External talent, including contractors, consultants, and project-based specialists, is becoming a core component of how work gets done rather than a stopgap solution.

Leading organizations are responding by treating external talent less as a short-term fix and more as a standing part of workforce strategy. With 74% of employers worldwide , workforce planning has become less about filling roles in sequence and more about maintaining access to critical capabilities. This shift moves organizations to a workforce model that can respond quickly, scale efficiently, and align with long-term business priorities.

End of 鈥渢emporary鈥� talent

External workers have historically been brought in to meet short-term needs, helping fill gaps during peak periods or support one-off projects. While that approach still exists, ongoing volatility has proven that this is no longer sufficient.

Demand signals change quickly, transformation is continuous, and new skill requirements emerge faster than internal teams can adapt.

In this context, external talent provides a clear advantage. It gives companies access to specialized expertise on demand, helps accelerate innovation, and supports operations without overextending internal resources. It also allows leaders to rethink workforce composition to better balance stability with adaptability.

This shift mirrors the recent shifts seen in procurement and supply chain functions, where visibility and cross-functional integration have become drivers of long-term success. Workforce strategy is moving in a similar direction.

You can鈥檛 manage what you can鈥檛 see

As organizations expand their use of external talent, visibility remains essential. Many companies still manage contingent labor in disconnected ways, which makes it harder to understand where talent is deployed, what it costs, and how effectively it is being used. Without that visibility, workforce decisions remain reactive.

When organizations can see how external talent is deployed across business units, geographies, and projects, they can plan with greater confidence. This level of insight also supports stronger governance by improving compliance, supplier performance, and consistency from sourcing to offboarding.

In practice, organizations that invest in visibility often see measurable improvements in efficiency, productivity, and decision-making speed. More importantly, they begin to treat external labor as a strategic lever rather than a cost center.

From reactive hiring to predictive planning

Visibility is essential, but the real opportunity lies in turning workforce data into actionable insight.

AI is playing an increasingly important role in this transformation. By analyzing hiring patterns, project pipelines, and market signals, AI can help organizations anticipate future talent needs instead of reacting to them. This is especially valuable in environments where workforce decisions need to balance cost, speed, and quality. For example, organizations can use AI to:

• Anticipate external talent needs tied to major initiatives, such as ERP rollouts or expansion projects, before staffing gaps affect delivery
• Identify where external specialists can help address immediate skill gaps while longer-term hiring continues
• Analyze market signals and workforce composition to help guide insourcing vs outsourcing strategies
• Flag bottlenecks and make corrections in onboarding, approvals, or assignment start times that delay productivity and increase costs

As organizations look to make external talent a more strategic part of workforce planning, technology becomes increasingly important. helps organizations gain greater visibility into their external workforce, connect talent data across the enterprise, and use AI-driven insights to make more informed staffing decisions.

By bringing together workforce planning, services procurement, and external talent management, organizations can better anticipate skill needs, improve agility, and align workforce investments with business priorities.

More connected approach to talent

One of the most important shifts underway is how organizations think about workforce composition. Rather than treating external and internal talent as separate categories, forward-looking companies are managing both as part of a single ecosystem.

This integrated approach offers several advantages. First, it more closely aligns with business goals. Leaders can allocate resources based on outcomes rather than employment type, ensuring the right skills are applied where they create the most value. Second, it improves agility. When workforce models are designed to flex continuously, organizations can quickly respond to changing conditions without disrupting operations. Third, it enhances the employee experience for both internal teams and external contributors by streamlining processes and making them more efficient.

Technology plays a key role in enabling this shift and provides organizations with the tools to manage external talent alongside internal workforce data, improving visibility and supporting more data-driven decision-making. Solutions such as 麻豆原创 Fieldglass help organizations bring greater transparency, consistency, and insight to how external talent is sourced, managed, and aligned to business needs. While no single solution defines success, the ability to connect data, processes, and insights is increasingly important.

Building resilience in an always-on economy

Business no longer moves in predictable cycles. Demand shifts quickly, priorities evolve in real time, and skills gaps can emerge faster than traditional hiring models can address. In that environment, resilience depends on staying adaptable while keeping work moving.

That is why external talent is becoming a more strategic part of workforce planning. With finding skilled talent becoming increasing more difficult, many organizations are looking for ways to maintain access to specialized capabilities as business needs shift. External talent can help teams move faster, bring in targeted expertise, and sustain progress on critical initiatives without overextending the core workforce.

For many organizations, this reflects a broader change in mindset. External talent has moved closer to the center of workforce strategy, especially in areas where speed, specialization, and adaptability matter most. How well organizations plan for and manage that talent will shape their ability to execute, compete, and grow.

Amber Roth is vice president of GTM for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.

