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Future of Work

Employee Experience and the Power of Engagement

Business LeadershipDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRTalent by John Yuva on

One business constant over the last four years is uncertainty. Whether it’s the economy, geopolitics, or the overall market, enterprises must contend with that sense of the unknown. As such, having a flexible and agile workforce is essential when market dynamics shift. Flexibility and agility often derive from employee experience (EX) initiatives. Organizations that prioritize employee experience are more internally aligned and can better pivot when needs arise.

However, essential to employee experience is understanding that it goes beyond employee satisfaction. Rather, it is a strategic imperative that directly influences organizational culture, success, and the ability to navigate an ever-changing business landscape.

Employee Experience Begins and Ends with Engagement

A core element of employee experience is engagement — with a lack of engagement consequential to an enterprise. For leading organizations, engagement begins in the recruitment/hiring phase where an emphasis on desired skillsets and cultural alignment contributes to talent retention; engagement is then prioritized through the last day of employment with workers serving as enterprise ambassadors in their next opportunity.

What are the consequences of low employee engagement? According to an article by Jim Harter, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Workplace for Gallup, a 2023 survey of U.S. employee engagement of full- and part-time employees showed a 1% decline between mid-year (34%) and end-of-year (33%). This reflects an overall contraction of 3% compared to the annual high of 36% in 2000 when Gallup first began reporting U.S. employee engagement statistics.

A 1% mid-year decline and a 3% overall-high decrease may seem minuscule, but Harter points out the significance. “Each percentage point gain or drop in engagement represents approximately 1.6 million full- or part-time employees in the U.S.,” he writes. “Trends in employee engagement are significant because they are linked to many performance outcomes in organizations. Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.”

The bigger observation from the Gallup survey is that nearly 70% of organizations are not actively engaging with workers. This presents an even bigger challenge for their talent retention, productivity, and market competitiveness efforts.

A Thriving Employee Experience

Employee experience begins with a culture shift — one with an intentional and sustainable foundation. It is not a finite strategy, but rather an evolving enterprise mission. Today’s Future of Work paradigm encompasses many elements that contribute to a successful employee experience approach. The following are EX areas that can have the greatest benefit to an organization’s success, productivity, and overall well-being.

Remote and hybrid flexibility. Here at FOWX, we’ve talked extensively about remote and hybrid work. Since the pandemic, the flexibility to work remotely has become one of the biggest EX benefits. Many organizations made remote/hybrid work models a permanent choice for employees. However, over the last year, several of these same enterprises pulled back on remote work and implemented return-to-office mandates. The employee response was swift in some cases, with workers publicly protesting these decisions. Studies have shown that productivity increases with remote/hybrid work models and leads to improved employee well-being. Organizations should focus on providing tools that foster virtual team-building activities and creating policies that support work-life balance.

Employee empowerment. When workers are empowered to perform their jobs and advance their skillsets, it instills a sense of trust and greater employee satisfaction. As more organizations pursue digital transformation, they introduce new workflow technologies and platforms. These technology investments are to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and enable global collaboration. To thrive in this evolving digital environment, business leaders should empower workers with continuous learning opportunities, such as right-skilling, upskilling, and other training programs. This “people” investment contributes to a more positive and productive employee experience.

DE&I focus and promotion. Despite growing criticism and legislation surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, workers continue to value enterprises that actively promote DE&I and implement policies and programs to address existing gaps. Younger generations in particular expect organizations to align with societal expectations through the integration of diverse hiring practices and unconscious bias training. Such programs not only create a workplace where workers feel valued, respected, and recognized but can lead to higher levels of engagement and innovation.

Human-centric culture. When organizations prioritize their employees, the culture reflects this by placing importance on employee mental health and well-being. This generally requires empathetic leadership capable of addressing work-life balance issues that can lead to stress and burnout. A human-centric culture is an employee experience-first workplace, offering remote work opportunities, setting boundaries for work-related issues, providing mental health services and encouraging their use, and fostering a check-in management approach whereby managers meet with team members weekly to evaluate workloads and gauge overall well-being.     

Employee experience is a central Future of Work topic that FOWX will continue following. How enterprises approach EX amid growing in-office mandates and DE&I criticisms is yet to be seen. However, there’s little denying that EX is an underlying factor in business success. At the end of the day, employees are the lifeblood of enterprises. How workers perceive their organization and culture is significant to productivity outcomes and overall organizational health. In today’s modern business environment, EX is essential.

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DOL Ruling Leaves Uncertainty for Contingent Workers

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsHRTalent Acquisition by John Yuva on

(Author Note: This article intends to inform about a critical government ruling taking effect in a few weeks as well as encourage discussion on social media. See a post by Christopher Dwyer, managing director of the Future of Work Exchange, this week on LinkedIn to share your opinions and feedback.)

Enterprises of all sizes rely on contingent workers as a critical segment of their workforce and operational support. However, a final ruling on the 2021 IC Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has the potential to upend the gig economy when it goes into effect on March 11. The ruling brings into focus how organizations classify an employee versus a contractual worker under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The final ruling presents stricter guidelines on independent contractor classification. The ramifications on labor costs, workforce policy, and talent strategy could be significant.

A Ruling Focused on Guidance

The purpose of the DOL’s ruling is twofold: 1) institute guidelines for how to classify workers as independent contractors and 2) prevent employee misclassification — a serious problem that the DOL says “impacts workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime pay, facilitates wage theft, allows some employers to undercut their law-abiding competition and hurts the economy at-large.”

