April 7-10, 2025.
11 Mar SIA and Flextrack’s Trends and insights for CW Program Managers: Part 2 of 3
Workforce Trends Reshaping 2025 - Part 2 of 3
Fueled by technology, politics, and continued globalization, the workforce landscape is evolving faster than ever. So how do contingent workforce leaders adapt to new realities to stay competitive?
On January 30th, Flextrack sponsored the annual Staffing Industry Analyst’s CWS webinar, titled What CW Program Managers Need to Know in 2025. CWS Council Analysts came together to share predictions and discuss practical advice for contingent workforce program managers.
What you need to know in 2025 – Workforce Trends
In 2025, economic uncertainty, shifting worker expectations, and growing demands for ever evolving speed and flexibility are forcing companies to rethink how they attract, engage, and manage contingent talent. From DEI&B strategies to rising bill rates, this blog covers the critical workforce trends set to reshape contingent workforce programs and what teams and organizations can do to prepare.
Below you’ll find 10 key trends centered on the workforce discussed in SIA’s webinar. Dive into each to explore how they are shaping the future of contingent workforce management and how organizations like yours can utilize them to stay ahead and stay agile.
1. HR & Procurement Collaboration
Who owns contingent workforce programs? Instead of the usual tug of war and silos between HR and procurement, collaboration is what is going to set this year apart. Essential to maximizing value in contingent workforce programs, aligning priorities and co-creating shared goals between departments will be essential to improved and consistent policies and processes for an optimized workforce strategy.
Leveraging each team’s expertise ensures better supplier management, compliance, and talent acquisition. Improved communication and coordination can drive cost savings, efficiency, and workforce agility.
2. Internally Managed Programs
Transitioning into an in-house program continues to be a hot topic for leaders. It requires focus, balance, deep understanding of needs, and the ability to manage multiple tasks at once, all while minimizing risk.
While not easy, the long-term value and ROI outweigh the risks. Organizations managing contingent workforce programs in-house gain direct control over program services, supply base, and cost savings opportunities. With greater visibility and engagement from senior stakeholders, leaders can drive more strategic solutions that align with business goals, fostering better supplier relationships and enhancing workforce agility.
3. VUCA Landscape – Only certainty is uncertainty
Workforce leaders must prepare for another year of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) across AI, legal, geopolitical, and cybersecurity landscapes. That said, for those with resilient programs in place there are opportunities to be found as they are prepared and ready to react quickly.
Assessing program resilience and building adaptable strategies will be key for long-term success. Leaders who have not yet future-proofed their strategy must build adaptable approaches to navigate the certainty of uncertainty. The key to thriving in 2025 is to get comfortable being uncomfortable and continuously evolve with shifting market conditions.
4. What Workers Want
The focus on worker’s wants and needs continues to be the focus for the year ahead. Talent expectations continue to evolve, with professional growth, fair compensation, and benefits like health insurance and retirement savings being non-negotiable as people want to remain competitive in the job market.
Workers also seek security, stability, and flexibility, making hybrid work and non-traditional career paths more common. A focus on inclusion, respect, and clear communication like timely feedback and transparency will be essential for attracting and retaining top talent.
5. Structuring Contracts for Success
Now is the time to review your contracts. Beyond mitigating risk, keeping contracts updated ensures you get the most value out of partner relationships in a world that’s constantly speeding up.
Ensure your contracts are set up in a way that increases supplier accountability. Identify hidden overmedicated and undermedicated terms that erode margins and efficiency and expose you to risk. Streamlining terms and reviewing clauses and contract durations can improve agility and flexibility.
Lastly, consolidate excessive amendments to reduce administrative complexity and improve vendor relationships.
6. DEI&B Strategy
Despite the high publicization and buzz around the topic, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) will be directly tied to workforce success in 2025.
Organizations with strong DEI&B strategies who stand firm in their commitments to a diverse and inclusive culture will see higher engagement, retention, and financial performance compared to those that don’t. Workforce leaders must also recognize how collaboration, creativity, and broader market reach improve when inclusion is embedded in the culture and the communication between organizations and their workers.
7. Nearshoring Gaining Popularity
Over the past year, the conversation around companies increasingly turning to nearshoring for cost efficiency have picked up. This year, it continues.
With access to talent that is happy to take up more repetitive work closer to home, time zone coordination and onsite visits are made easier, allowing for better collaboration, improved culture, and stronger supplier relationships. Additionally, potential policy shifts under new and shifting administrations may make nearshoring a more attractive workforce strategy.
8. Return to Office – Full Time
Full-time return-to-office mandates are becoming more common, with major corporations like Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Dell making changes. This shift impacts both retention and attraction, as workers may reconsider job opportunities based on their needs. Program managers must figure out a narrative that aligns with talent expectations and balances corporate objectives to avoid unnecessary turnover.
9. Flexible working & respected working hours
The expectations of most workers remain the same as in the past few years: flexible working patterns, and this year, they are expected to become more embedded in work culture than ever. Organizations testing flexible work arrangements such 4-day work weeks and flexible arrangements continue to see positive results in productivity, retention, satisfaction, and engagement.
In the contingent labor market, similar behavior is met with similar response from the talent pool as employee preferences are shifting toward enhanced flexibility, pushing companies to rethink rigid schedules. Additionally, new regulations restricting contact outside working hours may reshape expectations for work-life balance as they start to take hold across the globe.
10. Organizational Training Strategies for Engaging CW
How does your organization engage with the contingent workforce? The past year saw much change, and that included talent strategies, policy updates, and stakeholder turnover.
Leaders must refresh or introduce contingent workforce training for the program they have, as this will ensure stakeholders are fully integrated and aligned with company goals. Helping them better operate within your guidelines, minimizing compliance risks, rogue spend and activity, as well as improve program adoption. Annual contingent workforce training initiatives will become increasingly important for program success.
How will workforce trends shape your organizations future?
