Earlier this week, contingent workforce management (CWM) solution provider ZeroChaos, a longtime giant in the Managed Service Provider (MSP), Vendor Management System (VMS), and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) industries, announced that it has rebranded to Workforce Logiq. The brand transformation reflects the solution’s dedication to intelligence-led decision-making and execution around talent and workforce management; in fact, the company’s new tagline, “Intelligence at Work,” is a reflection of the provider’s utilization of AI-driven recruiting models. We had the chance to speak with Workforce Logiq’s CEO, Jim Burke, about the news and its impact:
Christopher J. Dwyer: Congratulations on the rebrand! This is obviously very exciting news not only for you and the team, but also the greater industry. Can you give us some of the thought process behind the rebrand?
Jim Burke: Thanks, and, absolutely. Part of the job of CEO is charting the future direction of the company and to understand the right path to improve what we’re doing. And, if we really think about the strategic direction of the company, it requires increasing the use of proprietary technology, data, and analytics. We felt that the existing brand wasn’t really connected to that idea; the ZeroChaos brand connected to the past of the company, but not to the future of company. That set into motion for us an opportunity to identify a brand that we felt did connect to the future of the company. We settled on the Workforce Logiq brand (with a “q” on the end) for two reasons: 1) we had acquired a company called WorkforceLogic in the past, and so that allowed for an easier transition than creating something from scratch, and, 2) Workforce Logiq really did connect to how we see the future of our company, which is leveraging technology and intelligence to be smarter about workforce planning, not just workforce execution. The last determination that we made is that we liked the “q” on the end because it reinforced our direction and added some newness to the original Workforce Logic brand.
CJD: The new Workforce Logiq brand is obviously centered around the innovation in the world of work, particularly artificial intelligence. In fact, you and I have had the opportunity to twice speak about AI’s role in this industry (on the Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast and on a recent webinar). Why do you believe that this is one of the most critical elements in the evolving world of work, and how is this going to be reflected in the future of the solution?
JB: The reason it’s important is because the workforce is changing right before our eyes. Technology is impacting the way work gets done across all industries (blue-collar, white-collar, etc.) as well as all geographies. Those changes are creating imbalances in the supply of critical skills. As new technologies are adopted, certain skills become less important and certain skills become more important. And, that creates an imbalance of skills, which makes it harder for our clients to find and retain the right talent and do so in a way that supports their business goals both financially and what they need to fulfill for their own client base.
We feel strongly that the best way to deal with the changing workforce and the imbalances of required skills is to be able to predict them, and then connect those determinations into our service model and ultimately fulfill them. The best way to predict future requirements is using artificial intelligence; advanced analytics are certainly helpful, but they are, by definition, “backwards-looking.” They help you learn from what has already occurred. AI, on the other hand, helps you alter what has yet to occur. It is critically important that we have a service model that sits on artificial intelligence to direct it.
CJD: Do you see this rebranding as a way to shift the “culture” around contingent workforce and talent management technology to be more forward-thinking and more progressive? This is obviously a big step for a company that has been so firmly rooted in the more traditional MSP/VMS space.
JB: That’s a great question. I don’t view it necessarily see it as pushing the industry forward. My focus is on doing a great job for our clients, and that begins with making sure we provide the technology and the data that they need. However, you do hit upon something with “culture.” It’s important for us to have a corporate culture that expects to use technology, expects to make data-driven decisions, that is comfortable in an AI-driven services model, and that can articulate the benefits and advisory aspects that we offer to our customers. The new name signals how we want the world to think about our business. If that pulls along the industry with us and moves it forward, that’s great. My primary job is to enable great people to do great work…the rest will fall into place naturally.
CJD: Do you feel that many of the traditional MSP-led strategies need to evolve to meet the changing requirements of this evolving market?
JB: Yes. I think “task managers” are dead. If an MSP is viewed by the industry as simply performing tasks or filling requisitions, they will become increasingly irrelevant. Clients needs insight into decision-making and then they need the service execution. The absence of intelligent decision-making and only service execution doesn’t create the best cost or quality value. MSPs must think of themselves as, first and foremost, trusted partners, who are expert advisors, while also providing service excellence, as well.
CJD: Both procurement and HR/human capital leaders currently harness the power of data and intelligence to make critical talent-based decisions. How do you feel Workforce Logiq will address the increased focus on data within these two functional areas?
JB: We talk very directly to our clients about the value that we create for them. Specifically, we create value for our customers (both procurement and HR executives) in five different ways: 1) first, we ultimately reduce costs, 2) we increase the quality of their talent, 3) we shorten the time it takes to fill their roles, 4) we always keep them compliant, and 5) we help them to manage and meet their diversity goals. We can use AI to inform our decision-making across all of that criteria, and we can use it to predict where we can find critical skills at the lowest expense and of the highest quality. Those insights help our clients think through their options and ultimately enhance their workforce planning.
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