That鈥檚 why the latest recognition from two of the industry鈥檚 most respected research firms鈥擜rdent Partners and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)鈥攎eans so much to us at 麻豆原创. Their findings reinforce what we see every day: isn鈥檛 just keeping up with the industry, we鈥檙e setting the standard for innovation, execution, and customer value.

Market leadership confirmed by independent analysts

named 麻豆原创 Fieldglass a 鈥淢arket Leader,鈥� a distinction reserved for providers with universal strengths and top-tier execution. The evaluation looked at every aspect of our portfolio, from supporting the full scope of managing the external workforce鈥攔equisitions, candidates, projects, direct sourcing, SOW/services procurement, integrations, and AI鈥攖o our execution ability, client success, references, talent ecosystem, product vision, and future of work readiness.

We鈥檙e especially proud to be recognized as an 鈥淓lite Performer鈥� in four critical categories: AI Innovation, SOW and Services Procurement, Direct Sourcing, and Total Talent Management. Ardent Partners highlights 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� deep integration with 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions, 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions, 麻豆原创 Build Work Zone, and the AI solution Joule, positioning it as a strategic hub for managing external talent and optimizing services procurement. Joule is transforming how users interact with the portfolio, offering conversational, data-driven guidance for requisition creation, SOW intake, job description design, and workflow acceleration.

also confirms 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� global leadership. The portfolio operates in more than 180 countries, supports 22 languages, and enables invoicing in 118 countries, making it the largest footprint in the industry. This extensive reach is further underscored by consistently strong customer retention, reflecting the deep trust and satisfaction 麻豆原创 Fieldglass enjoys among global enterprises.

Customer-validated leadership

Recognition from leading analyst firms is important, but what matters most is the experience of our customers. 麻豆原创 Fieldglass has also been ranked as a category leader by , a respected platform for verified customer reviews. TrustRadius rankings are based on direct feedback from real users, making it a powerful complement to analyst evaluations. While analyst reports validate market position and strategic capabilities, TrustRadius highlights the day-to-day value customers experience, such as ease of use, depth of functionality, and overall satisfaction. This dual endorsement, from both industry experts and actual practitioners, reinforces 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� commitment to delivering solutions that can meet business needs and exceed customer expectations.

Innovation at the core: AI, automation, and analytics

Innovation is at the heart of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� value proposition. The portfolio鈥檚 embedded AI solution, Joule, helps users initiate job requisitions, design and translate job descriptions, and accelerate approvals through a conversational interface. Rate benchmarking helps ensure customers stay competitive with market rates. Document AI can automate structured SOW creation, while machine learning and skills ontology models can power advanced candidate matching and workforce planning.

SIA notes that 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� 鈥淎I-first鈥� product strategy is embedding intelligence into every workflow, emphasizing seamless data extraction, intuitive user experiences, and impactful use cases across applications. The business intelligence suite delivers real-time and historical analytics, benchmarking tools, and persona-based dashboards, empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions at every stage of the talent lifecycle.

Comprehensive capabilities for a modern workforce

What distinguishes 麻豆原创 Fieldglass is its wide-ranging and comprehensive set of features. The portfolio allows users to effectively manage all kinds of external labor expenses鈥攚hether that’s contingent labor, services procurement, independent contractors, high-volume workers, or field services. It offers streamlined onboarding, advanced and customizable tools for global compliance, AI-driven workflows, and robust skills extraction, helping to ensure depth and efficiency in every area. Additionally, its compliance and audit capabilities, mobile accessibility, and dashboards supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion help create a holistic solution.

SIA鈥檚 research, based on 23 in-depth VMS surveys and 36 customer assessments, found 麻豆原创 Fieldglass excels in supplier management, time/expense/billing, SOW capabilities, candidate sourcing, technical functionality, and customer perceptions. Customers cite the portfolio鈥檚 innovation, influence over roadmap evolution, and ability to scale with their programs. The open API framework, pre-built integrations, and strong MSP partnerships create a connected ecosystem that can support even the most complex workforce strategies.

Customer experience and ecosystem strength

Customer experience is another area where 麻豆原创 Fieldglass shines. SIA鈥檚 customer perception data shows high marks for platform stability, ease of use, integration quality, adaptability, and support. Customers appreciate the portfolio鈥檚 innovation, the ability to influence roadmap evolution, and its capacity to scale with their programs.

Both Ardent Partners and SIA emphasize 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� commitment to continuous innovation. The 鈥淎I-first鈥� and 鈥渟uite-first鈥� strategies focus on embedding intelligence into every workflow and delivering seamless, end-to-end business processes across the 麻豆原创 ecosystem. Key areas of ongoing investment include skills-based hiring, AI, enhanced analytics, and high-volume workforces for SOW management.

