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Welcome to the Future of Work Exchange (FOWX)!

General InsightsTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Future of Work Exchange!

This site is the culmination of decades of time spent researching and developing the strategies, tools, characteristics, and attributes that have come to define the Future of Work movement, including talent, technology, and business leadership. Powered by global research firm Ardent Partners, FOWX is a first-of-its-kind destination for HR, talent acquisition, procurement, IT, and finance executives focused on the convergence of talent and innovation and the impact that the extended workforce has on business operations and bottom-line performance. FOWX aims to help executive leaders across all enterprise functions optimize how work is done, build the best talent management strategies and programs, and understand the complex technology landscape.

Ardent Partners defines the Future of Work as the strategic optimization of how work gets done through 1) the evolution of talent engagement, 2) the advent of new technology and innovative tools, and 3) the transformation of business standards. Businesses across the globe believe that many significant Future of Work shifts will force them to reevaluate their current work standards, policies, and general practices. All aspects of the Future of Work Exchange will touch upon these ideas and assist business leaders become truly agile and dynamic organizations.

Over the coming years, community members can expect a non-stop stream of great content from our team (and guest contributors) on topics such as digital staffing, remote work and hybrid work models, contingent workforce management, blockchain, artificial intelligence, diversity and inclusion, empathy-led business leadership, direct sourcing, and much more. Our groundbreaking Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast will also be simulcast here on the FOWX.

This September, we will more formally launch the site and introduce a host multimedia assets on the “Exchange,” including exclusive research, conversations with HR, talent acquisition, procurement, etc. leaders that are challenging the status quo and advancing the Future of Work movement, as well as technology leaders that bring a wealth of insights to the evolving world of work.

The Future of Work Starts Here!

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The World is Nearing Normalcy, But Will the Workforce Ever Be the Same?

Business LeadershipTalentTalent Acquisition by Christopher J. Dwyer on

In mid-June, CNN’s collaboration with Moody Analytics (the “Back-to-Normal Index”) indicated that the United States economy is “90% of the way back to where it was before the pandemic began over a year ago,” a stark contrast to the heartbreaking days of last spring and summer. Air travel and transportation are actively reaching pre-pandemic levels, while some markets indicate that the global economy could mirror February 2020 by the very end of the year.

Consumers are certainly taking advantage of the COVID-19 vaccine boom, spending more and more of their funds on the goods and services that were mainly out of the question less than a year ago. This activity, perhaps, is the strongest indicator that we are, albeit slowly, getting things back to some level of what we could call “normalcy.”

However, the pandemic and its ramifications left an indelible mark on the workforce; the below shifts represent the fact that even though some elements of the world and businesses may return to normal, the workforce will never be the same:

