Freelancer Management Archives - The Future of Work Exchange

Digital Staffing’s Impact on the Future of Work

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Talent Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/12/2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of talent and work, the phrase “digital staffing” has emerged as a pervasive buzzword, encompassing a wide array of solutions designed to streamline the process of finding, engaging, and sourcing workers. This term has transcended its origins and evolved into a transformative force that is reshaping the way businesses access and manage their talent pools. Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange (FOWX) have often discussed digital staffing technology as a game-changer in the greater world of work.

At its core, digital staffing technology represents solutions that empower enterprises to hire freelance, independent, and contingent talent without the need for intermediary systems or suppliers. These solutions traverse beyond just the recruitment process; they encompass end-to-end workforce management, encompassing vital components such as project management, worker tracking, worker classification, compliance, and risk mitigation. In essence, digital staffing technology is a multifaceted approach that revolutionizes how companies access, engage, and manage their extended workforce (which, as FOWX research has found, comprises upwards of 49.5% of the average company’s total workforce).

As 2024 rolls on, it becomes abundantly clear that digital staffing technology is no longer confined to the basic online talent portals and freelancer networks that once characterized its typical candidate reach. Instead, today’s digital staffing platforms have morphed into full-fledged workforce management automation tools. They not only facilitate candidate engagement but also play pivotal roles in talent community development, talent pool creation, candidate experience management, and other progressive facets of extended workforce management. These platforms have transcended the boundaries of simple talent acquisition and have ushered in a new era of efficiency and innovation in workforce management.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange recently discovered that utilization of digital staffing solutions has experienced an exponential growth of nearly 800% over the past five years. This statistic is nothing short of a testament to the profound impact these platforms have had on the Future of Work movement and the broader world of work and talent. It signifies a paradigm shift in how businesses approach talent acquisition and workforce management, reflecting an industry-wide recognition of the potential and benefits that digital staffing technology brings to the table.

One of the most significant drivers behind the rapid adoption of digital staffing technology is the pressing need for organizations to be more agile and adaptive in an ever-changing business landscape. The Gig Economy, remote work trends, and the desire for flexible talent solutions have all converged to make digital staffing technology a paramount consideration for forward-thinking enterprises.

These platforms provide companies with the agility to scale their workforce up or down as needed, ensuring they can swiftly adapt to market shifts or unforeseen challenges. Moreover, they grant organizations the power to tap into a global talent pool, unlocking an unprecedented level of diversity and expertise. In an era where talent is a critical competitive advantage (and often an enterprise’s top differentiator), these solutions empower businesses to secure the best-fit talent, regardless of geographical constraints.

Digital Staffing’s Impact on the Future of Work

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Talent Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 10/23/2023

As we inch closer and closer to 2024, it becomes abundantly clear that digital staffing technology is no longer confined to the basic online talent portals and freelancer networks that once characterized its typical candidate reach. Instead, today’s digital staffing platforms have morphed into full-fledged workforce management automation tools. They not only facilitate candidate engagement but also play pivotal roles in talent community development, talent pool creation, candidate experience management, and other progressive facets of extended workforce management. These platforms have transcended the boundaries of simple talent acquisition and have ushered in a new era of efficiency and innovation in workforce management.

Announcing the 2023 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor Report

Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/16/2023

Omni-channel talent acquisition has become a centerpiece of the Future of Work movement. Revolving around the concept that enterprises are now enabled with a variety of talent sources that can be converged to drive real-time skills alignment, on-demand hiring, and enhanced visibility into deeper attributes of candidates, the idea of omni-channel acquisition reflects the veritable evolution of talent engagement.

While traditional staffing suppliers are still a critical piece of the extended workforce and everyday hiring, the “omni-channel experience” represents a new era in which enterprises can expand their talent searches through the advent of innovation, direct sourcing automation, new candidate channels, and next-generation and AI-fueled technology.

