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The Future of Artificial Intelligence

Events Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/15/2023

Artificial intelligence is ubiquitous, seemingly fostering a new era of technology and innovation that is poised to spark a revolution in how businesses find (and engage) talent, address how work is done, and structure core business operations. Within this spectrum, the very power of AI is already beginning to influence one of the most critical functions in the contemporary enterprise: talent acquisition.

I’m thrilled to join Opptly’s Lori Hock (CEO) and Rebecca Valladares (Head of Operations) tomorrow, August 16, for a Future of Work Exchange exclusive webcast that will demystify some of the confusion around artificial intelligence and spark discussion around its potential as a talent acquisition industry gamechanger.

Lori, Rebecca, and I will discuss:

How AI can be leveraged to drive efficiency, accuracy, speed, and deeper, data-driven decision-making.
Why AI will become the de-facto tool for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals.
How AI can revolutionize new strategies such as skills-based hiring and predictive analytics, and;
The future of AI-led tools (such as ChatGPT) and their responsible use as they become more entwined with everyday business processes.

A New Era of Innovation, Part III: The Next Generation of Workforce Solutions

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/01/2023

Over the past two weeks, the Future of Work Exchange has featured a series of articles that have highlighted the innovation occurring within the world of workforce management, talent acquisition, and staffing technology and solutions.

In a business world that is hyper-competitive and globalized, enterprises essentially run on talent. In such a corporate climate, there are many factors that can prohibit the modern enterprise from succeeding. Perhaps the largest of these is the major skills gap that exists within a majority of businesses today, and the inability to support critical projects and initiatives with necessary expertise.

In today’s rapidly evolving talent landscape, a plethora of channels has emerged, offering businesses a variety of options to source and manage their workforce. From digital staffing marketplaces and traditional staffing vendors to professional services, talent networks, and social media platforms, the choices are endless.

The scope around these choices is an idea, omni-channel talent acquisition, that Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange has heralded since 2021. The concepts behind omni-channel talent acquisition are all pure reflections of the Future of Work movement in 2023: flexibility, agility, scalability, and technology.

The next generation of workforce solutions are tailored to meet the demands of omni-channel talent acquisition whilst reinforcing the core principles of flexible talent, workforce agility, workforce scalability, and innovative automation.

AMS

A true innovator, AMS is a multifaceted solution that is founded on “workforce dexterity” through a blend of human capital, contingent workforce, direct sourcing, managed service, and digital offerings. AMS’ core solutions enable companies to stay competitive, innovate, and navigate uncertainties successfully via market-leading managed direct sourcing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and talent advisory offerings.

AMS recently pioneered a unique solution, AMS One, that is a digitized layer of flexibility, AI-powered analytics for real-time insights, faster hiring, and improved diversity within hiring initiatives. It enhances the candidate experience and hiring manager satisfaction, streamlining processes while maintaining a human touch. This groundbreaking convergence of digitization and human-led services positions AMS as a next-generation solution that is tailored for the Future of Work movement’s candidate-centric implications.

HiredScore

The realm of artificial intelligence is, perhaps, the foundational layer of the Future of Work movement’s technological impact. AI is a quintessial “rising tide” that has the power and potential to reshape how businesses structure talent acquisition, workforce management, and everything in-between.

HiredScore represents not only the future of artificial intelligence, but the veritable evolution of workforce technology through the application of flexible, agile, and real-time AI-powered HR functionality. The platform provides personalized career coaching, optimizes talent intelligence, boosts candidate (and hiring manager) engagement, and ensures compliance.

HiredScore’s “Talent Orchestration” platform blends frictionless integrations with core talent management systems (VMS, ATS, etc.) with proactive and actionable recommendations, all rooted in AI-led functionality. The real-time nature of the tool empowers hiring, talent acquisition, and HR stakeholders with real-time intelligence to enhance talent engagement, improve transparency, and transform talent outreach.

HireArt

As we covered in the first entry in this FOWX series, the extended workforce has reached such great heights, with 49.5% of the average enterprise’s total workforce now comprised of contingent talent. This continued (and meteoric) rise in both growth and prominence has sparked a greater need to effectively manage the full lifecycle of processes inherent in today’s more flexible, more impactful contingent workforce management (CWM) programs.