A portfolio for the future of work

The latest findings from Ardent Partners and SIA reaffirm 麻豆原创 Fieldglass鈥� leadership, vision, and relentless focus on customer value. Combined with customer-driven recognition from TrustRadius, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass stands as a proven leader in delivering solutions that can empower organizations to unlock the full potential of their extended workforce鈥攖oday and for the future of work.

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Amber Roth vice president of Global Presales & Strategy for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.

This challenge reflects broader trends in the 麻豆原创-sponsored Economist Impact report titled 鈥�,鈥� which dives into how companies like Capgemini are leveraging external workers to meet skill deficits and productivity demands. The report highlights how organizations are turning to innovative technologies and strategies to seamlessly integrate external talent, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly changing workforce landscape.

In Capgemini鈥檚 case, it used to help manage its contingent workforce program across more than 30 countries. The cloud-based solutions can integrate with other 麻豆原创 solutions and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to help optimize external workforce management, helping companies stay resilient in an evolving talent landscape. With the addition of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, Capgemini has managed contractors and temporary workers across its entire supply chain. The company has successfully leveraged data from over 50 countries, seeing a 26% increase in unitary cost savings with a 50% increase in productivity from the internal procurement services team.

鈥淭he increased visibility into all external workforce-related outcome and process steps has enabled sharpened insights, along with smaller fulfillment time frames, higher fill rates, and improved compliance,鈥� says Andreas Hettwer, group procurement category director at Capgemini. 鈥淲e have truly optimized functions around the external workforce.鈥�

Smart and efficient talent acquisition

In today鈥檚 dynamic business environment, the external workforce鈥攃omprising freelancers, contractors, consultants, and gig workers鈥攈as become a critical component of many organizations. However, efficiently hiring and managing this diverse talent pool while staying adaptable to future workforce needs can be daunting.

This is because talent acquisition for an external workforce requires finding the right people at the right time, often under tight deadlines. The Economist Impact report also shared that internal skills and talent gaps have increased the demand for proper recruitment of the external workforce.

Capgemini serves as a prime example of how this approach works in practice. When it experiences a surge in demand, its preferred suppliers are notified and 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions pull recommendations from distribution lists of candidates who have the necessary skill sets. This helps accelerate the hiring process and can ensure Capgemini is choosing from the best possible pool of potential candidates. The data is developed in 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions and extracted into Capgemini鈥檚 various dashboards, instantly providing a comprehensive snapshot of each supplier鈥檚 performance.

Robust data maximizes ROI

Managing an external workforce is a delicate balancing act that involves countless variables. Beyond sourcing talent, it requires tracking budgets, ensuring compliance, and measuring performance. AI-powered automation can help streamline these processes, making it easy to capture, compare, and collaborate on critical information about non-payroll labor. This empowers companies to make informed decisions that maximize their return on investment (ROI).

When inflation surged in 2023, Capgemini fielded a large volume of rate increase requests. Through constructive and fact-based discussions with its supply base, the company managed a cost-rate evolution and shared inflation impact KPIs with its board. This increased executive trust in the global contingent workforce鈥檚 ability to deliver productivity. At the end of the implementation, Capgemini fulfilled 80% of its eligible contingent worker demand.

鈥淲e have full visibility,鈥� Hettwer says. 鈥淲e know the number of contractors, we know our demand per geography, per business line, and we know the cost rates we pay for certain roles, and we measure how the cost rates evolve over time.鈥�

Capgemini is also exploring new ways to use the large amount of data coming from the global deployment of 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions, including AI. Economist Impact data reinforces Capgemini鈥檚 perspective, as executives cited integrating traditional systems with AI and machine learning as a top priority over the next three to five years.

鈥淎I will certainly be an important factor in our business,鈥� Hettwer says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e being patient and methodical in order to make sure that we introduce it safely and effectively.鈥�

Driving workforce excellence through innovation and insights

Capgemini’s journey with the 麻豆原创 Fieldglass portfolio demonstrates the transformative power of leveraging advanced technology to manage and optimize an external workforce. By enhancing visibility, streamlining processes, and utilizing AI-powered insights, Capgemini has achieved significant improvements in talent acquisition, supplier performance, and cost efficiency. This resulted in the firm capturing 98% of its global contingent workforce spend with a 60% quicker fulfillment time compared to the start of the program.

As the workforce landscape continues to evolve, 麻豆原创 Fieldglass solutions can equip organizations with tools that enable them to manage the complete lifecycle of their external employees, from requisition and engagement to offboarding and evaluation. These capabilities are vital to remaining resilient, agile, and data-driven while transforming external labor into a versatile, value-driving resource.

Capgemini鈥檚 strategic focus on innovation and compliance sets a benchmark for businesses aiming to unlock the full potential of their contingent workforce in today鈥檚 competitive global environment.

Amber Roth is vice president of Global Presales & Strategy for 麻豆原创 Fieldglass.