Extended Workforce Archives - The Future of Work Exchange

So…Where Do We Go From Here?

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/17/2026

Jobs reports that look pretty solid…and then are adjusted (negatively). Stock market booms and expands…but the economy feels a little weird. Unemployment doesn’t seem like it’s that bad…but a quick trip through LinkedIn shows so many folks with green banners searching for new gigs.

Gas is too expensive. Two wars rage on the other side of the world and the effects cascade down into the supply chain and other business aspects globally. Inflation is still stubborn. Groceries cost more now than ever before. Families are struggling in different ways.

It’s, well…it’s weird, isn’t it? For those of us that have been in the corporate arena for quite some time (author included; I’m an “elder millennial,” so, I feel a little old these days), we feel somewhat battle-tested. We’ve lived through an economic recession. We’ve traversed through the great unknowns of a global pandemic and all of its ramifications.

But this, this…feels…different. It’s almost as if we’re experiencing a golden age of innovation at the same time staring down one of the more unsettled economic periods of our lives.

Such an odd balance, for sure. So it begs the question: where do we go from here?

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The State of EOR: Reckoning, Evolution…or a New Direction?

Contingent Workforce by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/27/2026

The EOR market is incredibly loud right now. It is expanding, consolidating, and getting pulled into every conversation about global talent, the extended workforce, and the Future of Work movement.

The problem is quite simple. Employer of Record solutions, technology, and services are far too often viewed and leveraged as a neo security blanket. It is easy enough. It is available whenever a program leader feels uncertain. And it delivers a sense of comfort that feels like compliance, even when it is not.

The real issue is that comfort has become a substitute for clarity. EOR is being used to avoid the classification conversations instead of informing them. It is being applied to workers who do not need employment and being treated as a universal fix instead of a targeted model.

And the market is starting to feel the consequences.

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The New Rules of Talent Strategy

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/06/2026

Last week, Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange hosted an exclusive webcast, The New Rules of Talent Strategy, focused on breaking down the new “rules” shaping how organizations attract, develop, and deploy talent in 2026. Building on the insights and energy from the 2026 Future of Work Exchange Live executive roundtable event in Boston, this webinar translates the June 10 event’s in-room breakthroughs into a clear, actionable blueprint for what leaders must do next. The webcast featured thought leaders from Opptly, Allegis Global Solutions, AMS, Atrium, and TalentProcure, who contributed to the expanding definition of the Future of Work in 2026…and beyond.

The Extended Workforce’s Understated 2026 Shift

Contingent Workforce Recruitment Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/31/2026

Way back (and I mean, waaaaay back) in 2009, I was on record as saying the contignent workforce would come out the Great Recession looking much, much different. The stats were there to prove it: 20% of the workforce around the globe was considered “non-employee,” a nearly 40% increase from pre-Recession days.

I mean, I also said this workforce was a “superhero,” so, yeah.

The point is this: there is a commanding undercurrent of fluidity and agility inherent in the extended workforce that makes it a malleable channel of talent for (nearly) no matter what the business world throws at us.

Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research pegs that aforementioned stat at 49.7% of the average company’s workforce considered to be external/contingent/extended/etc., a factor which proves something very, very, very powerful:

The extended workforce isn’t a category anymore.

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.

Atrium’s AIR Represents the Next Generation of Workforce Solutions

Artificial Intelligence Contingent Workforce by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/29/2026

The modern Managed Service Provider (MSP) offering is built on decades (as in literal decades) of serving as the most mature workforce solution in the extended workforce ecosystem. Staffing-owned or vendor neutral, these offerings have stood the test of time and regularly support the industry’s largest and smallest contingent workforce programs.

Since the mid-1990s, Atrium has built its reputation as a Best-in-Class services-oriented offering that blends a mix of managed services and recruitment solutions with a tech-oriented approach that embraces new platforms in the talent arena. With its legacy status cemented, the company enters a new era with its launch of Atrium AIR, dedicated innovation division designed to fuse the company’s service‑driven heritage with next‑generation technology, AI, and product development.

