change, I’ve seen transformation first-hand, and I’ve experienced the so-called “evolution” that we all like to believe occurs as technology and innovation continue to expand.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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What’s Your 2025 MSP Strategy?

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral Insights by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Managed Service Providers (MSP) have long been an extended workforce management powerhouse. The MSP model has long been a cornerstone of contingent workforce management, offering comprehensive solutions for businesses seeking to outsource their staffing operations. However, as the enterprise workforce landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, MSPs have evolved to meet these new challenges head-on. Over the past three decades, MSPs have established themselves as the premier and most established solution in the workforce technology and services market.

This begs the question: how are the major trends heading into 2025, such as direct sourcing, AI, and skills-based hiring, for example, changing how businesses leverage MSPs? What goes into an official “playbook” for optimizing utilization of an MSP model?

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange have teamed up with Atrium for an exclusive webcast focused on major 2025 headwinds within the staffing, HR, contingent workforce, and talent acquisition markets and their impact on the Managed Service Provider model.

I’m thrilled to join Atrium’s Chief Revenue Officer, Brad Martin, for an engaging event that will highlight:

  • The digitization of talent management. Leveraging AI-driven analytics, automated workflows, and integrated platforms to create a more responsive and intelligent workforce program.
  • Strategic program design. Building flexible, tailored MSP solutions that align with an organization’s culture, industry challenges, and growth objectives.
  • The next-generation talent initiative. Creating measurable pathways to expand and broaden talent channels, eliminate bias in selection processes, and foster inclusive contingent workforce programs.
  • Reimagining the value of the MSP. Balancing cost efficiency with quality outcomes through data-driven decision making, strategic sourcing, and enhanced supplier partnerships, and;
  • The link between MSPs and the Future of Work. How do MSPs support Future of Work-driven strategies, such as direct sourcing and skills-based hiring?

Click here or on the image below to register. See you then!

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Future of Work 2025: Predictions for the Year Ahead (Part III)

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

2024 was another watershed year for the world of work and talent…and 2025 promises to be another transformational period in business history. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to unveil a series of predictions over the next few weeks from industry thought leaders.

“In 2025, mid-market companies will increasingly rely on their external workforce to achieve their objectives. This will be the catalyst for staffing’s rebound, with these organizations embracing technology to automate and streamline their processes. For these mid-market companies, speed-to-value is paramount, driving them toward comprehensive technology solutions that offer modern, user-friendly interfaces, and simplified implementation.”

– David Barthel, SVP, Global Sales, Beeline

“We’re going to see a demand increase in skilled labor in the early part of 2025. Industries like manufacturing, LI, and similar verticals are going to peak shortly (some have already have due to seasonal attributes). For IT, engineering, and professional skills, we may not see demand increase until the dust settles on a new presidential administration…possibly in Q3 2025.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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Future of Work 2025: Predictions for the Year Ahead (Part II)

Contingent WorkforceDirect SourcingSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

2024 was another watershed year for the world of work and talent…and 2025 promises to be another transformational period in business history. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to unveil a series of predictions over the next few weeks from industry thought leaders.

“2025 is a year of growth and transition.  We will see a seamless integration of technology and human potential as the workforce continues to evolve with the advances in AI.”

– Janette Marx, CEO, Airswift 

“Gone are the days of operationally-led MSPs; in 2025, there will be even more of an expectation of “self-service” from enterprises. MSPs will not survive without next-generation technology that can enable self-serve, omni-channel talent acquisition and talent management approaches. This will be critical as skills-based hiring becomes more of a focus for business leaders in 2025. There will be a need for the convergence of self-service functionality, Best-in-Class platforming, and modernized talent community/talent-pooling development.”

– Tammy Browning, SVP and President, KellyOCG

“Clients will start demanding the highest levels of service.  They are looking for partners who are in the service business that happens to be technology-enabled.  Companies with exemplary service offerings will win!”

– Denise Stalker, SVP, Managed Services, TalentProcure

“I believe in 2025 we are going to see the rapid development of AI coupled with more concrete regulation. I think we can all agree that AI is going to be pivotal in the human capital space and that the hesitancy around adoption because of the unknown will continue to diminish as we understand more about how AI works. I look forward to exploring AI in the extended workforce and will also be interested to see how regulations will come to follow. 

Often times with uncertainty we see a rise in extended workforce utilization, but what that looks like I predict will be different than previous years. While, yes, there will likely be an increase in your traditional staff augmentation there will also be increased utilization of outsourced organizations through services procurement as well as increased utilization of talent platforms. This will create challenges in getting a full read of your extended workforce unless you make a conscious effort to consolidate your workforce data into one system.”

– Taylor Ramchandani, VP of Strategy, VectorVMS

“2024 was the year of resilience, and in 2025, the U.S. staffing industry is expected to continue its transformation, driven by technological advancements, changing workforce expectations, and macroeconomic factors. Temporary staffing will likely see a rise in demand due to ongoing flexibility in employment patterns across sectors such as healthcare, IT, and logistics. The healthcare sector, in particular, may experience significant growth, spurred by aging demographics and an ongoing demand for skilled healthcare professionals. Similarly, the IT sector will likely fuel demand for temporary talent to address project-based needs in emerging technologies like AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

Permanent placement and direct-hire services are expected to grow with the rise of hybrid and remote work models, employers may focus on sourcing highly-skilled, geographically-diverse talent. Additionally, executive search is projected to grow as companies prioritize leadership with expertise in navigating digital transformation and sustainability challenges. 

