the 2019 digital staffing technology advisor

© Ardent Partners 2019 Page | 1

The 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor

Research designed to help business leaders navigate the

enterprise technology landscape.

Executive Summary

The 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor is designed to help HR, human

capital, procurement, and recruitment leaders navigate the digital and on-demand

staffing provider landscape, accelerate the RFP or solution selection process, and

maximize their investments in digital staffing solutions. This report analyzes and

assesses the primary digital staffing solution providers in the marketplace today

and is designed to serve as a resource in 2019 for businesses seeking to transform

their talent engagement and talent acquisition initiatives. Readers will be able to

use this report to identify, and ultimately select, the digital staffing solution that best

aligns with their specific requirements and budget.

Ardent Partners’ 2019 Digital Staffing Provider Rankings

Ardent Partners evaluated the market’s top digital staffing solution providers’

Solution Strength (the ability to support the full scope of talent engagement and

acquisition activity) measured along the X-axis, and Provider Strength (which

includes factors like execution ability, client success, references, and product

vision) measured along the Y-axis.

Ardent Partners

July 25, 2019

Analysts:

Christopher J. Dwyer

Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 The Ardent Partners Advantage

3 Research Methodology

5 The Digital Staffing Technology

Advisor Rankings

6 Provider Profiles

28 Overview of Technology

Evaluation Criteria

32 Appendix I

35 Appendix II

The 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor Ardent Partners


The Ardent Partners Advantage

Ardent Partners uses a rigorous, multimodal research process that leverages qualitative,

quantitative, and deep market knowledge to produce its Technology Advisor series. It

contains inputs on usability, solution functionality, completeness of offering, future solution

strategy, technology adoption, company presence and ability to execute, as well as

company focus and vision. Ardent Partners’ mission in delivering the Technology Advisor

is to provide straightforward, useful information that can help organizations make more

educated technology decisions. As a result, this Technology Advisor is a valuable tool that

practitioners can utilize during their technology evaluations.

Ardent Partners analysts have decades of experience in the staffing space, making them

eminently qualified to publish research that informs and guides readers on how to plan and

execute a talent transformation strategy and which solution provider(s) can deliver the

greatest value. For over a decade, Ardent Partners has delivered the highest-quality

research and advisory support in the industry and directly influences thousands of global

organizations each month. Ardent Partners is uniquely qualified to provide technology-

assessment research for the staffing solutions marketplace. It has in-depth knowledge of

the staffing, contingent workforce management (CWM), talent acquisition, and HR

industries, including: deep empirical organizational data on CWM programs, a user

community that relies on Ardent for thought leadership in this space, and expert coverage

of the solution provider landscape. Its qualifications include:

► An unrivaled team of senior analysts with decades of staffing/CWM-specific

expertise.

► Contingent workforce management, staffing, and talent/workforce management

data on nearly 8,000 companies.

► An engaged, global community of CWM program leaders.

► Hosting the industry’s only dedicated weekly podcast, Contingent Workforce

Weekly.

► A network of websites (including CPO Rising and Payables Place) that publishes

insights and articles on the Future of Work, CWM, and the evolution of staffing.

► A unique understanding of the underlying processes and technologies in staffing

and workforce management, which allows Ardent’s analysts to provide valuable,

insightful, and actionable information.



Research Methodology

Ardent Partners utilizes a rigorous, multi-modal research process that leverages

qualitative, quantitative, and deep market knowledge to produce this annual Technology

Advisor Report. The Ardent team identified the solution and market leaders in the digital

staffing space for inclusion in this research study. The 11 providers included in this report

are:

► Adepto

► Crowdstaffing

► Field Nation

► Genesys Talent

► Kalo

► Shiftgig

► Shortlist

► TalentNet

► TalonFMS

► Toptal

► Upwork

Participating companies were asked to complete a robust questionnaire covering all

aspects of their solution. Areas of focus included talents sourcing, workforce management

integration, project management, operational processes, and reporting and analytics.

Ardent Partners conducted in-depth customer interviews from each of the selected solution

providers. Ardent’s analyst team also participated in detailed briefings and solution

demonstrations to gain a complete company overview, as well as a deep understanding of

the specific solution capabilities.

This report contains inputs on usability, solution functionality, completeness of offering,

customer reviews, company presence, and ability to execute, as well as company focus

and future solution strategy. Ardent Partners’ mission in delivering this Technology Advisor

is to provide straightforward information and analysis that can help organizations make

smarter buying decisions. Questions about our methodology, analysis, and conclusions

are welcomed and may be directed to [email protected] (please put the report

title in the subject line).

mailto:[email protected]



Ardent’s Definition of Digital Staffing Technology

Talent acquisition has always been a critical part of business. With talent as a top

competitive differentiator, weak staffing initiatives can undermine an enterprise’s ability to

achieve its primary goals and objectives. In 2019, talent is more critical than ever, and no

business can grow, scale, or win without the right talent in place. As companies prioritize

expertise and skillsets when they address work-based needs, it is essential for businesses

to understand the impact that staffing can have on business operations and business

results. One of the hard shifts in the world of work is the enterprise’s desire to maintain a

direct relationship and control over its entire workforce (both traditional and non-employee).

Digital staffing platforms have emerged as a solution in the quest to engage the best-fit

talent and maintain control over the acquisition process. In fact, Ardent Partners research

has been tracking the utilization of these marketplaces for the past several years and found

that usage of digital staffing platforms has more than tripled since 2015.

In its general research and for this Digital Staffing Technology Advisor, Ardent Partners

defines “digital staffing technology” as solutions that enable:

► Curation of freelancers, contractors, and professional services into private talent

clouds (“top-down” talent network).

