This article is a teaser of an upcoming webcast by Ardent Partners analyst and director, Christopher J. Dwyer. Join him as part of HR.com’s Contract Talent and Workforce Exchange virtual event, which will be held on August 6^th and 7^th. Christopher’s presentation is featured on August 7^th at noon Eastern. Click here to register for his webcast.

Much has been said of the future of the contemporary contract workforce: where does it go from here? Who will be involved from a functional standpoint? Will SOW / services continue its reign as the “hottest” component of the contingent workforce umbrella? Is there something coming up ahead that will forever alter the landscape of this alternative workforce?

These are questions I think about on a daily basis. As a longtime industry analyst in this space, it’s in my nature to wonder what this industry will look like next year…or in 2020. The way contingent labor has evolved in recent years, I’d be remiss to not anticipate something coming around the corner that could represent yet another shift in this market.

In anticipation of my webinar as part of HR.com’s Contract Talent and Workforce Exchange virtual conference in early August (make sure you check out my 60-minute presentation during the event on August 7^th at noon Eastern), I’d like to tease three major questions (and some possible answers) that could comprise the very future of modern contingent workforce.

1. Which internal functions will “touch” management of contract talent and all its forms (SOW, services, temporary labor, independent contractors, etc.)? There’s been a debate brewing within the industry for at least a decade over who has true “control” over managing the contract talent category. Procurement can valiantly handle suppliers and manage spending and it has the expertise to support the nuances of SOW and services management. Human resources is the “people” group who are focused on talent management. While collaboration between these two units is encouraged (I’ve spoken about this concept before), there could be another internal division that plays a third and critical role in this dance. Will it be finance, looking for a means to control costs and drive cash visibility on a category that seems to be growing each year? Or could it be operations, who will task themselves will understanding how contract talent infiltrates corporate projects?
2. Is there another entry to the modern contingent workforce umbrella? The contemporary contingent workforce umbrella arose over just the past four or five years and expanded into the SOW, services and independent contractor arenas. Will the next few years bring another entry into this umbrella concept? Could either SOW or services become further complex and branch out into new areas? Evolution is not a stagnant force…it continues to affect the contract talent landscape.
3. What role will technology play in the future of contingent workforce management? VMS and MSP solution providers like Allegis Group,  Guidant Group, Bartech, Staff Management, DCR Workforce, Randstad SRS, PRO Unlimited, Fieldglass,  and IQNavigator have dominated the contract talent marketplace with their offerings of automated analytics, consultative and day-to-day operations management, and easier means to manage the SOW and services components of the contingent workforce umbrella. ICES solutions from providers like Populus Group and MBO Partners presented a focused offering both ICs and organizations looking to mitigate the risks of leveraging independent contractors. Spend management suites are looking to enhance services procurement platforms to fuse procurement / sourcing expertise and best practices with a touch of contract talent management. Will online job marketplaces play a role in this space? Which solutions will stand the test of time?

Join me on August 7^th at noon Eastern; click here to register for the webinar.

Tagged in: Category Management, Christopher Dwyer, Complex Categories, Contingent Workforce, Predictions