AIR, though, is more than just a new initiative from the global provider; the offering is a structural expansion of Atrium’s core operating model and stands alongside its workforce and talent solutions as a full-fledged division with its own charter and pathways. Atrium’s goal is to accelerate the identification and answers to key pain-points across extended workforce programs by incubating new ideas and delivering market‑ready, intelligence‑driven solutions that meaningfully improve program performance.

“As a service provider, Atrium has been innovating for three decades, deploying customized solutions that address our customers unique challenges,” said Brad Martin, Chief Revenue Officer at Atrium. “Launching AIR is an important evolution of this motion, further enabling Atrium to innovate and bring to market technology products that disrupt the status quo, and most importantly drive value for our users. Innovation has been in Atrium’s blood since day one, AIR is a continuation of this journey.”

The Future of Work Exchange believes that an MSP’s long-standing proximity to the innerworkings of contingent workforce management translates into an added edge in truly understanding how to solve real-world problems through the application of new technology, new strategies, and customizable and flexible talent-oriented approaches. Thus, AIR makes sense for a solution like Atrium that has an advantageous vantage point within the industry.

“Front-row visibility” into the shifting parameters of the extended workforce, alongside Atrium’s longstanding dedication to innovation and technology expertise, positions AIR as a hub of both service intelligence and technical capability.

One of AIR’s central missions is the adoption and deployment of agentic AI as more than just a buzzword; AIR will serve as an expert engine for decision support, workflow acceleration, and, most importantly, predictive insights. This is incredibly apparent in the company’s debut of ZephyrIQ, Atrium’s new workforce intelligence platform. Through a convergence of generative AI functionality and a conversational interface, ZephyrIQ delivers on-demand talent and workforce insights across the spectrum of extended workforce management. Atrium’s core focus with this tool is to surface trends, answer complex program questions, and power the intelligence that progresses the orchestration of talent and work.

“AIR operates at the intersection of deep industry expertise, technology innovation, and customer insight,” said Martin. “Our lean product innovation methodology grounds innovation in real business needs, to ensure every product has a clear purpose, a defined outcome, and a path to scale.”

While the MSP model may be the most established and mature solution in the workforce ecosystem, they have incredible room to grow and expand. Longevity is a strategic advantage for Managed Service Providers as their vast operational expertise and excellence in program governance allow them to transform their value in concert with the new world of skills-based hiring and Future of Work-driven talent orchestration.

With both AIR and ZephyrIQ, Atrium signals that the future of workforce solutions will be defined by those providers that can effectively blend the excellence of services orientation and technological ambition.

The Four Trends That Will Shape the Future of Work in 2026

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/13/2026

The holiday decorations are in storage…hopefully (:: looks away nervously :: ). The outdoor lights are nestled snuggly in their appropriate storage totes in the garage. Well, not yet. Fine. I admit it: I haven’t taken down anything holiday-related quite yet.

But, that being said, we’re nearly two full weeks into 2026 and it’s about time for the Future of Work Exchange to make some BIG predictions for the year ahead.