According to Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, “Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a serious issue that deprives workers of basic rights and protections,” she explained. “This rule will help protect workers, especially those facing the greatest risk of exploitation, by making sure they are classified properly and that they receive the wages they’ve earned.”

Separately, the DOL’s final ruling rescinds the Trump era 2021 Independent Contractor Rule that the “department believes is not consistent with the law and longstanding judicial precedent.”

The DOL published the following to describe and explain its final ruling: This final rule rescinds the Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act rule (2021 IC Rule), that was published on January 7, 2021, and replaces it with an analysis for determining employee or independent contractor status that is more consistent with the FLSA as interpreted by longstanding judicial precedent.

The misclassification of employees as independent contractors may deny workers minimum wage, overtime pay, and other protections. This final rule will reduce the risk that employees are misclassified as independent contractors while providing a consistent approach for businesses that engage with individuals who are in business for themselves. 

Since the issuance of the final ruling last month (January 9), its reception has trended toward the negative. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of clarity in the ruling itself.

Resounding Opposition Follows Final Ruling

While the ruling is designed to offer protections (e.g., overtime pay, benefits, etc.) for employees misclassified as contingent workers, it brings possible drawbacks to both workers and organizations. Reaction to the ruling was met with criticism and concern by several industry representatives.

Marc Freedman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Workplace Policy — Link:

“The Department of Labor’s new regulation redefining when someone is an employee or an independent contractor is clearly biased towards declaring most independent contractors as employees, a move that will decrease flexibility and opportunity and result in lost earning opportunities for millions of Americans,” he said.

“It threatens the flexibility of individuals to work when and how they want and could have significant negative impacts on our economy. Making matters worse, the rule is completely unnecessary, as the Department continues to report success in cracking down on bad actors that are misclassifying workers. The U.S. Chamber will carefully evaluate our options going forward, including litigation,” Freedman added.

Emily Dickens, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Chief of Staff, Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Secretary — Link:

“The DOL’s action … ‘underscores the importance of clear and consistent regulations, fostering diverse business relationships essential for the demands of the modern economy. HR plays a vital role in ensuring proper worker classification,’ she said.

‘However, the ongoing shifts in regulatory guidance impose compliance burdens and legal uncertainties on HR professionals and business executives.’”

Timothy Taylor, Holland & Knight Labor, Employment and Benefits Attorney (in an article for Law360) — Link:

Taylor’s expressed concerns about the challenges the rule poses for both businesses and independent contractors: “There are no real surprises, but the rule is just going to remain very challenging and very problematic for businesses and for workers who want to retain their independent status across the board,” he said.

Chris Spear, American Trucking Associations’ President and CEO — Link:

“I can think of nothing more un-American than for the government to extinguish the freedom of individuals to choose work arrangements that suit their needs and fulfill their ambitions. More than 350,000 truckers choose to work as independent contractors because of the economic opportunity it creates and the flexibility it provides, enabling them to run their own business and choose their own hours and routes. That freedom of choice has been an enormous source of empowerment for women, minorities, and immigrants pursuing the American Dream,” Spear said.

It is clear based on opinions from some of the largest industry groups that we haven’t heard the last about the DOL’s final ruling.

Uncertainties Ahead for Enterprises and the FOW

The true impact of the final ruling on workers, enterprises, and the Future of Work at large, has yet to be seen. However, here are a few closing thoughts on how things could change moving forward.

Labor costs. Should organizations find themselves classifying more workers as employees (who were previously independent contractors), expect a steep rise in labor costs for those employers. Purportedly, to prevent misclassifications and system abuse, there are stricter guidelines around classifying workers as independent contractors.

Workforce planning. With nearly 50% of an enterprise’s total workforce comprised of contingent labor, the final ruling could have significant implications on talent allocation. With fewer contingent workers, how does that affect talent acquisition and total talent management strategies? Having the right talent at the right time could take on an entirely new meaning.

Direct sourcing strategy. A global talent pool to attract and hire contingent workers is a major component of direct sourcing. Enterprises with a focus on skills-based hiring have boundaryless options when it comes to contingent labor. However, a reduction in contingent labor coupled with stricter remote work policies suddenly shrinks the potential labor pool drastically.

Worker flexibility. The benefit of work-life balance for an employee is often viewed as an acceptable tradeoff to higher compensation. The same holds true for contingent workers. The scheduling flexibility and client freedom are just a couple of benefits afforded to contingent workers. Under the final ruling, however, those advantages could disappear under an “employee” classification. For example, a noncompete clause as an employee could affect the livelihood of a contingent worker.

FOW paradigm. A Future of Work principle is about being future ready by sourcing talent to execute today as well as tomorrow. Contingent workers are the backbone of that principle. A government ruling that could impact a large percentage of nearly 50% of the workforce is worth taking a closer look. Enterprises hire contingent workers for many strategic positions. It would serve them well to find a happy medium around labor protections for this critical workforce segment.

The Future of Work Exchange will continue to cover this issue and others like it. We encourage you to provide your opinions and feedback. Follow our managing director and thought leader Christopher Dwyer on LinkedIn to be part of the discussion.

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Adopt the Lifelong Learner Mentality

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsTalent by John Yuva on

The early weeks of the new year are an ideal time to reflect, revise, and rejuvenate. What professional goals do I want to accomplish in the new year? Where am I in my career trajectory? Do I have the skills and knowledge to meet my objectives? These are all relevant and important questions when assessing one’s professional future. However, what if you could keep those questions at the forefront all year, every year, throughout your professional life — with goal assessment and attainment a constant? Adopting a lifelong learning mentality makes professional development a daily driver and career advancement a priority.