HireArt advances the future of digital staffing with agile solutions encompassing workforce management, Vendor Management System (VMS) technology, and innovative recruiting functionality. Beyond typical talent networks, their cutting-edge platform combines attraction and management of the external workforce; and, with a robust VMS-like solution, HireArt offers a comprehensive blend of compliance, risk management, recruitment, onboarding, and tactical workforce automation, empowering businesses to optimize their contingent workforce more effectively.

Toptal

Toptal is synonymous with the digital staffing revolution, with over a decade of providing customers around the globe with top-notch talent matches through its proprietary blend of digital tools, MSP-like services, and a talent network that boasts the top 3% of candidates in a given field.

Since its inception in 2010, Toptal has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and client satisfaction, adapting to remote work trends and enabling seamless collaboration for distributed teams worldwide. By connecting businesses with global talent, Toptal transcends geographical boundaries, providing limitless professional opportunities. Over the last 18 months, Toptal has grown its “Practices” team, offering clients access to subject matter experts in diverse technology and business fields like cloud services, information security, quality assurance, digital marketing, and management consulting.

Toptal continues to push the boundaries of digital staffing by converging Future of Work-era thinking with a high-touch, value-driven model that traverses the limitations of traditional acquisition strategies.

Stay tuned for the next article in our feature series on the workforce technology revolution.

The Rising Tide of AI in Talent Acquisition

Events by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/24/2023

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research points to artificial intelligence (AI) as a key outlet of innovation in the evolving world of work and talent. From automating mundane tasks and reformulating tactical operations to serving as a proactive source of predictive analysis, AI has become a ubiquitous attribute of the Future of Work movement. Artificial intelligence has catalyzed a new era of bespoke, on-demand, and industry-shifting technology that has the potential to benefit candidates, recruiters, hiring managers business professionals, and executive leaders. Simply put: the advent of AI can drive value to a wide spectrum of enterprise stakeholders.

As new strategies, such as skills-based hiring and omni-channel talent acquisition, become transformational ways to revamp hiring initiatives, artificial intelligence is a conduit to disrupting and changing the ways enterprises evaluate and source talent.

Join Opptly, Ardent, and the Future of Work Exchange for an exclusive webcast that will highlight the many roles of AI in a candidate-centric workforce market that prioritizes the depth and impact of talent. I will join Opptly’s Lori Hock, CEO, and Rebecca Valladares, Head of Operations, to discuss:

How AI can be leveraged to drive efficiency, accuracy, speed, and deeper, data-driven decision-making.
Why AI will become the de-facto tool for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals.
How AI can revolutionize new strategies such as skills-based hiring and predictive analytics, and;
The future of AI-led tools (such as ChatGPT) and their responsible use as they become more entwined with everyday business processes.

Click here or on the image below to register for next month’s exclusive webinar. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Five Ways AI Can Transform Talent Management

Business Leadership Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/18/2023

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the many ways businesses find, engage, source, and manage talent, as well as how they structure business operations in a candidate-centric world. Today on the Future of Work Exchange, we present another exclusive infographic, “Five Ways AI Can Transform Talent Management,” that reflects how AI is primed to not only disrupt talent acquisition, but also influence, impact, and revolutionize the Future of Work movement.

Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence in Talent Acquisition

Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/10/2023

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.

AI generates buzz unlike any other corporate technology for two main reasons: 1) it’s become ubiquitous given its presence in our personal lives (and our consumer lives), and, 2) it has the potential to transform nearly every facet of the contemporary enterprise. And it’s not just ChatGPT that represents a veritable technological revolution; AI is becoming omni-present in enterprise technology in such a way that every business understands that it needs to adapt to an AI-led world…or fail to thrive.

The world of talent acquisition has always been a hotbed of innovation. Today, TA executives (and the function at-large) operate with forward-thinking strategies in the ever-evolving war for talent, choosing to adopt new solutions, utilize fresh technology, and tap into Future of Work-era concepts to effectively solidify the notion of “talent as the top enterprise differentiator.” There’s an interesting dance at hand here, however, when artificial intelligence meets the world of talent acquisition. Does it have the potential to replace…or disrupt? Is AI a harbinger for a revolutionary transformation in talent acquisition, or is it an enhancer and enabler?