The hype and prioritization of artificial intelligence will continue to increase mightily, however, true adoption and deployment (and utilization) will remain at a surprisingly low rate. If 45% of your workforce is actively leveraging generative AI within their respective functions, does that equate to “45% of the business is actively utilizing AI”? Well, technically, no. The most interesting facet of AI is that it is truly transcendent; it’s omnipresent in nearly every facet of our lives, be it personal or professional. We can ask Siri to send text messages while we’re driving or task Alexa with recipe support when we’re in the kitchen. It’s only a matter of years before over 90% of the average organization’s workforce is leveraging AI in some capacity. However, that is much, much different than saying “XX% of our workforce is actively utilizing ERP software” or “XX% of our company actively leverages a VMS platform.” AI is enterprise tech and it also isn’t in that regard; it behaves less like a system you implement and more like an atmosphere you operate within. It’s a paradox that business leaders will wrestle with throughout the year. Adoption metrics will become increasingly misleading because AI doesn’t follow the traditional rules of technology rollouts or deployments.
The staffing market bounces back…kind of? 2025 wasn’t a great economic year, that we know. A new presidential administration, some tariff havoc, a shaky global financial situation, etc. all contributed to this very weird feeling around the job market. Businesses couldn’t contend with market disruptions and unfortunately moved to layoffs as a lever; this destroyed much of the post-pandemic growth of the Biden administration and caused so many executive leaders to head into 2025 with a supreme modicum of caution. This caution, in combination with the continued impact of AI (job displacer or not?), led to a flat staffing market that saw some verticals contract (like manufacturing and hospitality). 2026 brings some optimism, though, with inflation at a comfortable rate and The Fed cutting interest rates into Q4 2025. A 2026 rebound won’t follow a classic “snap-back” feel but more of an uneven “thaw” that will permeate throughout the year. Specific pockets of talent, like IT (specialized IT, that is), healthcare, engineering, etc., will see higher demand in Q1 and Q2 with other sectors hopefully following suit in the second half of the year.
When hiring appetite returns, new recruitment and talent acquisition approaches will be front-and-center. There’s an old adage in business regarding “appetite before behavior.” Organizational leaders want to plot their hiring plans carefully before diving into a full-on recruitment spree in 2026, which means several things: 1) they’re not reckless and this is going to take time to shake out (think Q2-ish), 2) our old superhero, the extended workforce, will be as vital as ever during the first half of the year as businesses continue to rely on project-based engagements, SOW-heavy initiatives, and agile talent, 3) don’t be surprised to see direct sourcing-esque hiring models reign throughout 2026 as enterprises hedge their bets and play it safe by building up talent communities, 4) AI-fueled recruitment and hiring strategies will play a pivotal role as these leaders digitize manually-heavy processes and ensure that they are optimizing skills-based and progressive hiring approaches, and 5) the definition of “recruitment” itself will stretch in ways many organizations aren’t prepared for, as the traditional linear funnel (post, source, screen, interview, hire) continues to erode as talent expectations shift and technology accelerates. What does this mean? Skills-first matching, community-based talent pipelines, and orchestrated, “always-on” talent engagement with AI supporting decisioning.
Work and workplace culture face an era of recalibration. Constant fears over AI displacement. Economic whiplash. Remote and hybrid work tension and arguments. Many (too many) of today’s workers are more disoriented than disengaged, which, to be honest, is worse than mentally unlinking from their roles. There’s too much change without a clear and constant investment in clarity, connection, and purpose. Leaders have (and they had to be given what 2025 was) had to focus on cost-cutting, efficiency, and overall “work transformation” due to AI’s hype and impact. Workers will require more of a renewed emphasis on structured career pathways, opportunities for upskilling, and other measures that can boost the feeling of “belonging” and physiological safety within the workplace.

The Future of Work 2026

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 12/29/2025

It’s that weird time at the end of December. We’re all full of extra desserts and treats, no one truly knows what day it is, the kids are on school vacation, and the business emails are piling up. To bring you back into the Future of Work spirit, we’re excited to share an on-demand edition of our annual Future of Work outlook webcast. This year, we were joined by Opptly’s Lori Hock, Beeline’s Doug Leeby, AMS’ Orli Becker, and Airswift’s Janette Marx to chat all things 2025 and look ahead to 2026. Direct sourcing, AI, talent tech, extended workforce management, skills-based hiring, etc…so many topics, so many insights.

The Next Era of Direct Sourcing Could Be Complicated…But It Doesn’t Have To Be

Direct Sourcing by Christopher J. Dwyer on 11/05/2025

Few “new” hiring strategies have made as much noise over the past few years as direct sourcing. The ability to leverage the company brand, optimize talent communities, and create a wealth of “talent sustainability” has propelled direct sourcing into a top-three hiring strategy, according to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research.

