Last week 27 executives validated the need for a new talent ecosystem.
The message is clear: staffing is too general, MSPs are too slow, yet talent platforms & EORs seem to be rewiring the modern talent stack.
Matthew MottolaGet this in your inbox every week. Join 26,000+ subscribers.
Hey everyone, last week we had 27 executives in one room. One from the largest production studio. One from the "most magical place on earth". One from a top 3 bank. One from a top 3 airline.
My favorite part: not all leaders were in procurement or HR, but all were leading budgets with talent as a key part of their P&L. One led talent transformation in an innovation function. Another led internal product, specifically the talent technologies and integrations.
|
All leaders recognized one truth: the current talent ecosystem is broken. Things we heard...
| - Staffing is too general. They just fill reqs, they don't help me with what I really need, getting work done. |
| - Agencies are too bloated, and they come and go vs building our own working team. |
| - MSPs are too slow, by the time we find the right person the need is gone (and they just make the above two scenarios worse). |
| - Business teams don't work with procurement or HR, they go around, and find their own individuals or sourcing solutions. |
The best part about this dinner, is that all were either curious and wanting to learn more, or actively implementing talent platforms and EORs.
So what's my message for all of you this week...
Keep building!!!
Keep building flexible talent within your clients' organizations. If you're a solution, keep building relationships that are strategy first with strong support functions. Keep building hyper vetted talent pools that are specialized.
Then meet us in New York October 20th for another dinner focused on how private equity firms can leverage the human cloud and flexible talent.
Here's to making the world work!!!
- 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. |
| PS: Want a protected room to talk about SIA, ProcureCon, and what we're all learning from the conference circuit? We curate a monthly community call. If you're a member, here's next months. Not a member? Purchase a subscription to be eligible here » |
The 2026 Market Map
The 2026 Market Map is live. 3,296 solutions ranked, the top 5% of every segment on one page. This year it is all about specialized sourcing and EORs, the two segments buyers are asking for most. If you are on it, share it. If you are not yet, this is where you fit.
|
| • Download the map » |
| • Read the release » |
Featured Event
|
HC Executive Dinner in New York 20 seats
Tuesday, October 20 · 6:30 PM ET · New York, NY · Alongside the PEI Operating Partners Forum · Invite only
Twenty private equity operating partners and portfolio talent leaders, one table, a candid conversation on how private equity firms leverage the human cloud and flexible talent. Hosted by Tony Buffum, with Safeguard Global.
| Request an invite » |
Shoutouts!
Wins from across the community over the last two weeks. Keep them coming.
Customers Verified
|
Twelve customers were verified for global EOR Safeguard Global, including StockX, Poshmark, Maritz, Drexel University, and the World Resources Institute. |
Business Cases
|
beecrowd verified a business case with Hyst, where it staffed the engineers Hyst needed to build out its data platform faster and clear the backlog that was holding its team back. |
|
Shopify talent platform Storetasker helped Alo Yoga ship 200+ UX projects over three years without adding headcount. |
|
|
Global EOR Safeguard Global helped Poshmark open a Delhi entity and hire its entire India engineering team compliantly. |
Add yours with the Business Case Agent »
Kudos
|
|
beecrowd earned kudos from Tatiana Onoe, Head of Data Strategy at Hyst: "beecrowd provided a more structured, faster, and more effective process, combining AI, qualified professionals, technical assessments, and continuous support throughout the hiring process." |
|
|
Safeguard Global received kudos from Ludivine R., HR Business Manager EMEA at Diana Food. |
|
Talent platform Tasker earned kudos from a UK client: "Tasker created a bespoke robotics solution to solve a highly labor-intensive operations challenge. They designed it from scratch and installed it in UK sites in record time and cost." |
Collect yours with the Kudos Agent »
Industry Insights
Deals & M&A
| • Akkodis completed its acquisition of Sogeclair's Airbus-dedicated engineering unit, adding 366 aerospace engineers across six countries.1 |
| • Kelly folded its telecom, data center, and AI/automation staffing units into one brand, Kelly Digital Infrastructure, as AI data center buildout strains specialized labor supply.2 |
Product Launches
| • Talentis, Ikiru People's AI executive-search platform, signed more than 90 search firms across six continents in six months.3 |
| • California became the first state to bar AI-only firing decisions. The No Robo Bosses Act requires human review before AI can fire or discipline a worker, effective July 2027.4 |
Signals Worth Knowing
| • The US added just 29,000 jobs in September. Unemployment rose to 4.2% and temporary help shed another 11,000 jobs.5 ADP's private payroll count came in at 90,000, the first acceleration in three months.6 |
| • Layoffs hit a four-year September low, down 18% from August, while tech cuts jumped 77% month over month.7 |
| • The US independent workforce hit a record 74.9 million. Full-time independent work is up 114% since 2020 and nearly 5.8 million independents earn six figures.8 |
| • 21 state AGs sued to scrap the $103,256 H-1B fee, arguing it is unlawful and harms employers, schools, and hospitals.9 |
| • Google's data center lead warned of a massive skilled-trades shortage as the AI infrastructure boom strains the pipeline for electricians and other trades.10 |
Industry Events
| • HRSouthwest Conference · Oct 12 to 14 · Fort Worth, TX |
| • SIA Executive Forum Europe · Oct 13 to 15 · London, UK |
| • HR Tech · Oct 20 to 22 · Las Vegas, NV |
| • Staffing World (ASA) · Oct 20 to 22 · Nashville, TN |
| • Unleash World · Oct 20 to 21 · Paris, France |
| • EOR Global Summit · Nov 3 to 4 · London, UK |
Sources
| 1. GlobeNewswire, Sogeclair Completes the Sale of Its Airbus-Dedicated Engineering Activities |
| 2. GlobeNewswire, Kelly Launches Kelly Digital Infrastructure as AI Accelerates Data Center Demand |
| 3. PR Newswire, More Than 90 Executive Search Firms Adopt Talentis in Six Months |
| 4. CNBC, California Becomes First State to Bar AI-Only Firing Decisions |
| 5. CNBC, September 2026 Jobs Report |
| 6. ADP, ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 90,000 Jobs in September |
| 7. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Job Cuts Fall in September |
| 8. PR Newswire, MBO Partners by Beeline: US Independent Workforce Reaches Record 74.9 Million |
| 9. Staffing Industry Analysts, AGs From 21 States and DC Want $103,256 H-1B Fee Scrapped |
| 10. Fortune, Google Data Center Leader Warns of a Skilled-Trades Shortage |
Get insights like this every week
Join 26,000+ leaders staying ahead of the flexible talent market.