Adaptability to Shifting Trends

Lifelong learning is a growing aspect of the Future of Work as shifting workplace trends require greater adaptability. As such, workers are taking more control of reskilling and upskilling efforts to remain ahead of the curve. In fact, according to ManpowerGroup’s 2023 Workplace Trends Report, 57% of employees are pursuing training outside of work.

“What’s important to people is that they have the relevancy of skills that are marketable today as the world of work evolves,” says Nimo Shah, director of MyPath and Experis Academy for ManpowerGroup.

Personal Growth, Employee Retention

Becoming a lifelong learner involves making professional development and discovery an ongoing initiative. It can mean dedicating a portion of the week to reading about new technologies or trends online, joining a networking or professional group, or enrolling in a class or certificate/degree program to learn new skills. Whatever the path, it’s about commitment to personal and professional growth. This can pay dividends when growing one’s professional brand and deeper connections within the enterprise.

An article by Georgia Tech’s Professional Education department, states, “As employees’ expectations change, lifelong learning can play an integral role in helping them integrate more deeply into the workplace. …If companies invest in lifelong learning options and advocate for the personal and professional development of their teams, it could help with employee retention.”

Journey Toward Professional Discovery

Need some guidance on your lifelong learning journey? The following are strategies to incorporate (one or all) into your daily, weekly, or monthly self-development regimen.

Maintain stretch goals. Setting goals and achieving them provides a sense of accomplishment. However, having stretch goals provides direction and motivation to go beyond what is already achieved. Typically, stretch goals are difficult to reach, if not impossible, but having more attainable goals that are related to a stretch goal can result in some unexpected and positive results — as well as innovative thinking. A stretch goal on the lifelong learning path could be to read 50 business books in a year when your annual average is five books. But with certain goals in place, you’re able to read 12 books (one per month).

Utilize learning channels. Whether it’s online or in-person learning, there are several options to reskill, upskill, or pursue a second career. Udemy, for example, has 57 million users and more than 213,000 courses covering a wide range of categories. LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) is another excellent e-learning option boasting more than 22,000 courses. If earning a certificate in a specified area of study is your goal, consider a community college. Certificate programs can be completed within months and provide the essential skills for career advancement.

Recalibrate network strategies. How many of us use LinkedIn mostly to approve or make the occasional connection request, browse posts, and tinker with our profile? Commit to recalibrating our networking strategy (particularly on LinkedIn) to really connect. Use the platform to join groups and engage with members. Like posts and leave comments. Reach out to prolific LinkedIn members and subject matter experts to ask questions and initiate dialogue. Attend LinkedIn live events on topics of interest. LinkedIn is populated with tens of thousands of members who are eager to share their knowledge and provide insight into your journey of lifelong learning.

Chase curiosity and wonder. Simply put, if you’re curious about something, find the answer. What is the potential impact of generative AI on my enterprise and its industry? Start researching and reaching out to subject matter experts on LinkedIn to get insights. Lifelong learning is often about chasing the bigger questions and educating yourself while finding the answers. Create a Top 10 list of topics you want to know more about, then three questions under each topic to explore. Prioritize the topics/questions based on your goals and timetable.  Lifelong learning is about the journey.

Document the known and unknown. Create a spreadsheet for topics of curiosity and include valuable links to your findings. Individual sheets within a spreadsheet for different topics. Complement the spreadsheet with a journal documenting your thoughts, wins, and losses of lifelong learning. Often, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) can lead to unexpected connections and a-ha moments. It’s why going down this path frequently results in innovative thinking and outcomes. Document your progress for a month and see how it feels. You may be surprised how rewarding and motivating it can be to see tangible progress of your goals.

Build a schedule that integrates one or more of these strategies and track short- and long-term progress. Look for a mentor or coach who can provide supportive accountability and insight into growth areas.

Enterprise Support and Reward  

While lifelong learning is more of a personal journey for an employee, it doesn’t mean enterprises can’t be active guides. Managers who take an interest and participate in their employees’ professional development can generate growth and career opportunities while gaining benefits as well.

As part of LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, Stephanie Conway, senior director of talent development at LinkedIn, says employees who set clear career goals are more focused on the skills to attain those objectives.

“An important enabler in my experience is a shift away from looking at specific job titles when helping employees consider their next move. Instead, it is more effective to identify specific skills they want to develop and experiences that might help them do that,” Conway says.

“A first step is to show employees what career development at your company looks like – through any number of programs, like job shadowing, rotations, or sharing internal-mobility stories. This can both further personal career development and start to build organizational resilience and agility,” she adds.

Lifelong learning begins with that spark of curiosity that can open the door to a world of possibilities. Take charge of your personal and professional development to achieve your workplace and longer-term career goals.

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Talent Experts on FOWX — Evolution of Staffing and Growth of Extended Workforce

Direct SourcingGeneral InsightsPodcastSolution ProvidersTalentTalent AcquisitionTechnology and InnovationUncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Our “Talent Expert Series” on FOWX features podcast excerpts of today’s Future of Work thought leaders who appear on The Future of Work Exchange Podcast. The series kicks off with an excerpt from Season 7, Episode 12 featuring Kara Kaplan, CEO of High5, as she discusses a range of topics from the evolution of staffing to the growth in the extended enterprise to the next stage of direct sourcing.

Click to listen to the full interview. Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.

