Much has been written about sharing economy companies such as Uber and the like whose very core is fueled by a contingent workforce connected to consumers through a digital platform. But a recent report stresses that even more traditional employers are “reshaping their talent management initiatives” with the understanding that the definition of “contingent labor” itself has taken on a whole new meaning. The report – “The State of Contingent Workforce Management 2016-2017: Adapting to a New World of Work” – was published by Ardent Brothers (in conjunction with SAP Fieldglass) and includes a wealth of knowledge for businesses trying to “thrive in this new corporate paradigm.”

One of the premises behind the report is that the gig economy has “blurred the lines” between contingent workforce management and a company’s overall talent acquisition and management, thus requiring a “new strategy built around adapting to a new world of work.” 

The 40-plus page report has four parts:

• Part One: The State of Contingent Workforce Management largely focuses on what businesses are considering today in their attempt to adapt to this new world of work. This includes discussion of the top adaption strategies for the changing talent management; the top talent engagement strategies for 2016-2017; the current strategies for enhancing the “talent experience;” and the top challenges within today’s contingent workforce management programs.
• Part  Two: The Evolution of Contingent Workforce Management not only describes the evolution, but also discusses the impact of contingent workforce operations today and tomorrow. 
• Part Three: Best in Class Performance provides information so that businesses can benchmark their performance to industry averages as well as understand what best-in-class operational and performance metrics look like. 
• Part Four: The report closes with the aptly titled Strategies for Success. This section provides general and specific recommendations as organizations tackle the evolving “talent revolution.”