Nearly 70% of businesses today have some elements of direct sourcing in place, meaning that one or several attributes of direct sourcing programs are actively supporting recruitment and hiring efforts (such as talent community development, talent pool optimization, talent curation, etc.). Furthermore, only 11% of enterprises have full-tilt, end-to-end programs in place today…translating into a major opportunity for organizations across the globe to reinvigorate their hiring efforts through dedicated direct sourcing capabilities and tools.

Well over five years removed from direct sourcing’s “Big Bang” moment during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses needed to scale, re-scale, keep candidates engaged through layoffs and rollercoaster-esque demand for products and services, the strategic program has become a beacon of both cost and quality benefits from those that have successfully implemented such an initiative.

Ardent Partners and FOWX research point to some powerful advantages, such as:

58% increase in overall contingent labor cost savings.
75% higher talent quality than businesses not leveraging direct sourcing.
72% faster time-to-fill rates, and;
62% enhanced visibility into the totality of enterprise talent.

The value of direct sourcing is clear. What isn’t so clear is how HR, talent acquisition, and procurement leaders manage the next era of this strategy given the evolving state of talent and work.

Layers, Complexity, Innovation, Tech…and More Complexity?

Baseline hiring and recruitment initiatives don’t necessarily require a confounding array of products and tools to draw, engage, and source talent. Before the advent of many of today’s workforce solutions, businesses were left to their devices to appropriately balance the needs of the greater organization with available candidates.

“We often hear that direct sourcing is complex, but complexity isn’t the enemy. It’s a signal that the workforce is evolving,” says Janette Marx, CEO of Airswift. “The key is to design systems that simplify the experience for candidates and hiring teams alike, without losing sight of what makes the strategy powerful: brand, speed, and connection.”

However, in 2025, the realm of talent acquisition necessitates multiple layers of outsourcing, automation, and innovation to effectively: 1) engage talent by leveraging the company brand and other marketing measures, 2) optimize the curation, collection, and segmentation of candidates into dynamic talent communities, 3) drive strategic cost savings through the “recruitment focus” of direct sourcing, 4) support skills-first hiring strategies and approaches, and, 5) ensure that the totality of the workforce is future-proofed as competition increases.

This presents several facets of complexity, including:

A more-than-ideal number of touchpoints for the candidate and the hiring manager.
Risk of the company brand being misrepresented, or, not strong enough in talent engagement.
Gaps in direct sourcing process orientation.
Failure to drive true adoption of talent communities and direct sourcing, and;
Confusion regarding the impact of artificial intelligence and new and innovative tools.

Uncomplicating Direct Sourcing: The Path Ahead

Ardent Partners and FOWX research has discovered that only 11% of businesses today have a true, end-to-end program in place; this is a transformative data point, as another 68% have elements of direct sourcing in place but not a true, optimized, and end-to-end program.

“Direct sourcing has become one of the most powerful ways for enterprises to build resilient, brand-led talent strategies,” says Craig Coe, SVP of Global Customer Success at Beeline. “The key is connection, linking talent communities, AI-powered curation, and supplier ecosystems directly into the flow of work. A modern VMS, like Beeline, acts as the enabler, unifying these elements into one experience that drives speed, quality, and visibility across the extended workforce.”

The commonality within that end-to-end chunk of real programs? Automation, service layers, and innovation:

72% have “stood up” their direct sourcing programs through Managed Service Providers. This is a key element, as MSPs truly understand their clients’ needs and can better optimize a direct sourcing initiative around specific, niche, and specialized requirements for skills, talent, and expertise.
65% are supporting their direct sourcing programs with point direct sourcing platforms and related automation. Automated talent community development, digitized talent nurture campaign management, and real-time referral management are all attributes of direct sourcing technology solutions that were designed to catalyze efficiency and success.
68% of these end-to-end programs have a strong link to their VMS platforms…meaning that talent channels, talent communities, etc. are directly embedded into greater enterprise recruitment streams and directly-available via requisitioning processes within VMS solutions.