  • The next mass exodus of women from the workforce is happening right now. Back in March on the Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast, The Mom Project’s co-founder and COO, Greg Robinson, predicted that we may see another mass exodus of caretakers from the workforce, especially moms. And a Washington Post article found that after the early COVID shutdowns, nearly 11.3 million jobs held by women “vanished almost immediately, as women are over-represented in the retail, restaurant, travel and hospitality sectors.” Add in the need to be home without proper, in-person schooling, and this is a recipe for disaster for women in the workforce…something that could take upwards of two-to-three years to return to pre-pandemic levels. Companies like The Mom Project are certainly helping to alleviate this issue (check out our conversation this past week with the solution’s Donna Yelmokas), and the advent of digital staffing solutions and talent marketplaces are enabling moms and other caretakers access to roles that fit within their schedules. However, it is also incumbent on today’s business leaders to cultivate a culture that is founded on flexibility and empathy to get back to those pre-pandemic points even faster and allow women, moms, and caretakers to bring their incredibly valuable skills back to the workplace.
  • And, speaking of flexibility and empathy, business leadership will never be the same. As the world evolves into a “new normal” (or whatever you want to call it), both longtime FTEs and extended/contingent workers are going to place evermore emphasis on the overall “talent experience,” a concept borne from an application of employee engagement and employee experience attributes applied to both employee and non-employee workers. Aspects like remote work, flexible hours, and an inclusive culture are all critical concepts for talented individuals seeking their next role (be it a full-time or contingent project). Business leaders must look to a “culture of flexibility” as the foundation to how they lead. Ardent’s upcoming State of Contingent Workforce Management 2021 research study also finds that 82% of businesses will provide more flexibility regarding worker lifestyle issues, including childcare/daycare, schooling, etc., in the year ahead.
  • “Alternative” channels of talent become primary means of talent engagement. Even though direct sourcing and talent pools were high-priority strategies going into 2020 (and before a worldwide pandemic), they became even more crucial when traditional means of talent acquisition (such as proper interviewing) weren’t possible. Today, direct sourcing represents an ideal means of converging top-tier skillsets and expertise and on-demand talent engagement in the same package, allowing businesses to funnel the best-of-the-best into segmented talent pools and talent communities. Too, the talent nurture aspects of direct sourcing enable businesses to foster strong communication with their candidates, ensuring a positive candidate experience even before these workers are engaged for a particular role or project. The “next normal” will see an exponential rise in the utilization of direct sourcing, for sure.
  • New and evolved work models form the foundation of the Future of Work movement. This all-encapsulating concept brings together the brightest of innovation from learnings over the past year, and the approach is multi-pronged: 1) understand which modes of talent engagement are best for the business based on the levels of skillsets required, 2) apply an analysis that can determine whether positions, roles, and entire divisions should be distributed/remote, 3) innovate around how productivity will be measured (with an edge towards outcomes rather than hours worked), 4) implement whichever new safety and health precautions that are required (which, yes, includes whether or not COVID-19 vaccinations are mandatory), 5) foster and cultivate a workplace environment of flexibility and empathy, and, finally, 6) determine the best possible alignment between digitization and human-led processes.
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Beeline’s Tech Expo Reinforces the Growth and Impact of the Extended Workforce

Contingent WorkforceHRSolution ProvidersTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

Going into 2020, 43.5% of the average company’s workforce was considered “non-employee,” a figure that was vastly larger than it was only several years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many of the Future of Work movement’s most transformational attributes, including a renewed focus on digital transformation, diversity and inclusion, direct sourcing, and workforce agility. Today’s extended workforce, representing nearly 47% of the total workforce, has become a force unto it own, pushing businesses into a new realm of work optimization that promises to forever alter the alignment between talent and corporate initiatives.

Veteran Vendor Management System (VMS) provider Beeline has long been an innovator in the contingent workforce management (CWM) solutions arena, bringing progressive technology to an industry that continues to evolve in the face of incredible market shifts. Last week, the organization hosted its Technology Expo, which featured a series of demonstrations of its core product line and some early peeks at newer offerings, as well as a firm reinforcement of its recently-unveiled Extended Workforce Platform. (Check out our coverage of this recent news here.)

No matter what we call the evolving contingent workforce, its underlying impact is still that of a powerful, market-shifting force that drives competitive value and supports overall business agility. Tweaking its name just slightly to include “extended” is yet another natural progression for this industry; contingent workers are sometimes thought of as mere line-items or “faceless” workers across the greater organization. Calling this spectrum of talent the “extended workforce” reflects the symbiotic link between an enterprise and all of its workers and how that relationship enhances the very idea of how work gets done.

Beeline’s dedication to the technological revolution happening within the world of talent and work was on display during last week’s Expo, including remarks by longtime CEO Doug Leeby regarding “where” the company was in relation to the market’s powerful transformation. “Doesn’t matter how you get paid…in the end, it’s all about people,” said Leeby. “There’s myopia when we think about what VMS is, and we’re so much more than that. Resource tracking, SOW, contingent labor…those pieces are all vital. We just want to be a piece of something greater that has total focus on the individual and the talent.”

One of the highlights of the expo was the “high-volume workforce” session (led by frequent Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast guest Brian Hoffmeyer), which recapped Beeline’s recent acquisition of JoinedUp and how the new solution will help businesses better facilitate and manage its shift-based workforce. Beeline also reaffirmed its dedication to Future of Work movement attribute diversity, equity, and inclusion, with discussions around its deep Diverse Talent Cloud (DTC) offering (partnering with The Mom Project).