With this in mind, Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange have developed the new Digital Staffing Technology Advisor report, which was designed to help HR, procurement, human capital, and talent acquisition executives navigate the digital staffing technology market. This report analyzes and assesses the primary solution providers in the marketplace today within the direct sourcing, talent marketplace, workforce management, and freelancer management technology industries.

The new Digital Staffing Technology Advisor analyzed and assessed 13 distinct providers of digital staffing, expert network, direct sourcing, talent marketplace, and freelancer management solutions, and is the ideal guide for those enterprises seeking to make an investment in these platforms in the months ahead.

Click here to download the new study, which is complimentary for qualified procurement, HR, talent acquisition, and talent management practitioners.

Key Providers for 2022: Worksome

Solution Providers Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 10/28/2022

The Background:

The extended workforce, according to Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research, comprises over 47% of the average organization’s total talent. This is a far cry from even the beginning the decade, when the contingent workforce was a smaller portion of enterprise talent.

One of the hallmarks of the modern extended workforce is the dynamic makeup of this type of labor, heralded by businesses being enabled with an omni-channel experience that traverses beyond staffing suppliers and agencies. Freelancers, independent contractors, and gig workers all encompass the powerful skills and expertise represented by non-employee talent, and, not all of these workers are managed correctly, accounted for, or engaged seamlessly in today’s volatile business climate.

Enter Worksome.

Why They Were Selected:

The Future of Work Exchange colloquially uses the phrase “digital staffing” to define a wide array of solutions that don’t fit neatly into traditional workforce technology (such as MSP or VMS). Digital staffing platforms typically offer VMS-like functionality with additional “flavors” that make them appealing for businesses that need specialty offerings for initiatives related to freelancer management, direct sourcing, digital recruitment, and more.

In a very, very short amount of time, Worksome has grown from a Freelancer Management System (FMS) with a talent marketplace foundation to an agile workforce management platform that offers end-to-end functionality for HR, extended workforce management, compliance and risk mitigation (particularly worker classification), workforce intelligence, etc.

In Their Own Words:

Worksome is the new standard in external workforce management, providing a faster, more agile way for companies to work with freelancers and contractors–with less admin, less risk, and a better experience for everyone–trusted by 1,500+ companies worldwide. Worksome offers streamlined administrative operations so businesses can find, contract and pay external workers in one click, while giving the insights needed to continuously optimize external workforce operations. With Worksome’s award-winning compliance solution, customers benefit from built-in background checks, instant worker classification, and automated contracts – as well as automated payments and integrated billing to ensure efficiency. Visit www.worksome.com for more information.

The Outlook:

This summer, Worksome reported 3x year-over-year growth, proving that the solution has become a true player in the extended workforce management technology market. And, with the recent news that the platform has expanded into seven new markets, including Germany, France, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates, Worksome is positioned for even bigger things in the months and years ahead.

The utilization of freelancers and independent contractors has grown considerably, especially in a business arena that demands workforce agility, top-tier skillsets, and on-demand access to Best-in-Class talent. Worksome’s powerful functionality enables progressive, end-to-end automation for all facets of freelancer and contractor management while improving the overall candidate experience for these types of non-employee workers. As an “all-in-one FMS” solution, Worksome is built for the Future of Work era. As more and more enterprises require real-time visibility into the deeper elements of their workforce, aim to engage and source external workers much more quickly, and crave the necessary automation to handle both tactical and strategic workforce management processes, Worksome will continue to shine as a robust platform that provides dynamic value.

The Extended Workforce and the Future of Work: A Conversation with Jason Posel, Founder and CEO of GreenLight

Solution Providers by Christopher J. Dwyer on 04/11/2022

“Transformation” has become a common theme in the world of talent and work. Businesses are grappling with how to effectively manage a consistently-shifting labor market that has become volatile in the wake of The Great Resignation. A major by-product of the ongoing “Talent Revolution” is that more and more talented professionals are choosing a more flexible career path; with this influx of new extended talent, businesses must balance critical attributes such as contractor compliance, adherence to federal and regulatory and labor laws, and, of course, talent visibility.