“The most successful direct sourcing programs blend automation and human insight,” says Marx. “Technology can streamline processes, accelerate time-to-fill, and provide real-time visibility, but it’s the human expertise – understanding client needs, curating talent, and building relationships – that brings it all to life. When MSPs and technology work in harmony, the result isn’t just efficiency; it’s a more personalized experience for everyone involved.”

The Future of Direct Sourcing?

Direct sourcing will continue to be one of the most-talked-about hiring strategies in the staffing arena. As businesses continue to face global challenges due to tariffs, supply chain disruptions, economic highs-and-lows, and other major obstacles, the ability to flex and scale as-needed means that direct sourcing becomes more than a new hiring approach, but more of a lifeline and foundational talent acquisition strategy that drives incredible, multi-faceted benefits.

“The fact that only 11% of enterprises have a true end-to-end direct sourcing program is both surprising and energizing,” says Lori Hock, CEO of Opptly. “It means the majority are still leaving value on the table. AI is the unlock—it enables smarter curation, faster engagement, and deeper personalization at scale. But it’s not just about technology; it’s about commitment. The future belongs to those who treat direct sourcing as a core talent strategy, not a side initiative.”

Given the impact of AI and technological innovation, as well as the many shifts within extended workforce management and traditional hiring and recruitment, the path ahead for direct sourcing may seem complicated on the surface, but it doesn’t have to be; enterprises that have successfully designed, implemented, and deployed direct sourcing programs have done so because they have balanced their reliance on external solutions through a careful convergence of services, automation, and long-term commitments to making direct sourcing a key part of the future.

The State of the Extended Workforce

Contingent Workforce by Christopher J. Dwyer on 10/20/2025

With nearly 50% (49.7%, according to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research) of the total workforce now classified as “extended,” organizations can no longer afford to treat contingent workforce management as a tactical function. Instead, it’s time to reimagine hiring, recruitment, and talent acquisition as strategic levers that drive enterprise agility and long-term value. The widespread integration of non-employee talent into the broader workforce ecosystem presents a clear opportunity: businesses can tap into the flexibility and responsiveness of this segment to better navigate today’s fast-changing corporate landscape.

Ardent/FOWX research highlights a central challenge facing workforce leaders: the inability to adapt during periods of disruption. This stems from two interconnected issues:

Limited access to high-quality talent, as 73% of businesses face today. The job market is…volatile? Shaky? Tight? There are too many words to describe the labor market today and not enough to string together a proper response. Tariffs, economic shifts, supply chain disruptions, weird RTO battles, etc.; there is so much happening within the world of hiring and recruitment that it can be tough to find the right candidates, let alone at the right price with the right timing with the right skills. I know, I know…it’s tough.
An enterprise-wide lack of organizational agility, an issue in 71% of enterprises. “Agility” is sometimes more than a strategy and more of a strategic state-of-being; that said, agility, when peeled back a bit layer-by-later, essentially translates into the ability for the average organization to respond dynamically to real-time challenges and obstacles. Much easier said than done in a world when the stock market is booming but supply chains are strained, talent is scarce, and customer expectations shift overnight.

Addressing these gaps requires a transformative shift in leadership and functional mindset, where extended workforce strategies are aligned with broader business goals and powered by modern talent technologies within the greater talent tech ecosystem.

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Human-Centered Strategies for the Future of Work

Contingent Workforce HR Recruitment Solution Providers Talent Acquisition by John Yuva on 10/09/2025

Did you miss Ardent Partners’ recent FOWX podcast, A Conversation With Chris Radvansky, Principal Consultant for RAD Consultants, that delivered a spirited discussion on AI in the talent technology ecosystem, the impact of the extended workforce, and much more?