As businesses navigate the “next normal” ahead, they will require strategies, solutions, and technology that can effectively manage the full facet of its extended workforce in order to maximize the inherent skillsets and expertise offered by non-employee talent.

“Every person, given the right opportunity, has the potential for greatness,” said Leeby. “We want to put a spotlight on that talent. Every business, given the right talent, can truly drive great outcomes.”

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An Unlimited Future: Inside PRO Unlimited’s Technology Transformation

Business LeadershipTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

The world of talent and work seemingly reinvents itself frequently. Changes in the global economy amidst other major worldly events (including, of course, a pandemic) routinely force businesses to reimagine how they get work done. Over the past decade, the workforce management tech marketplace, which includes Vendor Management Systems (VMS), Managed Service Providers (MSP), digital staffing marketplaces, direct sourcing automation, etc. has undergone a seismic revolution alongside a shifting global talent economy. Throw in the major workforce management shifts accelerated due to a global pandemic and its economic, digital, and staffing ramifications, and, well, the position is clear: workforce management technology has to evolve just as quickly as the world around it.

Last year, veteran VMS/MSP hybrid PRO Unlimited announced that Kevin Akeroyd would join the solution as its new CEO, who immediately touted a transformative approach to the provider’s future: become a de-facto “platform” for contingent and agile workforce management.

“This workforce segment is becoming a large spend category and is now an enterprise valuation driver. Over the past 30 years, the industry has transformed from a small temp-staffing niche to a C-suite strategic priority. This shift not only includes changes within HR, talent acquisition and strategic procurement programs, but also highlights an explosion of innovation and new technology platforms like we have never seen before,” Akeroyd said. “Unfortunately, the established procurement/spend management and HCM platforms have not addressed the full contingent workforce management lifecycle. Furthermore, they are not capable of managing its complexity or harnessing the data to provide analytics and intelligence on companies’ contingent workforce segments that executives demand. The industry requires a comprehensive platform that can deliver the technology, data/analytics and managed services to optimize the full contingent workforce program. This is going to help organizations exceed both their contingent workforce goals and their broader organizational objectives. Being the platform that seamlessly interoperates with ERP, HCM, HRIS, P2P, and data and analytics systems will be paramount, and PRO Unlimited is uniquely positioned to become that holistic platform for the industry.”

Shortly after Kevin dropped by the Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast and spoke to us as part of our Future of Work Influencer series, PRO announced that it acquired rate management solution PeopleTicker, a global provider of comprehensive compensation data that relies on crowdsourced intelligent, machine learning, and data science resources. This acquisition helped burgeon PRO’s commitment to helping its users manage its workforce with a data-driven approach, allowing customers to tap into an “ocean of data.”

“To use an age-old analogy, even the best motorcycle, car, plane, rocket ship… simply is not effective if you don’t “fuel” it.  And the higher quality, higher octane the fuel is, the better performing the vehicle is. Data is today’s “fuel,” said Akeroyd. “Having the highest quality, highest coverage, most up-to-date data is a mission-critical component of the platform. It fuels the software, service, and analytics/intelligence offering the Enterprise relies on today. PRO not only has the largest, broadest, most accurate first-party asset in the world, we have augmented this with third-party data partnerships, including our acquisition of data assets like PeopleTicker, the industry’s one true provider of global contingent rate data for over 160 markets across thousands of job titles. Having exclusive data, packaged with PRO’s solutions and comprehensive platform, will enable and benefit our clients immensely. And competitively, it will further differentiate PRO from our point solution competitors. Finally, data is the fundamental underpinning of all machine-based learning (MBL) and artificial intelligence (AI). We are very excited to deliver MBL/AI applications in the near future as a result of having the best, most accurate and largest training data sets on the planet.”  

