Workforce ecosystems and AI

Companies increasingly rely on an extended workforce (e.g., contractors, gig workers, professional service firms, complementor organizations, and technologies such as algorithmic management and artificial intelligence) to achieve strategic goals and objectives.^[1] When we ask leaders to describe how they define their workforce today, they mention a diverse array of participants, beyond just full- and part-time employees, all contributing in various ways. Many of these leaders observe that their extended workforce now comprises 30-50% of their entire workforce. For example, Novartis has approximately 100,000 employees and counts more than 50,000 other workers as external contributors.^[2] Businesses are also increasingly using crowdsourcing platforms to engage external participants in the development of products and services.^[3][4] Managers are thinking about their workforce in terms of who contributes to outcomes, not just by workers’ employment arrangements.