In part two of this two-part article series, we highlight the major discussion points and a link to the full event.

Human-Centered Strategies for the Future of Work

In an era marked by economic volatility, rapid technological change, and evolving workforce expectations, one truth remains: Individuals and organizations alike are defined by the decisions they make in the face of uncertainty. While macroeconomic conditions set the stage, progress often depends less on external forces and more on how leaders, teams, and workers respond in the moment. The extended workforce industry offers a clear example of how resilience, trust, and human-centered strategies can transform challenges into opportunities.

Lessons from Past Economic Shifts

History demonstrates that disruption often accelerates change. During the Great Recession of 2007–2009, businesses faced unprecedented pressure to adapt. One of the most significant outcomes was the surge in contingent labor adoption. What had previously been viewed as a stopgap measure, such as bringing in temporary workers to cover absences or fill short-term roles, became recognized as a strategic tool. Organizations realized that external talent could deliver not only cost savings but also flexibility, scalability, and access to specialized expertise.

That period marked what many call the “great awakening” for the contingent workforce. Since then, reliance on nontraditional labor has continued to rise steadily, shaping how enterprises balance agility and cost efficiency. Fast forward nearly two decades, and the external workforce is now a core component of enterprise strategy. The lesson: even in downturns, organizations can harness workforce innovation to emerge stronger.

Balancing Optimism and Realism

Today’s environment carries its own set of uncertainties. Depending on whom you ask, the outlook may seem optimistic or bleak. Yet within the industry, there is a palpable sense of excitement. Advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, are opening new possibilities for talent management, sourcing, and program optimization. At the same time, the human side of work (e.g., empathy, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building) remains as critical as ever.

Unlike other industries where automation can dominate, the talent space is rooted in people. Recruitment, engagement, and workforce strategies depend on understanding human needs and motivations. For that reason, optimism in this field isn’t unfounded; it reflects the recognition that innovation and humanity can coexist and even reinforce each other.

Trust as the Foundation of Value

For solution providers in the workforce ecosystem, success rarely comes overnight. Long sales cycles are the norm, not the exception. That’s because buying organizations need more than a product demo — they need trust. Trust that the provider will deliver on promises. Trust that they are not a fleeting startup but a long-term partner. Trust that they understand the buyer’s “why” and can align with it.

Building this trust requires consistent effort: case studies that demonstrate impact, thought leadership that conveys vision, and relationship-building that proves commitment. The most successful providers don’t just sell technology or services; they articulate a purpose that resonates. As Simon Sinek’s well-known framework suggests, organizations must begin with “why” (their core reason for existing) before moving to the “how” and “what.” In workforce management, the most compelling “why” often ties back to enabling people to thrive.

The Human Core of the Future of Work

Despite the rise of AI, automation, and digital platforms, the Future of Work remains undeniably human. Humans are not disappearing from the equation. Rather, their roles are evolving. To remain relevant, workers and leaders alike must embrace adaptability, versatility, and constant learning. Having a “finger on the pulse” of industry trends is no longer optional — it’s essential.

Networking, building relationships, and exploring new applications of one’s skills are critical strategies for individuals. For organizations, success depends on cultivating cultures that value people, emphasize collaboration, and align work with purpose. The most resilient enterprises are those that integrate technology without losing sight of the empathy, trust, and human connection that define meaningful work.

Moving Forward with Purpose

The lesson from both past and present is clear: while macroeconomic forces shape the environment, individuals and organizations shape outcomes. Contingent labor’s rise during the Great Recession illustrates how adaptation can unlock new value, and today’s blend of technological innovation and human-centered strategies offers similar promise.

Ultimately, the Future of Work is not dictated solely by external factors. It is defined by the choices leaders make, the trust they build, and the purpose they pursue. In an uncertain world, that combination of innovation and humanity is what will carry organizations—and their people forward.