One area where we can continue to experience significant growth is the Gig Economy and freelance staffing platforms, using AI-driven platforms to connect employers with niche talent pools, particularly in creative, IT, and technical roles. These trends suggest staffing organizations will thrive if they’re increasingly specialized, technology-driven, and aligned with the needs of a flexible, skills-oriented workforce.”

– Greg Iannuzzi, Director of Client Solutions, Ceipal

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Future of Work 2025: Predictions for the Year Ahead (Part I)

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

2024 was another watershed year for the world of work and talent…and 2025 promises to be another transformational period in business history. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to unveil a series of predictions over the next few weeks from industry thought leaders.

“The workplace and talent landscape are rapidly evolving, driven by relentless innovation, particularly through advancements in artificial intelligence within the talent technology ecosystem. Enterprises are increasingly integrating AI-powered capabilities into their talent engagement and acquisition processes, enabling skills-based hiring, and transforming recruitment and workforce management. This evolution not only streamlines operations but also empowers individuals by creating more dynamic and engaging opportunities, aligning roles with skills, and enabling personalized career pathways. In 2025, AI is set to become the pervasive force propelling the Future of Work.”

– Lori Hock, CEO, Opptly

“After a couple of years of uncertainty and, as a result, declines in contingent labor spend at many companies; 2025 will be a year of growth. This will be driven by new features and services, including AI that is practical, ethical, and compelling.”

– Brian Hoffmeyer, SVP of Market Strategies, Beeline

“Companies that have upgraded their tech stack in the last 3-to-5 years will surge ahead in 2025, leaving behind those that haven’t.”

– Brad Talwar, CEO, TalentBurst

“As a parent to a college sophomore, I’m excited about how the workforce is evolving to offer GenZ a different lifestyle.  Gone are the days of staying with one company for PTO accruals (me and my love of travel), employers will continue to be challenged to find creative ways to retain talent and remember to focus on the new generation’s passion, not ours.”

– Tracey Klein, Fractional Leader, Advisor, and Collaborator, Klein Consulting

“Individual contributors that are fatigued by all the artificial intelligence changes will resist the demands from company ownership to become more comfortable using these ever-growing set of tools. This will lead to a reduced overall corporate employee base and an increase in entrepreneurship.

Value in the physical world will take more center stage. Clinical and light industrial optimization will take more focus. These areas that have historically lagged the traditional commercial side in terms of data-driven decisions will enjoy a renaissance when it comes to data optimization.”

– Chris Radvansky, Owner, Rad Consultants

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Enterprise Agility Through Tribal Teams

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral Insights by John Yuva on

Most of us worked remotely during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We adapted quickly to new ways of working and communicating. Often, we had to collaborate differently to gain transparency and complete projects. That usually meant pulling employees from other departments into team meetings or creating more diversified, cross-functional virtual teams —with enterprise agility as the objective. The need for agility since the pandemic began is now embedded within leading enterprises. So, too, is the agile concept of workplace tribes to innovate and solve business challenges.

What Is a Tribe?

Workplace tribes are comprised of 100 or fewer employees who bring interdisciplinary backgrounds to their groups. Rather than focusing on one large business objective, tribes are assigned specific aspects of a project or initiative. For example, an enterprise may be looking for new customer markets. A tribe could have members from procurement, logistics, marketing, finance, and others who are assigned a precise country to explore its viability.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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Employee Engagement Still Lacks Execution

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral InsightsHRTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Today’s enterprises can be characterized as fast-paced, ever-evolving to effectively respond to a more dynamic marketplace. Within the hustle and bustle lies a critical workforce need that is often overlooked: employee engagement. The concept can be confused with simply offering employees certain monthly perks identified from a quick survey. However, it goes much deeper than that and reaches beyond permanent, full-time employees to those in the extended workforce, as well.

A well-rounded definition of employee engagement comes from Engage For Success: “Employee engagement is a workplace approach resulting in the right conditions for all members of an organization to give of their best each day, committed to their organization’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organizational success, with an enhanced sense of their own well-being.”

Powerful, Yet Underutilized

It is that commitment toward oneself and the enterprise that makes employee engagement such a powerful workforce approach. Yet, as a Gallup survey indicates, only 36% of U.S. employees are engaged in their work and workplace. The number is even lower on a global scale, with only 20% of employees engaged at work.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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Digital Credentials Provide Talent Visibility, Skill Recognition

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsHRTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

As people’s careers progress, they establish a professional profile comprised of a resume, portfolio, performance reviews, letters of recommendation, degrees, certifications, memberships, and other career achievements. Often, these paper-based items are dispersed and sometimes forgotten over time. However, they are all critical pieces of employees’ professional identities that make them unique in the workforce. Even more important, they represent their skills and competencies to potential or current employers.

What is the answer? Enter the world of digital credentials.

A Digitized, Verifiable Professional Profile

At the foundational level, candidates convert their professional profiles into digitized and verifiable credentials that enterprises access quickly and securely when recruiting or promoting staff. In today’s aggressive labor market, having digital credentials is a competitive differentiator in the workforce. It separates a candidate’s application from random submissions, thus streamlining the selection process and generating cost savings for the hiring enterprise through greater efficiencies.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

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.

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