And, PRO Unlimited’s transformation continues today with an announcement that it has secured an exclusive partnership with Eightfold, an artificial intelligence solution that offers a multifaceted blend of technology, including talent experience management, candidate comparison and evaluation, bias prevention, and deep employee lifecycle management support via AI-led neural networks.

The new partnership has massive implications for the workforce management solutions landscape, as PRO’s exclusive union with Eightfold will allow the veteran provider the ability to “lift and shift” comprehensive total talent intelligence into its existing and forthcoming offerings. For example, Eightfold’s unique neural network-led skills data could be applied to direct sourcing initiatives to better target specific, high-expertise candidates for enterprise talent pools.

“Many organizations around the world will be hiring contingent workers ahead of the economic recovery while prioritizing areas within hiring, such as retention and D&I initiatives. However, many of these same companies do not have the technology and data in place to identify, engage and secure the best contingent talent in the world, while attaining diversity goals,” said Akeroyd. “This exclusive partnership with Eightfold aims to solve this problem with their advanced talent intelligence and our contingent workforce management platform, which also includes the world’s largest global market rate data repository. This partnership is truly a game changer for the industry as it will transform how our customers, which include some of the largest brands globally, source, develop, and redeploy their workforces while lowering costs as well as offer an unparalleled suite of diversity offerings for the contingent workforce.”

With PRO’s new Direct Sourcing and SOW Management tools on the horizon for later this quarter, the solution’s recent, aggressive moves prove that the provider is truly committed not only to its goal of being a centralized talent management platform, but also meeting the evolving requirements of the ever-changing world of talent and work.

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Evolution, Agility, and the Extended Workforce: A Conversation with Doug Leeby, CEO of Beeline

TalentTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

I’m thrilled to welcome Beeline CEO Doug Leeby for an exclusive Q&A session today on CPO Rising. Doug and I chat about the platform’s big news, the evolution of the agile workforce, direct sourcing, and so much more.

Christopher J. Dwyer: Doug, it’s great to have a chance to chat with you. Thanks for spending some time with us. Let’s get to the big news first. Earlier today, Beeline made a major announcement: introducing the solution as an extended workforce platform. Tell us all about it.

Doug Leeby: Thank you, Chris. It’s always great to be with you. Yes, we announced the Beeline Extended Workforce Platform today. In a word, it’s about evolution. We’ve long outgrown the moniker of VMS (vendor management system). While the functionality of a VMS is still core and extremely important, it’s too limiting. The value of external talent has evolved. Talent is talent – it doesn’t matter whether they are employees or non-employees. As such, it needs to be managed not as a procurement category but as a strategic component of the workforce.

Evolving to the extended workforce platform means adding talent-centric value streams to all constituents on the platform – clients, MSPs, suppliers, and the talent itself. It also demands a thoughtful and deliberate approach to building an ecosystem with other great companies. This gives our users access to superior capabilities and benefits that are not associated with VMS today.

CD: One thing that Beeline has been known for is its commitment to both the “talent side” of the industry and the power of intelligence and analytics. How do those attributes factor into the revamped platform?

DL: I appreciate you pointing that out because it is core to Beeline. This is not about managing a commodity – it’s about people. That’s an important starting point. This manifests in the beautiful new hiring manager experience that considers our users as consumers vs. business entities, our integration with behavioral and psychometric solutions, and our new resume visualizer that elevates people from a mere resume. The data (and therefore, analytics) serves as another massive point of differentiation in the market. Beeline’s extended workforce platform leverages our $700B in global talent spend data to provide insights that align behavior with the enterprises’ goals.

The power of data is leveraged in multiple facets of the Beeline extended workforce platform, but perhaps the most exciting and innovative is in the “SmartBuyer” solution we are developing with our long-trusted ecosystem partner, Brightfield. Industry marketing is replete with buzz phrases like “powered by AI.” Much of that is pandering. Machine learning is promising, but it is predicated on having a deep and historical data set that can actually inform with statistical veracity.

CD: Beeline will forever be known as a pioneer and an innovator in the VMS space. How do you foresee current and prospective customers perceiving this exciting new development?

