The world of work is changing. Transformational thinking is happening within today’s enterprises as the Future of Work, Gig Economy, and other market shifts are occurring. One of the most notable shifts in business today is the rise in non-employee labor, which, according to Ardent Partners research, comprises approximately 40% of the average business’ overall workforce. However, even with this steady rise in growth and utilization of contingent talent, one major question remains: Is this an effective means of bringing high-quality skillsets into the organization?

Ardent is excited to announce the publication of a new report, underwritten by FieldNation, that deep-dives into the growth of today’s non-employee talent and present research and insights into how 2018’s non-employee workforce is a critical asset to the average organization. For years, the contingent workforce represented no more than a strategy to augment on-hand resources, project-based needs, or seasonal demand. Today’s non-employee workforce, however, contributes much more than tactical skillsets for short-term projects or initiatives. In fact, Ardent’s research has discovered that 97% of organizations today perceive non-employee talent as a critical, strategic driver of value.

The reason why the non-employee workforce holds a critical role in the Future of Work is due to the evolution of how this type of talent is engaged, as more and more businesses are able to tap into the power of on-demand and online talent platforms and talent marketplaces. By eschewing the “middleman” in regard to staffing, business leaders can plug in various project requirements and the skillsets needed for the initiative and be “matched” with available talent via various algorithms. The realm of online and digital staffing is not just another outlet of digital transformation; it helps revolutionize how a business can become more agile by simply addressing work-based needs in a near-real-time manner.

Due to the hype of the Gig Economy and advancements made in collaborative technology, more and more talented professionals have adopted a flexible workstyle to accommodate their work and lifestyle preferences. This benefits both “sides”: businesses see a boom in the amount of available talent that can be engaged in an on-demand way, and highly-skilled workers can support a flexible lifestyle with work that not only fits into their skillset wheelhouse, but also allows them to take on additional projects with other employers (thereby increasing development of expertise). Although some view the Gig Economy has restrictive, the truth is that many experts can earn more while working less. This aspect has contributed to a boom in the field of talent, and the major reason why more and more talented professionals are adopting a flexible style of work.

Above all else, the True Value of Today’s Contingent Workforce research report reflects one core element of the new world of work: non-employee talent sits directly in the center of the Future of Work; the evolution of talent and the consumerization of business both play directly into the progression of work optimization. As enterprises seek to become more competitive and successful in the months and years ahead, non-employee talent will continue to be a valued asset in addressing dynamic business needs.

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Tagged in: Ardent Partners Research, Christopher Dwyer, Complex Categories, Contingent Workforce, Innovation, Process, Solution Providers, Strategy, Technology