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healthcare, manufacturing, marketing, and other fast-changing sectors where formal qualifications quickly become outdated, but practical skills remain essential.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.

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DEX is a term that describes worker effectiveness in using digital tools. DEX is a growing area as companies adopt more digital tools to augment their dispersed workforces. Companies want to ensure the tools they have integrated into the workplace are intuitive and enhance worker productivity.

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The session featured Ardent Partners’ Founder and Chief Research Officer, Andrew Bartolini, and Senior Vice President of Research, Christopher Dwyer, as well as experts from Ivalua and Beeline, as they explored trends and predictions that procurement teams in all sectors and regions can leverage to better prepare and strategize for what lies ahead in 2025.

As part of the webcast, Christopher Dwyer spoke about the trends and predictions within the Future of Work space.

In this two-part series, we provide some webcast highlights of that discussion and a link to the full event.

The Role of Data in Supplier Management and AI Transformation

With the increased focus on supplier management, the role of data has become more crucial than ever. Organizations are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to improve risk management, supplier performance, and overall procurement efficiency. However, AI is only as effective as the data it processes. A fundamental challenge that persists in supplier data management is the inconsistency and fragmentation of data across multiple systems. Organizations must prioritize creating a consolidated and accurate data foundation to maximize AI’s potential in supplier management.

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The post Part Two: Procurement 2025: BIG Trends and Predictions — A Future of Work Perspective appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.

The session featured Ardent Partners’ Founder and Chief Research Officer, Andrew Bartolini, and Senior Vice President of Research, Christopher Dwyer, as well as experts from Ivalua and Beeline, as they explored trends and predictions that procurement teams in all sectors and regions can leverage to better prepare and strategize for what lies ahead in 2025.

As part of the webcast, Christopher Dwyer spoke about the trends and predictions within the Future of Work space.

In this two-part series, we provide some webcast highlights of that discussion and a link to the full event.

Driving Forces in the Future of Work

The Future of Work is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by three major forces: the evolution of talent engagement, the advent of new technology, and a shift in business thinking. As organizations navigate this rapidly changing landscape, several key trends and predictions are emerging that will define workforce strategies in the years ahead.

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The post Part One: Procurement 2025: BIG Trends and Predictions — A Future of Work Perspective appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.

The post 2025 Future of Work Trends and the Role of the MSP appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.

Enterprises and HR executives who are not at least exploring the possibilities of AI’s impact on CWM will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage when sourcing talent and executing extended workforce strategies. Beeline stated that the “effects of AI in extended workforce management are just beginning and can be seen shaping how jobs are described, how candidates are evaluated, and how contracts are written. AI will soon be employed for more strategic outcomes like workforce planning, workforce optimization, and total workforce management.”

AI Paves Several Paths for CWM 

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I’ve been in the contingent workforce and HR tech space for nearly 20 years.

Now, like most of the folks in our amazing industry, I got here by accident. While I love the CWM space and the many, many friends I’ve made along the way, I didn’t set out to be an in analyst in this arena when I was college. (No, I aspired to be a journalist, a conversation for another day…)

So, I say this seeing so many market-shifting events, including the “perfect storm” of the contingent workforce’s growth spike in 2008-2009, a “reawakening” during the pandemic, and today’s AI-driven, skills-based hiring arena:

The CW programs of today aren’t built for tomorrow….

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thods within extended workforce management.

The post Reimagining Contingent Workforce Management: A Strategic Imperative for 2025 appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.

There are several phrases that send our industry into huffy-puffy overdrive and cause undue stress. However, no concept, idea, phrase, or whatever draws more scrutiny and frustration than “total talent management.”

Way back in 2012 (which seems like forever ago), I co-authored the industry’s very first paper on total talent management. Back then, with wide eyes and a dreamy attitude, I concluded that “total talent management should not just be a pipe dream for enterprises, but rather an accepted future state that will eventually become the foundation of all recruitment and talent acquisition strategies.”

Yeah, that “eventually” in there…let’s ignore it for a second.

Back then, the extended workforce comprised, on average, 25% of the average company’s total talent pool. Back then, solutions like RPO, MSP, VMS, etc. weren’t evolving or innovating as quickly as they are today. And, back then, we weren’t awash in new and exciting talent acquisition strategies (like skills-based hiring) that are representative of the changing times of a post-pandemic labor market.

So, flash-forward to 2025.

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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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The post The 2025 MSP Playbook, Part I appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.

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!

The post What’s Your 2025 MSP Strategy? appeared first on The Future of Work Exchange.