Christopher Dwyer: Let’s begin with your general insights into the staffing industry, especially given your unique vantage point with High5. When you think of the evolution of staffing and the rise and continued growth of the extended workforce, where are we today?

Kara Kaplan: For starters, the evolution of staffing and the emergence of the extended workforce has ushered in this profound transformation that we’re seeing. It’s a fundamental shift in how companies view and engage with talent. The traditional employment model has been supplemented and, in some cases, supplanted by an extended workforce. Thus, you see many organizations today, if not most, embracing the extended workforce as an integral component of their talent strategy.

And when we look at the term “employee” in general, it’s really evolving with these new models. You have everything from full-time, part-time, contract, gig, remote, hybrid, shared and other terms emerging. Those organizations that rigidly stick to the traditional relationship are going to find themselves fighting an uphill battle. Conversely, enterprises that appreciate and use a mix of workforce models will ultimately be the ones that succeed and have access to more talent and better talent.

It’s more of an adaptation to the new global economy that we now live in and all the complexities and opportunities that are part and parcel of that global shift. At the end of the day, organizations need to embrace this evolution not as an option but more as a strategic imperative. The exciting thing is that organizations are starting to do that.

CD: There is definitely a talent revolution occurring and obviously companies like High 5 fit into that. However, how do you see companies like High5 and other digital staffing platforms fitting into this change in talent acquisition?

KK: Today’s talent revolution signifies a profound shift in how organizations acquire and engage talent. We’re seeing it become much more commoditized. Talent is more dynamic and diverse, as well as more digitally connected than ever before. With the rise of talent marketplaces and digital staffing solutions, they’ve been instrumental in reshaping talent acquisition strategies and truly enabling organizations to adapt and thrive in this global landscape.

At their core, talent marketplaces democratized new access to a global pool of talent. These platforms are empowering organizations to source talent with levels of speed and accuracy that were not possible just a short time ago. For example, in the recent past, when working with many staffing agencies, there was a significant amount of manual effort required in matching a worker with a shift — even if they had a robust ATS, it would only benefit them to a degree. However, today’s digital staffing solutions driven by artificial intelligence and automation have redefined the recruitment process and streamlined nearly everything from candidate sourcing to screening to onboarding and payrolling. It saves a vast amount of time and resources.

CD: In our industry when you think about digital staffing, what comes to mind is BMS, MSP, direct sourcing, total talent, workforce management technology, and artificial intelligence. AI has moved beyond hype and is generally accepted as table stakes in our industry. What are your views on AI and its impact?

KK: To your point, we can’t have this conversation without talking about generative AI and what it means. However, the idea that AI is table stakes for competitive differentiation may be overly simplistic. While AI can undoubtedly provide a significant edge, it’s not a cure-all as companies are seeing. Enterprises still have to remain focused on their core offerings and the human aspect of talent as well as customer relationships to build a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s certainly an exciting time for AI but also a scary one as well. AI is not going away and we’ll continue to hear frequently about the technology, but going forward we need to think about AI in the right way and in the smart way.

CD: Let’s pivot to direct sourcing which was gaining momentum even before the pandemic and is now another table-stakes strategy for businesses if they want to deepen their talent pool and scale their workforce. There’s so much more to direct sourcing than simply contingent recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). With that in mind, where do you see direct sourcing heading?

KK: So much has changed in just the year since I started High5. There’s no doubt that direct sourcing has emerged as a pivotal force in recruiting and is definitely here to stay. There are sessions at major conferences dedicated to direct sourcing with brands like Northern Trust, Toyota, and Meta espousing its benefits. When that starts to happen, the more prominence direct sourcing will have. Clearly, in terms of the future of direct sourcing, the benefits are there. However, its adoption will require an education process. Anytime an education process is involved, it’s going to slow things down, particularly from a sales cycle perspective, but that process plays a vital role in ensuring that organizations realize the efficacy of direct sourcing. To be successful means ensuring that best practices are being followed. When direct sourcing initiatives fail, it’s because they didn’t follow best practices. Again, I’m extremely bullish on the future of direct sourcing, but I do think it will take some time for that education to catch up.

CD: Before we wrap up, 2023 is quickly coming to an end. What do you see on the horizon in the year ahead?

KK: I wish I had a crystal ball. For us, 2024 is about strengthening our position in the market. Being known as the “tech first” company, we’re making heavy investments in our tech enablement, our marketplace, and our other platforms. We have a great deal of excitement around some of our recent tech acquisitions and the compelling value proposition that creates for us going forward.

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Fractional Executives Filling Critical Leadership Gaps, Part 2

General InsightsTalentTalent AcquisitionUncategorized by John Yuva on

We return today with part two of our fractional executive series. In part one, we explored how the evolving workplace trend of fractional executives is a game-changer for businesses in need of C-level leadership expertise and insight.

Sharing their own experiences around this trend was John Healy, chief executive with Whrrr Work (formerly VP and managing director for Kelly), and Neha Goel, a fractional CMO with the Rippler Group (formerly CMO and VP of marketing for Utmost). Both return in part two where we look at when and how to engage a fractional executive.

As discussed in part one, a fractional executive serves as a flexible and on-demand approach to talent acquisition. Whether it’s a role such as a chief marketing officer (CMO) or chief procurement officer (CPO), businesses now have scalable talent options to execute critical programs and initiatives.

In part two, we’ll look at what to consider when choosing a fractional executive and how these leaders can best support businesses.