DL: I believe they will appreciate the industry leadership and the fact that we are finally ascribing an accurate descriptor to our solution. The reality is, we’ve been an extended workforce platform for several years. We benefit from exceptionally close relationships with our clients (I define clients as end clients, MSPs and suppliers) and everything we do is geared at listening to their challenges and endeavoring to solve them.

In the early years, our problem solving was more reactive. Over the last decade, we’ve been far more proactive in addressing them. Beeline’s extended workforce platform is clearly future focused and it’s flexible. Early adopters leverage much from our ecosystem now while others take more time but appreciate that these solutions are in place for when they are ready. I’ll give you a couple of examples. Many are taking advantage of our offering via The Mom Project as it is both noble and simple. Direct sourcing offers tremendous savings but requires more planning and not everyone is ready quite yet to pull the trigger.

CD: How do current clients benefit from the extended workforce management functionality?

DL: Well, they are already benefiting as we have been offering many components of our platform and ecosystem for some time, but on March 26, we have one of our biggest and most exciting releases in recent years. This is the culmination of a focus on our three pillars – user experience, data and innovation, and connectivity. There is too much to discuss here but we believe job descriptions and resumes are outdated and ineffective. Despite consistently receiving the highest grades for our user experience, we believe it should be even more intuitive and data driven. We also believe trust is paramount and thus, data security must always be top-of-mind. These are foundational and we must never pursue shiny objects in favor of the core. Having said that, there is a lot of “shine” that’s just really cool as well.

CD: How critical is for our industry to have this type of technology in regard to where we are now in the business world: growing agile workforce, more focus on diversity and inclusion, and (hopefully!) on the back end of a public health crisis?

DL: I believe it is crucial. Twenty years ago, when I started, workflow geared at driving rates down after an uneventful Y2K was a gamechanger. Much has changed and evolved over the last two decades. Finally, the value of the extended workforce is, in many cases, understood to be strategic. The variability of the model is exceptionally attractive, and companies are leveraging this important talent more than ever before. Accordingly, it must be managed as talent and as a key component of the overall workforce strategy. That requires a more robust solution set from which to draw from. Beeline does a lot, but we don’t do it all. The platform remedies that and enables us to introduce extraordinary and proven solutions to the table.

Diversity and inclusion are now making its way from the supplier to the talent and that’s a great thing. The Beeline extended workforce platform not only informs on some of the key metrics but provides a channel to do something about it. We recently launched the Beeline Diversity Talent Pool under The Mom Project, for example, which helps organizations source and hire diversity candidates.

In relation to the pandemic, yes, let’s hope this is soon to be in the rear-view mirror. But to answer your question, this type of technology is paramount to operating in an agile and nimble manner. It enables companies to source remarkable talent that now operates remotely. The idea, for many positions, that the contractor or consultant has to be local is forever shattered. Only a system such as this can provide the reach to find this talent.

CD: What other pathways does this open for Beeline in regard to engaging, sourcing, and managing talent for businesses across the globe?

DL: Great segue, thanks. It opens a lot of pathways. We’ve been vocal that it is our responsibility to open channels of talent next to the traditional PSL (preferred supplier list). I want to be clear – suppliers are a crucial element of this ecosystem and should be honored accordingly. There are opportunities, for specific geographies, goals, etc. to consider complimentary sourcing channels. Direct sourcing is one example. Diversity sourcing is another. I just referenced remote ability and that clearly provides opportunities across the globe.

We hear a lot about “Total Talent Management.” We think this is more about “Total Workforce Optimization” but soon, via our platform, we’ll introduce some compelling solutions that bring this notion to life and finally render “TTM” more than just a buzz phrase. I still contend companies have a long way to go in terms of getting their arms around their extended labor force and should focus on that prior to thinking about “TTM”, but in keeping with our belief that we should solve tomorrow’s problems today… we’ll be ready.

CD: This is a major shift for not just Beeline, but the industry itself. What is the future of the extended workforce and the technology required to manage and control it effectively?