I had the opportunity to chat with Jason Posel, CEO and founder of GreenLight, a leading technology platform focused on workforce management, global freelancer payments, worker classification, and regulatory compliance, about the Future of Work, the extended workforce, and more:

Christopher J. Dwyer: Jason, it’s great to chat with you. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Jason Posel: I’m originally from London, but have spent the majority of my career in the United States – split between Palo Alto and Miami. I’m what they call an industry veteran within the staffing industry. I led a company that did what we do at GreenLight with legacy technology for big names and managed over one billion dollars in spend for them.

CJD: You’ve been in the workforce management technology space for a number of years. If anything, the past two years have brought about incredibly change in the world of talent and work. From your vantage point, what has been the biggest transformation?

JP: I think one of the biggest changes is the worker’s mindset. They want to be independent. In most cases, that’s not possible; labor laws make things complicated and there simply isn’t the infrastructure to make operating as an independent contractor easy. No one who decides to take control of their own careers wants to have to deal with taxes, benefits, invoicing, timekeeping, insurance, etc. That’s why we are focused on fixing this infrastructure gap: by connecting onboarding and risk management with the tools and benefits that people need to be independent.

CJD: The extended workforce is drawing ever closer to encompassing half of all global talent within the enterprise realm. As GreenLight focuses so much on compliance and visibility, what’s the best pathway forward for businesses that want to tap into this growing, agile workforce?

JP: They need to make sure they offer a great experience to their extended workforce – as close as it could get to being an employee. Great HR support, great benefits. You want your extended workforce to be flexible, but you still need to make an attractive offer to make sure they don’t leave before you capture the ROIs of onboarding them. The post-hire experience for contractors is so laggard, especially compared to the innovation focused on finding talent. It shouldn’t be…and we are changing that.

CJD: One of the most impressive attributes of the GreenLight platform is its dynamic slew of functionality that is tailored for the modern workforce.

JP: Yes – the people that take advantage of the extended workforce that goes through GreenLight are educated buyers. Unlike SMEs or startups, they care a lot about risk and work with us to make sure they get exactly what they need. GreenLight’s value proposition goes beyond paying payroll with one click; our platform needs to be ready to accommodate the needs of each of our clients. We’ve been an incredibly intuitive platform with a huge focus on the user experience. We built features specific to managing the unique needs of the contingent workforce, and we made it all accessible through APIs, so we can easily integrate with any type of talent matching technology – direct sourcing, VMS, ATS, and marketplaces. We also offer AI-powered worker classification, integrations with partners like Checkr for background checks, and Berxi for business insurance.

CJD: I’d like to chat a bit about the evolution of talent and how so many more organizations are leveraging talent marketplaces, digital staffing, and human cloud offerings. How does GreenLight provide its users with real-time visibility into these talent sources?

JP: Large enterprises don’t want to have to use another platform, so we bridge the technology gap by integrating with the tools companies already use to source talent. The data that our clients need is then easily accessible either through our UI or via API.

CJD: It’s obvious by now that the average enterprise has experienced a very sharp uptick in the utilization of global, remote freelancers. How does this affect the impact of global payments technology?

JP: This uptick you mention has made apparent the need for new infrastructure that allows companies like us to send and receive payments in a seamless way, with great reporting tools, and with APIs.

CJD: What’s a Future of Work prediction you have for the second half of 2022?

JP: Lots of niche talent marketplaces that focus on one single job function will be born. Those who land big clients that care about risk will need to use platforms like GreenLight to grow. We’ve met platforms that believe they don’t need to care about everything that happens after the job match-makings they facilitate, but come back after a few months to us when they are ready to scale.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn and visit www.greenlight.ai for more information about GreenLight and its technology.