Fractional Doesn’t Mean Insignificant

Despite the term, a fractional executive leads, advises, and supports their client’s business with the same tenacity and resolve as a permanent member of the leadership team. In fact, without such expertise, a business may be facing failure. This is all the more reason why the selection process must be rigorous (check out CPO Rising’s decision tree “Do You Need a Fractional CPO”).

Businesses have several considerations when choosing a fractional executive, says Goel. She notes the specific expertise required, an executive’s track record or experience with similar companies, the scope and duration of the project, as well as the company’s budget. “It’s also important to define clear objectives and KPIs to ensure the engagement’s success,” adds Goel.

Healy couldn’t agree more. Holding a fractional executive accountable for agreed-upon results is essential. It’s what separates choosing a fractional leader versus an external consultant or advisor. “Whether engaged as a freelancer or as a part-time FTE or via an external service provider, both parties need to take the time to define and agree on expectations — even when one of those expectations is to develop answers to the unknown,” he says.

However, equally important, and sometimes overlooked, is the cultural fit between the executive and the existing leadership team, says Goel. Cultural fit, along with other criteria that are critical when making a permanent hiring decision, should carry the same weight when deciding on a fractional executive. The consequences are just as damaging.

Support From Within

You have decided to hire a fractional executive and identified the must-haves as part of the selection process, but how can this leader best be leveraged in your business? While many fractional executives work remotely, they understand the criticality of in-person leadership and engagement. Still, how can businesses best utilize fractional leaders during their assignments? What areas of support are most conducive for such leaders?

Goel provides a few areas where fractional leaders can deliver the most value:

  • Providing strategic leadership. At the top of the list is strategic leadership, which is generally the impetus for engaging a C-level executive. However, ensure collaboration between a fractional executive and other members of the leadership team. Decision-making in a vacuum is not a valuable outcome.
  • Driving key projects. Utilize the leader’s expertise to help determine strategic trajectories and projects to achieve objectives. Fractional executives should be the driving force behind key projects but not necessarily involved in the execution. Instead, they are monitoring progress, advising on implementation, and tracking performance.
  • Transferring knowledge to the existing team. Most fractional leader assignments are short-term engagements. Thus, transferring knowledge to not only the leadership team but managers as well will be crucial for sustained growth and success. Knowledge is power. Imparting wisdom and sharing lessons learned should be an expectation of a fractional leader.

“They should act as catalysts for change and innovation, offering an external perspective and a network of contacts, while being adept at quickly understanding the company’s challenges and opportunities to create immediate value,” says Goel.

When Healy takes on an assignment, he finds helping a company develop a more intentional orchestration of its workforce ecosystem occurs through different actions and phases.

“There is a learning and development action that occurs in the first phase of an engagement, followed by an assessment of organizational maturity and readiness,” says Healy. “The action plan for deploying specific elements of the program is dependent on the client’s ability to take action and dedicate the time and resources to the effort — in each case, those are unique circumstances.”

“As a result, the trust and candor in the relationship are critical to ensuring expectations on both sides are met … we both gain value when an initiative is deployed and achieves the results desired, or when the initiative is stopped early in the process, saving time, effort, and expense for all involved,” adds Healy.

With only a couple of weeks until 2024, the demand for fractional executives will continue as uncertainty remains and more companies enter the marketplace. The Future of Work is about redefining the “traditional” and exploring new paradigms for workplace success. Fractional executives have found their place in that endeavor.

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Fractional Executives Filling Critical Leadership Gaps

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsTalentTalent Acquisition by John Yuva on

The Future of Work is shaped by several evolving workplace trends. We’ve spoken about many of them on The Future of Work Exchange and CPO Rising websites. Today, in part one of two, we’re exploring the topic of the fractional executive — a game-changing role for organizations lacking executive expertise.

The fractional executive serves as a flexible and on-demand approach to talent acquisition. Whether it’s a role such as a chief marketing officer (CMO) or chief procurement officer (CPO), businesses now have scalable talent options to execute critical programs and initiatives.

Consider the fractional CPO. Small- to medium-sized enterprises (those with less than $50 million in revenue) that lack a mature or formal procurement department can source the services of a fractional CPO who provides similar expertise as a permanent executive but at a lower cost. Whether it’s a part-time or project-based position, businesses can secure this essential role and its associated insights, making it attainable for any sized organization. A fractional CPO can deliver a variety of benefits, including:

  • Strategic procurement leadership
  • Supplier relationship management
  • Procurement process improvement
  • Sourcing and risk mitigation strategies
  • Supply chain cost optimization

In today’s volatile marketplace with frequent supply chain disruptions, hiring a fractional CPO’s services is a valuable alternative to weather the storm until a more permanent solution is found.

The Rise of the Fractional Executive

Bringing further insight into the fractional leadership trend, FOWX spoke to two talent leaders with previous experience in the workforce solution realm before embarking on careers as fractional executives. John Healy, chief executive with Whrrr Work (formerly VP and Managing Director for Kelly), and Neha Goel, a fractional CMO with the Rippler Group (formerly CMO and VP of Marketing for Utmost), share their knowledge and expertise for those considering fractional executive services.

Why a fractional executive? Several factors have influenced the expansion of the fractional executive movement. In addition to the growth in the gig economy, specialized skills on a flexible schedule, and the financial benefits of hiring executive talent sans full-time salaries and long-term contracts, Goel says it’s also the advantages afforded to senior executives.

“This shift [in fractional executives] is also driven by the growing appreciation for work-life balance and the diversification of career paths among senior executives, including the trend of building a portfolio career,” Goel said.