DL: Workforce agility has risen to the top of the priority list. Nearly everyone is focusing on digital transformation. Thoughtful planning and deployment of the extended workforce is more critical now than ever before. This will only increase, and you’ll see more and more organizations finally address this important talent component as strategic.

The future of all workforce management, not just the extended class, is outcome-based sourcing. We all yearn to unlock the insights historical data offers so that we can be more contemplative and deliberate in how we get work done. This goes back to my comment about this really being about Total Workforce Optimization. Knowing, on the front end, the appropriate “mix of talent” (full time, contractor, freelancer, project based) will be the next profound transformation. The underpinning is data and machine learning.

And we must remember this is about people. Thus, the future will exploit the insights from machine learning while treating labor with dignity and offering value to them as well. Remember, a platform is about its network and as stewards of this platform, we must consider all who engage on it and ensure that we are providing more value to each constituency. Beeline’s VMS is a proven and trusted global leader. It isn’t going away – it is an integral component of the Beeline extended workforce platform. We are simply, but judiciously, adding to the overall value proposition by offering future-proofed, well thought out, talent-centric solutions from one platform.

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Extending into High-Volume Workforce Management: Beeline Acquires JoinedUp

TalentTechnology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on

There is no question that the past 15 months have brought an incredible amount of transformation to the world of work. Although much of the focus was placed on the trials of the great shift to remote work and distributed teams, there was (and continues to be, of course) a large and impactful group of talent that trudged along with their “essential worker” status in the face of a global health crisis: the blue-collar, shift-based, and field service workforce.

While managing the white-collar workforce requires a standard set of operations and processes, there are unique differentiators inherent in tackling the nuances of shift-based and blue-collar workforce management. From workflow and scheduling to time and attendance and complex rate calculations, businesses require a comprehensive set of tools and strategies to effectively manage this intricate sector of talent.

Ardent’s upcoming State of Contingent Workforce Management research study (publishing later this spring) reveals a telling statistic: nearly 75% of businesses state that the pandemic forced them to reimagine traditional workforce management processes, such as interviewing, onboarding, scheduling, workflows, etc. And this was the number-one impact of the pandemic within the world of talent and work, a factor that is even more crucial when applied to the sectors that rely on shift-based and blue-collar labor.

Last week, global Vendor Management System (VMS) and Extended Workforce Management (EWS) solutions provider Beeline announced that they acquired JoinedUp, a high-volume workforce management platform known for its high-impact automation of shift-based, blue-collar processes concerning talent and work. This acquisition will allow Beeline to expand its already robust and end-to-end functionality into a market that is expected to continue to grow steadily.

“For organizations that rely upon shift-based temporary labor, coordination and communication with partnered staffing agencies is critical,” said Doug Leeby, CEO of Beeline. “The world of high-volume staffing is very different from that of long-term assignments and has many nuances and complexities that have, to date, been underserved. The JoinedUp solution is, without question, a Best-in-Class product designed specifically to improve fulfillment, speed, and accuracy for both the client and the staffing agency.”

VMS technology is not traditionally known for its prowess with shift fulfillment, a hallmark of the JoinedUp platform. As more and more industries, particularly those within healthcare, light industrial, and manufacturing, increasingly tap into and rely on agile talent to get work done, it will become even more critical for site managers to meet goal-fill shifts and ensure positive impacts on overall productivity and production.

What is particularly interesting about this union is the convergence of Beeline’s extended workforce management (and VMS) functionality and JoinedUp’s unique automation around time capture and its link to complex rate calculations. By acquiring JoinedUp, Beeline users (particularly staffing suppliers in high-volume and blue-collar industries) can transform shift fulfillment from being mostly manual in nature to become fast, efficient, and data-fueled.

JoinedUp’s platform offers on-demand automation of unique high-volume workflows that influence the ultimate productivity of a given shift; afforded a deeper and intelligent view of these tasks and processes will allow Beeline’s users to transform how they staff critical-impact shifts and execute on real-time issues that require agile talent decisions.