The truth lies somewhere in the middle, of course. While artificial intelligence will certainly exceed its own hype and become the #1 Future of Work-era innovation (especially in the talent acquisition arena), there are specific ideas that point to AI as having limitations and requiring human intervention:

Parameters within AI are limited (and require human intervention to exceed these limitations). Much of the criticisms surrounding the utilization of AI revolves around its difficulties in grasping complex contextual nuances, hence requiring human intervention (or, human-driven guidelines) to effectively process context within mass volumes of data and information. Efficient usage of artificial intelligence, then, requires human enhancement to refine and reshape parameters to solve the lack of nuanced understanding within AI-based technology.
Artificial intelligence is not social intelligence. AI is the kingmaker when it comes to data-processing and information transformation. However, it cannot be confused for “social intelligence,” which is the backbone of human interaction and collaboration. Artificial intelligence cannot navigate intricate, socially-conscious aspects such as empathy, human emotions, and deeper communication. The Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back” comes to mind here, as even a 100% lifelike version of a human (borne from AI) never fully hits the mark in terms of a traditional human relationship. The essential qualities of social intelligence are just not woven into today’s AI-based functionality.
Talent acquisition is a “people business” and it will always be a “people business.” Make no mistake about it: recruiters and hiring managers armed with artificial intelligence have the edge. AI can significantly enhance talent-matching, boost diversity intelligence, determine potential fit and alignment, and rule out candidate fraud (while also automating deep screening processes, particularly assessments). However, there’s a “human edge” to talent acquisition that will always position the function as a people-based business that requires emotional connections, hardwired human “DNA” within technology, and the unique touch of human capital professionals.
Humans have an innate ability to be agile, flexibility, and to innovate when needed. AI is a novel swatch of technology that has revolutionized the Future of Work movement, however, it cannot be novel in how it approaches creativity and innovation. Artificial intelligence is founded on principles that have clear boundaries and parameters, whereas the human mind is near-limitless in how it can generate new ideas and concepts. AI will be even more clutch than it is today as the business arena continues to evolve; being “fed” tremendous amounts of data will allow it to boost critical decision-making at every corporate level, helping executive leaders develop major strategies that are founded on real-time data regarding economics, politics, supply chains, etc. However, the human mind always has an edge due to its propensity for agility and flexibility in the wake of changing times, as well as the natural, human consistency towards true innovation when and where it is needed.

There is a delicate balance at stake here, though, as AI becomes more entwined with business operations and evolves in how it enhances various enterprise functions. Artificial intelligence may have specific limitations, but it is undoubtedly a powerful tool that has the potential to disrupt, transform, and enhance nearly every facet of talent acquisition. Where do we draw the line, though? What is the proper mindset here, especially as generative AI (like ChatGPT) changes the ways businesses operate?

During last month’s Future of Work Exchange LIVE event in Boston, Opptly’s Rebecca Valladares put it quite profoundly, stating, “Ultimately, recruiters who use AI will replace recruiters who do not use AI.” The devil is in the quick details of Valladares’ idea: success comes to those who embrace it and meld it with the human mind. In the realm of talent acquisition, while AI holds immense potential to streamline processes and enhance efficiency, its true power lies in complementing and fusing it with human thinking, creating a harmonious synergy that combines the best of both worlds.

Data Delivers…But With Privacy Controls

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing General Insights HR Technology and Innovation Uncategorized by John Yuva on 06/06/2023

The innovative technologies available to enterprises for talent acquisition and talent management are growing exponentially. Along with the growth in HR technology is the vast amount of data that comes with it. Direct sourcing solutions, for example, collect an enormous volume of data about potential candidates. Now with the power of artificial intelligence (AI), an even deeper analysis of employee data can be accomplished. While these insights can be game-changing for workforce productivity and employee engagement strategies, there remains a question about employee privacy.