Healy echoed Goel’s career diversification sentiments, adding that fractional roles are driven by supply and demand forces. From a supply perspective, he believes optimistically that individuals have chosen to spread their deeper knowledge “across multiple clients vs. being housed exclusively in one place, and that they find greater value in applying their talents across multiple stages of company growth or industries,” Healy says. “The pessimist says that a lot of senior-level folks saw their roles eliminated and this is a way to stay current in the market and demonstrate their skills to prospective ‘next’ employers.

“On the demand side, many companies have come to recognize that there are strategically important roles that are necessary for the execution of their growth strategy — but not necessarily in an FTE capacity, and that often having experience from outside the organization offers increased value,” Healy adds.

Certainly, executives with decades of experience who have led strategic initiatives and transformations would find fractional assignments as opportunities to extend their knowledge and bring success to businesses beginning their marketplace journey.

From Start-Ups to Mid-Sized Firms

It’s no surprise that start-ups are prime candidates for fractional executive leadership. Known historically for their ability to execute with limited resources, Healy says the start-up model has evolved from one person wearing multiple hats to multiple people having a specialist hat. Depending on the nature of the business, a fractional CMO or CPO can help set operational strategy and ensure the business remains focused on its core objectives and spends its investment dollars effectively.

Goel says start-ups or smaller businesses often lack the need for a full-time leader “but [the business] needs the domain expertise to move the needle forward and be a thought partner to the executive team.”

For larger organizations, the savings from not paying a full-time senior leader can be reinvested in a fractional executive “to accelerate growth strategies, while also mentoring and developing the next generation of leaders,” explains Healy.

Part two of our fractional executive series will focus on the primary considerations when choosing a fractional leader and how he or she can best support the business.

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DE&I and Balancing Business and Human Imperatives

Business LeadershipDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRPodcastSolution ProvidersTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The Future of Work movement would not be what it is without Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) playing a significant part in the paradigm. A decade ago, diversity was associated more with supplier initiatives focused on Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses. The term has evolved and expanded into DE&I where the human element is now the priority.

A recent Future of Work Exchange Podcast hosted by Christopher Dwyer, managing director for FOWX, featured Rocki Howard, chief equity and impact officer for The Mom Project, who discussed the role and impact of DE&I on the Future of Work movement.

The Mom Project is a digital talent and community platform serving 1.2 million users (the majority being moms as well as over 3,000 companies from small- to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500).

This article recaps some of that discussion. Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.

Christopher Dwyer: While the Future of Work relies on technology and innovation, it also brings focus to the humanity of the worker. Workers crave flexibility — not just work-life balance — but also work-life integration. Describe what the renewed interest in workers being people not just commodities means to you.

Rocki Howard: Often when I’m speaking and coaching about diversity initiatives and what makes them sustainable, there are two core components to consider. You have to consider diversity as a business imperative and as a human imperative. When I made the purposeful pivot in my career to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), one of the things I found was that many companies were focused on the systemic issues that take place or that need to be fixed and then take place. And that is critical and important, and we have to do it.

But one of the things that I was extremely disappointed by was the lack of conversations that were happening around people. Not talking about what is the experience for Rocki Howard as she works for company XYZ and how that should impact how we are recalibrating our systems at work and how we treat people. Because there has been a power shift in terms of the world of work. Employers used to hold all the power. That’s no longer the case. There needs to be a partnership.

Quite frankly, that’s one of the reasons I came to work for The Mom Project. Our mission is always about people. We’re always talking about mom and how we can support mom. Even when we think internally at The Mom Project, we listen to the voices of the people who work for us. We’re not trying to create systems or programs in a checkbox or in a performative way.

Even as we partner with organizations, we are looking for those who have respectful workplaces and respect the voices of moms and their dual working status. It can’t just be the business imperative. The human imperative has to be there as well. For companies that are going to get this right, it can’t be just about the human imperative either. There has to be a balance between the business imperative and the human imperative.

CD: There are many organizations that have their hearts in the right place, but they don’t know where to start with a DE&I initiative. They want to be more diverse in the way they think as well as have more diverse voices in their organization, while also being more inclusive. Based on your vast experience, knowledge, and expertise, how should businesses recalibrate the way they think about DE&I?

RH: I could talk for hours on this topic. First, you need to start with an honest assessment of what diversity means within your particular culture. Begin with the end in mind. When you define success in your organization, what does that look like? What pillars of diversity do you want to focus on? Have you talked with your employees? When I started at The Mom Project, I spent significant time doing focus groups with various employees asking questions about how authentic they thought our initiatives were. What did they want to see? What was important to them? What would make them proud as we move forward? I don’t think we spend enough time doing this. Often, we fall into comparison syndrome where if X company is approaching diversity a certain way, then we should be doing that. But that may not be what works for your specific environment.

Second, I think we need to start moving towards integrated DEIB solutioning. There’s been a tremendous amount of focus on DEIB during the recruiting cycle, but we haven’t moved beyond that through the talent management lifecycle. That’s important for us to do. One of my clients once said they couldn’t recruit their way out of the problem. However, if they’re not thinking about the experience throughout the lifecycle, then they’re not going to reach equity, inclusion, and belonging. They won’t see successful sustainable initiatives as a result.

Lastly, DEIB is not a singular “problem to solve.” We need to be more collaborative. It is not something that can be solved by one person or one company as a competitive advantage. Coming together as a global community as we work together to solve this is going to be important as will leaning on partnerships with organizations like The Mom Project. Everyone has a role to play. And no one can be removed from the conversation. When I think of companies that are at the starting line, those are the conversations to get started. And then you drive everything else from there.

