Workforce Ecosystems: A New Strategic Approach to the Future of Work | Deloitte and MIT Sloan Management Review

Getting work done through various sources — including contractors, service providers, gig workers, and freelancers—is not a new practice for organizations. However, several converging factors have spotlighted the need for firms to view and manage their workforces as an “ecosystem” of both employees and non-employees. And as stated in this 43-page research report, when the workforce changes from being primarily employee-centric to encompassing a diverse community that crosses an organization’s boundaries (i.e., ecosystem), core talent processes, philosophies, and systems must evolve. The report provides insights on how firms can adopt an integrated approach to managing their workforce of internal and external contributors. Figure 6 on page 16 summarizes how seven talent practices must shift to align with this alternative approach, affecting workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation and rewards, learning and development, career paths, and organization design. For example, workforce planning could shift from taking a narrow view of employee roles to adopting a definition that includes both internal and external human and digital workforces.