Technology Pushes Privacy Boundaries

HR is the keeper of the most sensitive employee data in the enterprise from social security numbers to performance reviews to salary information. This standard information has always been under lock and key. However, technology is now extending data into more delicate areas, leading to privacy and security concerns. Consider wearables technology that enterprises are now experimenting with. Used extensively in retail and logistics environments, organizations can now track employee behaviors and health metrics, such as blood pressure, sleep patterns, and daily steps to monitor well-being and engagement.

While HR technologies can help with employee and organizational engagement, enhance efficiencies, streamline processes, and improve executive and managerial decision-making, what are the privacy and security issues of such advancements?

Data monitoring protections. The collection of data through monitoring or surveillance technologies opens the door to sensitive employee information. Whether it’s work habits and behaviors, such as productivity or attendance metrics, or more general health-related information, enterprises should establish clear policies and communicate transparently about the purpose and extent of monitoring to address privacy concerns. In the case of wearables, what are the objectives of using these devices? How will the information be stored? And who has access to it?
Data access controls. One of the biggest issues is simply the access and sharing of candidate and/or employee information. More HR data is now accessible by a larger stakeholder pool. HR personnel, managers, executives, and external service providers are privy to employee data. It is essential to establish strict access controls and protocols to ensure that only authorized individuals can access the data. Moreover, the sharing of employee data with external vendors or partners should be governed by clear policies and data protection agreements to protect employee privacy.
Data ethics guidelines and processes. How data is used by enterprises can come under great scrutiny if ethical guidelines are not instituted to prevent misuse or discrimination. Guidelines should begin with obtaining consent from employees to collect, use, and store their personal information. Similarly, enterprises should allow employees access to their information for review and correcting inaccuracies. As organizations integrate artificial intelligence tools into their HR solutions, an audit of algorithms should occur to prevent any biases.

HR technology is ushering in innovations that can truly transform and revolutionize the workplace and workforce strategies. However, the immense data generated can erode employee trust if not properly shared and protected. Compliance with privacy laws and regulations both in the U.S. and abroad is absolute. Equally critical is transparency with contingent and permanent employees around the collection, usage, and storage of data. Communicate that data privacy and individual rights are extremely important to the enterprise, as are cybersecurity measures.

Workforce analytics alongside other forms of intellectual property are competitive differentiators that enterprises must protect. Complacency is not an option in today’s data-driven world.

Chatbots and Direct Sourcing — A Natural Fit?

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing General Insights HR Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 05/16/2023

The dial on artificial intelligence (AI) has been turned up to such a degree that anyone can now experiment with the technology. AI tools from ChatGTP to Lensa are putting the power of AI into the hands of everyday folks — with some stunning results. While the consumer side of AI is gaining attention, it’s important not to overlook the applicability and possibility of the technology for direct sourcing and contingent workforce needs.

Today, there are several providers of AI-based tools for optimizing the direct sourcing of contingent workers. One of the most recognizable and popular tools is chatbots. This technology has evolved significantly over the years from a more scripted application to one of conversational AI realization. Through developments in natural language processing, users have a difficult time recognizing whether it’s a human or a bot they’re interacting with.

How are chatbots contributing to efficiencies in direct sourcing efforts? It’s occurring in several ways, allowing HR, business managers, and recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of total talent management initiatives.

Screening Candidates

Candidate screening can be time intensive. Thus, chatbots are assisting in this process by asking a set of pre-defined questions to candidates and identifying those who meet the required qualifications. This can save HR and recruiters significant time and resources by filtering out unqualified candidates and moving forward only those who will speak directly with hiring managers.

Scheduling Interviews

With dozens of potential candidates, chatbots can assist in coordinating interviews, ensuring that HR and hiring managers have appropriate time blocked out for other tasks. Streamlining this workflow process allows a quick and efficient means of interview scheduling. While this is a more tactical task, it’s an essential one that automation can complete.

Pooling Talent

A major element of direct sourcing is the curation and storage of candidate data. Chatbots can help build and maintain a database talent pool. This information can be used to match candidates with future job openings, streamlining the candidate selection process. The next level of this process is using AI to slice data further based on skills and competencies, which seems a natural progression as enterprises transition to skills-based hiring.

