Early flexible workforce data is in.
Traditional Talent Solutions Are Selling AI. Yet Companies Are Asking For Compliance. Why we're not the sexy AI budgets (and that's okay!).
Matthew MottolaGet this in your inbox every week. Join 26,000+ subscribers.
Subscribe →Hey everyone, we can't wait to see you all next week! We have 2 dinner spots left, if you'll be in Dallas request your invite.
This week I took a step back and deep dived early data from our flexible workforce study. We'll be discussing the full findings this Thursday.
| Don't have a calendar invite? Request your invite » |
One theme keeps popping up - companies want and need compliance.
2026 Flexible Workforce Study, early data. Members can see the live results » |
This is contrary to the AI headlines our research team found this week.
| Adecco put Salesforce's Agentforce in front of 27,000 employees1. |
| Jack & Jill raised $40M for hiring agents2. |
The reality of what we see with 4,600+ buyers every month, is that talent budgets are investing in the process, and the operating layer, NOT the sexy tech. I wish I could say we were the sexy budgets. We're not. We're the trusted, well supported layer.
So what does that mean for how you build your solutions and companies build their flexible talent programs?
That's what we'll discuss this Thursday in our community call.
Immediate ways you can get involved:
| • Save your seat for Thursday's call » |
| • Add your data to the study » (5 solutions in so far) |
Have a great week everyone,
- Matt
|
CEO of Human Cloud. 4x entrepreneur, angel investor, author of The Human Cloud (w/ HarperCollins), with experience advising companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, and G7 governments on how to use flexible talent. |
Early Preview: Market Map
We built the taxonomy, visualized the foundation, and crunched the data on 3,040 flexible workforce solutions to give buyers a market map for the entire flexible workforce.
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See where you fit on the Market Map »
Featured Event
HC Community Call: first look at the 2026 Flexible Workforce Study data
Thursday, September 24 · 12:00 PM ET · Virtual
The early data, how solutions can take part, and what it means for how you build. With Jeff Nugent, Founder of Independently, our study partner.
| Save your seat » |
HC Executive Dinner in Dallas 2 seats left
Tuesday, September 29 · 7:00 PM CT · Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse · Invite only · 20 seats
Twenty senior talent and workforce leaders, one table, a candid conversation on contingent workforce strategy, talent access, and managing spend and compliance at scale. Hosted by Tony Buffum, with FoxHire and KarmaCheck.
Industry Insights
Deals & M&A
| • Kyndryl closed its acquisition of Healthcare IT Leaders, worth up to $350 million. It pairs clinical and workforce consulting with Kyndryl's AI and infrastructure services.6 |
| • SThree unanimously rejected Circle8 Group's all-cash takeover proposal, saying it significantly undervalues the company.7 |
| • Jack & Jill raised a $40 million Series A led by Air Street Capital. Its AI agents represent both the jobseeker and the employer.2 |
Product Launches
| • Adecco Group extended Salesforce's Agentforce Coworker to 27,000 employees across 40+ countries after a UK and France pilot.1 |
| • TalentBridge launched TalentBridge One, a standalone SaaS company with sourcing tool Caroline 2.0 and compliance platform WorkVue.3 |
| • Cognizant doubled its AI skilling goal to 2 million people and will hire 1,500 US graduates in 2026.9 |
Signals Worth Knowing
| • The Fed raised rates to 3.75%-4%, its first hike since 2023.8 |
| • UK permanent placements rose for the first time in nearly four years, with faster temp billings and pay growth.4 |
| • iCIMS data on 3.1 million users shows candidates teaching themselves AI skills faster than employers train staff.5 |
| • AMN Healthcare surveyed 4,000+ clinicians. Frontline staff report far more strain than leaders perceive.10 |
Industry Events
| • SIA CWS Summit · Sep 28 to 29 · Dallas, TX |
| • Gartner ReimagineHR · Sep 28 to 30 · Orlando, FL |
| • Collaboration in the Gig Economy · Sep 29 to Oct 1 · Dallas, TX |
| • SIA Executive Forum Europe · Oct 13 to 15 · London, UK |
| • HR Tech · Oct 20 to 22 · Las Vegas, NV |
Sources
| 1. PR Newswire, Adecco Group Announces Salesforce's Agentforce Coworker Rollout Across 40+ Countries |
| 2. Tech Funding News, Jack & Jill Raises $40M Series A |
| 3. GlobeNewswire, TalentBridge Launches TalentBridge One |
| 4. KPMG UK / REC, UK Report on Jobs, September 2026 |
| 5. iCIMS, Workers Are Teaching Themselves AI Skills Faster Than Employers Train Them |
| 6. PR Newswire, Kyndryl Completes Acquisition of Healthcare IT Leaders |
| 7. Investing.com (Reuters), SThree Rejects Takeover Approach From Circle8 Group |
| 8. CNBC, Fed Rate Decision, September 2026 |
| 9. PR Newswire, Cognizant Invests in America's AI-Era Workforce |
| 10. PR Newswire, AMN Healthcare Survey Reveals Critical Divide Between Healthcare Leaders and Frontline Workers |
| Study data: Human Cloud and Independently, 2026 Annual Flexible Workforce Study. Early data as of September 20, 2026: 6 company and 5 solution responses. Chart question answered by 5 companies. |
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