CD: When we look at the landscape (i.e., workforce solutions and the talent acquisition industry) a year from now, where do you feel DE&I and diversity as a whole will be?

RH: That question is one that keeps me up at night. We’re starting to see an erosion of diversity resources, whether it’s people, money, or time resources. But what I’m really hopeful of is that we’re not going to take steps back. Collectively, I think society and our communities are going to hold us accountable for the promises that we’ve made to continue to move forward. If there’s one hope I have for DEIB initiatives moving forward, is that we crack the frozen middle. Many times where diversity initiatives go to die within our organizations is at middle management. What I’d like to see is for us to crack that frozen middle and get our middle managers involved and integrated into being inclusive leaders. I think the leadership framework must change. And we must crack that frozen middle in order to have real impact. That’s what I’m hoping we will see moving forward.

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Voices Behind Quiet and Loud Quitters

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsHRTalentUncategorized by John Yuva on

One of the main tenets of the Future of Work is employee engagement. It sets the tone for how to motivate, influence, and inspire workers to embrace their work and the culture of the enterprise. Since 2022 when the workplace began to normalize after two tumultuous years of the pandemic, employee engagement has become a cornerstone to achieving a productive and competitive organization.

What is the result when a lack of employee engagement exists? Two employee behaviors — “quiet quitting” and “loud quitting” — become prevalent. Current workforce statistics indicate that disengagement is more prominent than management probably realizes.

Quiet Quitting Proliferates

In early 2022, a term emerged describing workers who are disengaged from the workplace and generally apply the minimal amount of work necessary to complete their job — quiet quitters. When compared to the overall workforce, quiet quitters represent the majority of workers today, with most struggling with stress and burnout.

According to Gallup’s State of the Workplace 2023 report, 52% of US/Canadian workplace employees fall within the “disengaged” (quiet quitter) category. It also represents the largest group that HR and business managers can actively engage with positive results by listening to employee concerns and issues.

What changes are quiet quitters most looking for to thrive in the workplace?

  • (41%) Engagement/Culture — Providing a sense of purpose and an empathetic environment can go a long way with quiet quitters who feel ignored and undervalued.
  • (28%) Pay and Benefits — Enterprises are often trying to achieve more with less and workers want compensation for the stress experienced and extra hours required to achieve business objectives.
  • (16%) Well-being — Stress levels remain at all-time highs and organizations that actively work toward reducing stress and anxiety by offering mental health programs and wellness initiatives are positive steps toward better engagement and a healthy work climate.

Loud Quitting a Silent Toxin

On the opposite end of the disengaged spectrum are employees who identify as loud quitters —who account for approximately 17% of the US/Canadian workforce according to Gallup. Where quiet quitters are often looking for better engagement to change their outlook on work, loud quitters are “employees (who) take actions that directly harm the organization, undercutting its goals and opposing its leaders,” says Gallup.

Trust has been irrevocably broken between these employees and their business managers and leadership team, leading to purposeful actions to disrupt productivity. Loud quitting is a far more concerning issue because of the negative intent involved. As enterprises strive toward greater competitiveness through digital transformation and other significant initiatives, loud quitters are the arch nemesis of change management.

True Cost of Disengagement

According to the Gallup report, disengaged employees — the combination of quiet quitting and loud quitting — cost the global economy $8.8 trillion or 9% of global GDP. What this indicates is that 1) quiet and loud quitting must be addressed as a serious workplace issue, 2) HR and management need to elevate employee engagement as a workplace imperative or risk further erosion in productivity, and 3) evaluate the hiring process to ensure the enterprise is attracting candidates with the appropriate skillsets and desire to bring their best to the workplace.

Workplace Behavioral Definitions

The following are terms and buzzwords describing employee and enterprise behaviors that can have negative consequences on workplace productivity.

Quiet Quitting:

An informal term for the practice of reducing the amount of effort one devotes to one’s job, such as by stopping the completion of any tasks not explicitly stated in the job description. The term implies that this is done secretly or without notifying one’s boss or manager. Quiet quitting doesn’t actually refer to quitting a job. The term is used in varying ways that refer to different methods of reducing productivity or the amount of work one performs.

Loud Quitting:

“Loud quitting” is a workplace trend that involves an employee making a scene or openly expressing perceived negative aspects of their working experience before or during resignation. This phenomenon grew out of The Great Resignation, similar to quiet quitting.

Quiet Hiring:

An informal term for the practice in which an employer fills workforce gaps in ways other than hiring new full-time employees, such as by training and/or shifting existing employees into different roles or using independent contractors to cover certain roles and responsibilities. The term implies that this is done secretly or simply without being explicit about the intent behind such changes. The practice is often interpreted as a way for the employer to reduce or avoid costs.

Quiet Firing:

An informal term for the practice in which employers make workplace conditions worse for employees with the intent of driving some of them to quit. The term implies that this is done secretly or at least subtly enough to make it appear unintentional. The practice is thought to be done to avoid the financial and legal costs that an employer can incur when firing an employee.

Bare Minimum Monday:

“Bare minimum Mondays” are workplace trends where employees do the least possible work on Mondays to avoid burnout during the remaining workdays. Examples of these practices include attending only important meetings, starting Monday with a self-care routine, and taking a break from checking emails.

Calibrated Contributing:

Jim Detert, Ph.D., John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, coined the term “calibrated contributing” as a more accurate definition for employees described as “quiet quitters.” According to Detert, “Calibrated contributing starts from the premise that what we’re seeing might be a very rational response to one’s work situation. If managers can acknowledge that calibrated contributing is, in many cases, rational behavior in response to the terms of employment they’re offering, then they can start to own the responsibility to do something productive about it.”