“Having owned a staffing agency catering to shift-based labor, we experienced the inefficiencies in scheduling, onboarding, reconciling invoices, and manually tracking SLAs,” said Adam Thompson, JoinedUp co-founder and owner. “We created JoinedUp as a solution uniquely focused on improving process and profitability for both clients, and staffing agencies. We are thrilled to be a part of the Beeline family and believe that together, we offer something nobody else in our industry does.”

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What’s the Next Big Thing in Contingent Workforce Management?

Contingent WorkforceTalent by Christopher J. Dwyer on

When I started my industry analyst career (way back in 2006; please, don’t make me feel old!), the contingent workforce was one of several high-profile “complex spend categories,” ones that typically fell under the purview of the procurement or purchasing function but kept their own specific and unique attributes (i.e., marketing spend management necessitated much different sourcing techniques than business travel, facilities management was miles away from typical procurement processes, etc.). In short: there were some stark differentiators that proved it was a growing, distinctive area of corporate spend, however, at the time, it was just that: another area of spend.

What I describe as the “perfect storm” occurred during the Great Recession of 2008-2009: rough economic times forced businesses to reimagine their staffing strategies. Two key things happened: 1) enterprises realized that non-employee labor could be a gamechanger in terms of expertise and skills-related value (in addition to the cost benefits), and 2) the individuals that were forced (or chose) to adopt a flexible workstyle ended up finding that this setup was more productive and an overall better choice for their careers.

Over the years, the results of this “perfect storm” paid incredible dividends, so much so that the contingent workforce was no longer an augmentative talent strategy for businesses across the world, but a true value-driver that brought unique skillsets and top-tier expertise to mission critical projects and initiatives. And, as we all know, the years that passed resulted in this swath of talent evolving into the “agile workforce” that now allows businesses the workforce scalability from cost and skill perspectives.

With a full year living a pandemic environment that has caused disruptions to both personal and business worlds, however, a key question remains: what’s the next big thing in contingent workforce management? Well, there are actually several key “things” instead of just one…

The “Platform Approach” to Extended Workforce Management Technology

The contingent workforce has seen a consistent stream of progression over the past 15 years. With this type of talent firmly ensconced in the “agile workforce” or “extended workforce” mold, it’s not enough for businesses to have a condensed technological approach. As initiatives around direct sourcing, talent pools, diversity and inclusion, total talent management, and other crucial elements of talent acquisition and talent management become more entwined within CWM, it will be incredibly important for businesses to have the proper technology stack (or a single platform with these modules) to execute on these strategies, whether it’s via a deep ecosystem of “peripheral” providers (such as direct sourcing platforms or digital staffing marketplaces) or in-system offerings that can address more than “core” (i.e., requisition management) aspects of contingent workforce management.

And, as total talent management becomes more of a reality in 2021, businesses will require a deeper technological approach to ensure that they are deriving the richest possible total talent data via interconnected systems and platforms.

The Impact of Non-Tech Attributes of the Future of Work Movement

On the Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast, I’ve frequently discussed the “non-technological” components of the Future of Work movement, which range from the transformation of business thinking to the value of flexibility-led workforce strategies. In the face of a business environment which is actively struggling to return to normal (and with factors like burnout, fatigue, and mental health as common workforce issues), technology isn’t the top cure. Strategies such as empathy-led leadership will transform the talent experience and ensure that the workforce is engaged, while diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives will bring innovative voices into the business as it seeks deeper and unique skillsets and expertise.

“Workforce Agility” Becomes Table Stakes…For Real

The agile workforce. The extended workforce. Business agility. These are all hot-button phrases that can sometimes mean different things to different executives. However, the crux of these terms is so very simple: harness the relative on-demand nature of today’s talent to develop the most dynamic responses possible to enterprise needs and requirements.

If there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s that workforce scalability is essentially linked to economic survival in the now-chaotic world of business. Taking that scalability one step forward is the very root of workforce agility, from which businesses can tap into talent pools, talent marketplaces, talent clouds, talent communities, their own trusted FTE workers, and a range of services and other recruitment streams to build, in real time, a dynamic response to a crucial enterprise initiative.

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