Redefining Contingent Workforce Management with Tech, Global Scalability, and AI: Insights from the 2025 CWS Summit Europe
Contingent workforce strategies are evolving fast and not just in theory. This reality took centre stage at the 2025 SIA CWS Summit Europe, where Joao Martires, COO of YunoJuno, was joined on stage by a panel of impressive leaders leading the charge: Ewa Grace, Agile Talent Resourcing Lead at Grant Thornton UK LLP, Séverine Leca, Vice-President - External Talent Function (ETF) at Bain & Company and Laetitia Johnson, Chief Operations Officer at Dentsu (DACH).
Joao Martires opened by reflecting on how the industry is witnessing the emergence of a new category, one that doesn’t replace traditional programmes like Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Vendor Management Systems (VMSs), or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs), but expands them.
“People often ask what we are - are we an MSP, a VMS, an ATS? And the reality is, we’re something different. We’re part of a new category that’s solving today’s challenges around speed, compliance, and onboarding,” Joao explained. This framing led straight into a rich discussion about what it really takes to manage a global, agile, and scalable contingent workforce today.
A recurring theme throughout the conversation was the gap between what legacy systems offer and what modern businesses need. Speed isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a commercial imperative. As one panelist noted, “Speed of onboarding, vetting, and due diligence has a direct impact on our top line.” But speed without visibility or compliance quickly becomes a risk. Across industries, organisations are facing increasingly complex regulations, cross-border compliance requirements, and rising expectations around experience - not just for clients, but for the contractors themselves.
The theme of integration ran parallel to this, with all panelists experiencing friction here with shared experiences around fragmented systems, data silos, mismatched processes, and missed opportunities. “If we have it in one ecosystem, we can give our stakeholders what they need at the touch of a button,” one speaker said. But achieving that takes more than connecting APIs - it requires aligning teams.“ Technology has allowed these organisations to connect systems, but the real limitation is human. “You need to map processes across functions - procurement, finance, staffing - all of these need to be aligned which creates a huge challenge,” another added.
The conversation shifted naturally into scaling external workforce strategies - something far more nuanced than simply ‘hiring more people.’ Instead, the panel emphasised enablement, adoption, and visibility. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it,” one panellist offered simply. Whether the challenge was presenting workforce options based on skills and cost or supporting international resource sharing across member firms, what became clear is that strategic workforce planning requires high-quality data, broad visibility, and empowered stakeholders.
Getting full visibility and control is something that is absolutely critical. It was a key stake of investing in YunoJuno, having one single source of truth for our data for our global program of contractors.
| Aspect | Employee | Independent Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Control and supervision | Direct control over how, when, and where to work | Freedom to set their own schedules and methods |
| Payment | Regular wages; taxes withheld by employer | Paid per project; responsible for their own taxes |
| Benefits | Health insurance, retirment plans, paid leave | Must arrange their own benefits |
| Termination | Often requires notice and may include severance | Can usually be terminated at any time without benefits |
| Tools and equipment | Provided by the employer | Typically use their own tools |
The panellists agreed that while technology is a critical enabler, technology alone isn’t enough. Rigor, change management, and internal champions were highlighted as essential to adoption. “No implementation is small enough to do quickly. Rigor is critical,” one leader reflected. Others echoed the importance of building strong relationships with partners: “What made our partnership work was the human investment. You need to bring people into your organisation, let them sit next to your teams, and understand your processes.”
In the final stretch of the session, attention turned to AI. The mood wasn’t speculative - it was practical. Whether it was using AI for matching supply and demand, automating repetitive tasks, or rolling out agentic AI tools to build bots without developers, the panelists were clear: AI is already embedded in their workforce strategies. “The stage we’re at now is building chatbots to improve the experience. It frees us up to focus on more complex issues, where empathy and value really matter,” one panellist explained. Another described using AI in warehousing to power robot decision-making - and now, in agencies, to intelligently match project needs with talent.
What made this discussion stand out was its candour. This wasn’t a shiny vision of a future yet to arrive, it was an honest look at what’s happening now: what’s working, where the friction still lies, and what it really takes to transform a contingent workforce function into a strategic asset.
Joao Martires concluded:
“Every wave of technology is accelerating. AI is not just another tool - it’s an inflection point. The organisations that embrace it with the right partnerships, systems, and mindset will be the ones that lead the future of work.”