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HR Transforms into FOW Advocate

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRProcurementTalentTalent AcquisitionUncategorized by John Yuva on

Human resources as a function is experiencing a transformation as the Future of Work paradigm extends into more enterprises. Previously a benefits-focused department, HR is now regarded as a strategic partner in attaining business goals and objectives. Chief human resources officers are now tasked with leading total talent management efforts across the organization, ensuring the right talent is at the right place at the right time.

Growing Priorities, Balancing Demands

The Future of Work includes many tenets from flexible works models (remote and hybrid) to work/life balance considerations to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs. HR must now balance those priorities, along with talent acquisition and talent management demands that align with the current and future needs of the enterprise. That’s no small feat!

With contingent labor comprising nearly 40% of the total workforce, according to Future of Work Exchange research, HR must collaborate cross-functionally to not only understand staffing needs but the skillsets behind those roles. HR has evolved where partnerships with business managers and executive leadership are essential to the future competitiveness of the enterprise. In many ways, HR is now becoming the central role for both workplace and enterprise strategy execution.

In an article for Forbes, Joey Price, CEO for Jumpstart: HR, writes: “What’s the secret behind high-performing organizations? They are most keenly aware of the critical role that their organization’s human resources function plays in activating its overall success. If you think human resources is just a support system (*cough* “back office” *cough*) for your business, it’s time to reimagine your relationship.”

HR Impacts on FOW

HR’s impact on the Future of Work cannot be understated. It holds the keys to the execution success of Future of Work strategies. With that in mind, let’s look at several FOW areas where HR has a growing influence.

1) Human Capital Initiatives

Human resources is a human capital-intensive function. As such, building initiatives that increase employee engagement and promote a positive work culture are critical responsibilities for HR managers and executives. At the forefront of those efforts are diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. With more employees working remotely or in a hybrid work model, enterprises are attracting candidates on a global scale. Thus, the workforce today is a melting pot of different cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles. Leveraging such diversity means developing DE&I initiatives that provide a sense of belonging and community — leading to an engaged and supportive workforce culture.

2) Work Model Influencers

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in remote work and transformed how and where work gets done. In the last year, however, several large corporations reversed their remote work policies and asked those employees to return to the office. HR leaders are in a position to influence and advocate for remote and hybrid work models, understanding their importance to work/life balance and inclusion issues. The essence of the Future of Work is a workplace that incorporates a variety of work models to meet the needs of a talented and global workforce. Driving such policies and using data to support remote and hybrid work models is at the core of HR.

3) Talent-Centric Mentality

How and why HR sources candidates are evolving — leading to a focus on skills-based hiring. The mentality is shifting from filling a job vacancy as if it’s a commodity to truly choosing candidates based on specific skillsets that align with the strategic growth of the business. The expanding extended workforce also places more emphasis on skills and competencies than ever before. The gig economy is an ever-increasing talent pool for HR to leverage for their organization. Thus, contingent workforce management is essential to building the appropriate talent pipeline that attracts contingent candidates and retains them for ongoing strategic initiatives.

4) Balance Through Total Talent Management

As enterprises transition to skills-based hiring, it’s a natural progression toward total talent management. HR’s workforce partnerships with cross-functional business managers must encompass the totality of a department’s budget. Partnering with procurement on talent acquisition and contingent workforce management helps ensure personnel budgets remain within scope. Understanding talent spend to truly optimize the hiring of contingent labor is critical. Total talent management brings transparency to all the elements of what goes into talent acquisition. It ultimately prevents going over budget on a hire, while ensuring the enterprise achieves its talent needs.

Human resources is now much more than an administrative department focused on benefits pricing and offerings and filling vacant positions. Rather, it’s a strategic function building partnerships enterprise-wide to better achieve workplace and organizational goals while advancing and advocating Future of Work initiatives.

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FOWX Quotable: Leveraging the Non-Employee Workforce

Contingent WorkforceTalentTalent AcquisitionUncategorized by Andrew Bartolini on

The Future of Work is rapidly changing, and organizations that want to thrive must adapt to this new landscape. As companies look to compete in an increasingly complex and unpredictable business environment, the non-employee workforce is emerging as a key source of competitive advantage. The rise of the gig economy, coupled with technological advancements that enable remote work and collaboration, has made it easier than ever before to tap into a vast pool of highly skilled and flexible workers.

By effectively leveraging the non-employee workforce, organizations can gain access to specialized talent and capabilities that may not be available in-house. This can help them stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovation, as well as improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. In today’s fast-paced business environment, where speed and agility are critical, the non-employee workforce can provide the flexibility and adaptability that companies need to stay competitive.

However, in order to effectively harness the power of the non-employee workforce, organizations must have the right tools and strategies in place. This includes everything from robust talent management systems to streamlined procurement processes that enable seamless engagement with external talent. It also requires a shift in mindset, as companies must move away from traditional notions of employment and embrace new models of work that are more flexible, dynamic, and inclusive. Ultimately, those organizations that are able to successfully navigate this new landscape will be the ones that emerge as winners in the future of work.

In sum:

“Tomorrow’s business landscape will be shaped by those organizations that understand the power of leveraging the non-employee workforce as a competitive advantage. The ability to effectively tap into this vast and agile pool of talent will be the key to unlocking innovation, driving growth, and staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving Future of Work.”

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