In today’s dynamic business landscape, agility is everything. Organizations are increasingly relying on contingent talent—freelancers, contractors, consultants, and temporary workers—to stay competitive, scale quickly and access specialized skills. In fact, contingent workers now make up over 36% of the average company’s workforce with the US Department of Labor projecting that by 2030 that number will be nearly 50%. Globally that number is also expected to rise as businesses seek more flexible and cost-effective talent models. (SIA) 

Despite the growing strategic importance of this workforce segment, many companies still lack a clear understanding of how their contingent workforce programs operate, where the risks lie, and how to unlock their full potential.

This series explores why gaining visibility into your contingent workforce program is not just a compliance or cost-control exercise—it’s a strategic imperative. 

There will be four parts to the series:

  1. I’ll delve into the common pitfalls organizations face with external workers
  2. Next, I’ll discuss designing intentional, respectful, and engaging experiences across the entire lifecycle to unlock the full potential of this vital workforce segment
  3. I’ll then shift focus on how to bring the objectivity, expertise, and the market insights needed to transform your program from reactive to resilient
  4. I’ll close the series with two case studies highlighting how organizations have taken steps transform the way they approach external talent.

 

Stay tuned for the first instalment: The hidden gaps—common blind spots in contingent workforce programs

Publishing the week of 1 September 2025