Engaging Candidates

One of the tenets of Future of Work is engagement, beginning at the candidate stage. Not surprisingly, chatbots can engage with candidates throughout the recruitment process by answering their questions, providing updates on the status of their application, and offering personalized support. According to HybridChat, a chatbot solution provider, 74% of job seekers stall in the application process. Chatbots can engage with the candidate and answer questions that lead to a completed application. This all contributes to improving the candidate experience and increases the likelihood of a successful hire.

While this only touches the surface of the capabilities of chatbots, such AI technology can play a valuable role in direct sourcing processes helping HR, recruiters, and managers automate time-consuming tasks, improve candidate engagement, and ultimately identify the best candidates for a given position. Recruitment automation using AI and machine learning will only increase with time. What this means is the potential for more enterprises to adopt direct sourcing strategies to leverage the technology and the efficiencies that come with it. With digital transformations leading many organizational objectives, the integration of automated recruiting tools like chatbots and other AI applications brings value add to workforce strategies.

An Ode to the Future of Work

Business Leadership HR Talent Technology and Innovation by Andrew Bartolini on 03/28/2023

The Future of Work is a topic that has been discussed for by Ardent Partners for many years, particularly with technology rapidly evolving and transforming industries. Today, we offer a poem that takes a creative and fun approach to imagining what the future of how we work might look like.

With rhyming couplets and vivid imagery, we’ve tried to paint a picture of a world where AI machines take on mundane tasks, leaving more time for worker creativity and exploration. The idea of virtual offices and collaboration without borders adds a sense of excitement and wonder to the future of work as we envision a world where the limitations of physical space and language barriers no longer exist. Ultimately, the poem encourages us to embrace the future with open arms, as it holds endless possibilities for growth and innovation.

The Top Talent Challenges of 2023 (So Far)

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Talent Talent Acquisition by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/07/2023

The business arena is shrouded in disruption and uncertainty, given the volatility of the labor market, supply chain risks, and economic challenges that are plaguing a variety of industries across the globe. With talent as the modern enterprise’s top competitive differentiator, it is no wonder that these external factors are placing pressure on talent-specific operations within the average organization, particularly workforce oversight, extended and contingent workforce management, skills analysis, talent engagement, talent acquisition, services procurement, etc.

In another exclusive Future of Work Exchange infographic, we highlight some brand new Ardent Partners research and unveil the top talent-oriented challenges for businesses (thus far) in 2023.

FOWX Notes, March 3 Edition

Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/03/2023

Some picked-up pieces, news, and insights from across the evolving world of talent and work:

Direct sourcing and workforce solutions platform WorkLLama announced a series of $50M strategic investments. The new funds will enable the innovative tool with a variety of advantages, including possible acquisitions, a continued commitment to direct sourcing innovation, etc. This level of investment translates into the ability for WorkLLama to continue its long track record of progressive automation in the digital recruitment and total talent management arena.
Opptly announced that it is has completed its the integration of its platform with major extended workforce and VMS solutions provider Beeline. The integration with Beeline’s direct sourcing API suite will deliver an advanced, seamless means of connecting enterprises with the best-aligned, best-fit talent via Opptly’s industry-leading AI-fueled functionality.
Talent management platform LiveHire announced its acquisition of Arrived Workforce Connections, Inc. Arrived’s shift management and mobile-led matching application will be powerful addition to LiveHire’s already-robust suite of offerings. In corresponding news, Arrived’s CEO, Jennifer Byrne, will join LiveHire as its Global Chief Product and Technology Officer. Antonluigi “Gigi” Gozzi, LiveHire’s co-founder, Executive Director, and Chief Product and Technology Officer, will transition out of his executive role.
The Fed’s record rate hikes have done little to cool the hot job market, as unemployment claims dropped once again. A seventh straight week of claims under 200,000 means that unemployment has remained at a level not experienced since 1969.
Thoma Bravo, a Chicago-based software investment firm, has officially completed its acquisition of business spend management (BSM) platform Coupa Software. Announced back in September, Thoma Bravo has finalized the massive $8B transaction. Coupa’s wide range of spend management offerings includes Coupa Contingent Workforce, its dedicated VMS tool for the extended workforce industry.