Technology and Innovation Archives - 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 Instead of using outdated annual reviews with fixed criteria, generative AI enables continuous performance monitoring that considers the complexity of each project and current market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.

Examining the Leading Workforce Management Priorities in 2025

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing General Insights HR Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 06/12/2025

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange (FOWX) conduct a variety of workplace and Future of Work research. In this new series, we’re taking a deep dive into a chart from a recent research effort and providing analysis to bring you the latest technology trends impacting today’s workforce.

This week, we’re looking at 2025 workforce management priorities, with a chart (see below) that offers a compelling snapshot of how enterprises are reshaping their workforce strategies to thrive in a fast-changing, increasingly digitized economy. At the heart of these priorities lies a clear and deliberate shift: enterprises are placing greater emphasis on agility, innovation, and value creation through a more strategic use of external talent, automation, and direct sourcing. Each of the top three priorities — optimizing utilization of external talent (92%), amplifying digitization, AI, and automation (89%), and implementing direct sourcing strategies (81%) — reflects not only a response to near-term workforce pressures but also a broader, long-term transformation in how work gets done.

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.

Enterprises Prioritize Total Talent Management Investment

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing General Insights Procurement Talent Technology and Innovation Uncategorized by John Yuva on 06/05/2025

This week, we’re looking at the level of automation and technology support across several workforce domain areas. When looking at those areas currently automated or supported via technology, it reveals a fragmented landscape where a couple domains are much more digitized than others. However, when comparing planned automation and tech support over the next 18 to 24 months, it’s clear most organizations are prioritizing automation in the near future.

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.

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.

Direct Sourcing: Moving Beyond the Buzzword into Strategic Workforce Value

Direct Sourcing General Insights Podcast Talent Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 05/01/2025

Direct sourcing has only grown as a hot topic in the workforce management space. What began as a promising trend has now evolved into a proven practice — no longer just a buzzword but an integral part of modern talent strategies. The question facing organizations today is not whether direct sourcing has value, but how it can be effectively implemented and scaled for sustained impact. Leaders across the industry are aligning on the fact that, with the right approach, direct sourcing offers tangible, long-term benefits, particularly in building resilient, agile, and skills-focused talent ecosystems.

The following is based on a FOWX podcast (listen here) and sponsored by Worksuite, featuring host Christopher J. Dwyer, senior vice president of research at Ardent Partners and the managing director of the Future of Work Exchange, as well as a panel of industry experts from Opptly, Beeline, Raise, and Talent Solutions.

At its foundation, successful direct sourcing requires a comprehensive vision that captures all elements of the contingent workforce. This includes ensuring full visibility into contingent labor through vendor management systems (VMS) and managed service providers (MSP). Without this holistic view, companies risk making tactical decisions in a vacuum, limiting their ability to evolve workforce strategy. When organizations manage only a subset of their non-employee labor, they lose critical insight into how work is being done, and more importantly, how it should be sourced.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

Click here to learn more.

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.

DEX and the Harnessing of Digital Tools

Direct Sourcing General Insights HR Solution Providers Talent Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 04/17/2025

One of the defining characteristics of the Future of Work is digitization. With the growth of automation, generative AI, and large language models, it’s even clearer how technology is imperative to a cohesive and efficient workforce. What this means for the individual employee is more daily immersion in various technological platforms and solutions. For that to occur, upskilling will be a critical aspect for workers as they harness more advanced technologies to communicate, collaborate, and execute their roles. A term that continues to grow in importance is digital employee experience (DEX).

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.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

Click here to learn more.

Part Two: Procurement 2025: BIG Trends and Predictions — A Future of Work Perspective

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing General Insights Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 04/10/2025

Did you miss Ardent Partners’ recent webinar, Procurement 2025: BIG Trends and Predictions, that delivered a series of insightful predictions designed to help procurement teams in all industries and regions focus on and prepare for what is important while remaining proactive and agile?

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.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

Click here to learn more.

Part One: Procurement 2025: BIG Trends and Predictions — A Future of Work Perspective

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing General Insights Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 04/03/2025

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.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

Click here to learn more.