► Access to a network of qualified candidates and workers via a digital portal

(“bottom-up” talent network).

► Functionality to manage projects and initiatives supported by non-employee

talent.

► Talent-matching capabilities for project/role-to-candidate alignment.

► Payment and settlement for non-employee workers.

► Compliance and risk mitigation of independent contractor, tax, regulatory, and

related issues.

► Reporting and analytics to measure cost, performance, impact, etc. of non-

employee talent.

► Integration with workforce management platforms, such as Vendor Management

Systems (VMS), Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Human Resources

Information Systems (HRIS), and similar technology.



The Digital Staffing Technology Advisor Rankings

Ardent Partners evaluated and ranked the solution providers in this report based upon two

essential areas of consideration: (1) Solution strength, which includes the quality, depth,

and breadth of the provider’s current digital solution. The solution strength evaluation also

considers factors like usability, functionality, and the solution’s ability to support key tasks,

activities, and processes that drive digital staffing processes. (2) Provider strength, which

considers nearly a dozen distinct quantitative and qualitative factors, including support and

delivery capabilities, talent sourcing, project management, integration, analytics and

reporting, specialization, product roadmap, and customer references. See the Appendix

for a more complete definition of Ardent Partners’ evaluation criteria.

Figure 1: The Digital Staffing Technology Advisor Rankings



Provider Profiles

Adepto

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Adepto and its solutions as a

“Leader” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Adepto is notable for its

innovative “total talent” approach towards staffing, its simple integration into major

workforce management solutions (such as VMS and ATS), and its commitment to helping

its clients manage all types of workers, from freelancers and contractors to alumni and

professional services.

Adepto is a privately-held provider of digital staffing and workforce management

automation technology. The London-based solution provider (which also has offices in

Brisbane and New York City) was founded in 2013 and originated as a freelancer/

contractor marketplace. In 2015, the company shifted its business to a “software-only”

approach and began signing enterprise customers. Today, Adepto’s platform assists its

users with managing various types of workers, with a spotlight on its ability to automate the

engagement and management of both internal and external workers. The Adepto solution

is cloud-based and remains one of the very few technologies that is centered around the

concept of “total talent,” a unique and forward-looking approach which very few other

providers share. Adepto’s platform offers direct job-posting capabilities for hiring

managers, procurement executives, and talent acquisition teams, which are then reflected

in various HR and workforce management systems (including ATS, VMS, ERP, etc.). Users

manage activities via a centralized system that gives them access to all of its talent, helping

them find the ideal resources for current and future projects.

Strengths

► Integration of both internal and external talent (“total talent”). Adepto’s

platform shines in its ability to help customers gain a full view (with full access) to

its “total talent” pool, which includes both standard FTEs as well as contingent and

freelance professionals, all of whom are shown on a “live candidate dashboard.”

► Workers within the Adepto platform “own” their profiles and data throughout

their careers. No matter which career choices an independent professional may

make (including joining an organization under a traditional employment model),

they will always own and have the ability to manage and update their Adepto

profiles, which will follow them throughout their careers.

► Adepto is a pioneer in regards to total talent management/total workforce

management. While the concept of “total workforce management” is not yet a

widely-adopted program within human capital management, Adepto is a

frontrunner when it comes to helping businesses realize the value of a solution that

prioritizes visibility into the total talent pool.

► Simple integration into major workforce management platforms. The vast

majority of businesses that leverage digital staffing solutions will look to VMS, ATS,

and MSP offerings as their true “system of record.” Adepto’s platform integrates

well with these major system types for full visibility into “total talent.”



Considerations

► A “top-down” focus means that users have to build their talent pools.

Adepto’s software-only solution is not connected to any one talent network. For

users that are more interested in developing its own unique talent pool (and the

ability to manage it in real-time), this is not a detriment. For others that expect quick

“plug-and-play” access to a new pool of talent, this can be an issue.

► A lack of SOW management capabilities. Statement of Work (SOW) manage-

ment is a core area of the typical CWM program, even as much of the work in this

labor category is addressed by freelancers and contractors. While some users may

not prioritize this arena in its utilization of a parallel digital staffing solution, others

may require this functionality right out of the gate.

► While Adepto offers solid and consistent reporting capabilities, more

advanced features are still emerging. Much of Adepto’s functionality is pound-

for-pound as powerful as its VMS brethren, however, one area that is merely

sufficient is the platform’s analytics and reporting module. Some users may be

satisfied with traditional reports, but others could yearn for deeper access to talent-

based intelligence (which will emerge in the coming months for Adepto).

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Adepto deserves strong

consideration from both small-/mid-sized businesses (SMB) and enterprise-sized

organizations that are seeking to augment their greater staffing efforts. Additionally,

the company deserves special consideration in regard to the following customer

scenarios:

► Contingent workforce programs that are ready to build a total workforce

management (TWM) program.

► Businesses that lack solid visibility into the true skillsets of both FTEs and

external talent and desire resource- and workforce-planning augmentation.

► Businesses currently leveraging multiple workforce management solutions

(ATS, VMS, MSP, HRIS/HCM, etc.) and experiencing a high volume of

contingent labor utilization.



Crowdstaffing

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Crowdstaffing and its solutions as

“Best-in-Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Crowdstaffing is notable

for its sizable talent marketplace, artificial intelligence (AI)-led matching and alignment,

seamless curation of available contingent workers, and full workforce management tools

and functionality.

Crowdstaffing is a privately-held digital staffing and on-demand talent platform

headquartered in San Jose, CA. The solution is currently utilized by several Fortune 100

organizations as a “modern” answer to traditional staffing and recruitment. The

Crowdstaffing platform facilitates full management of on-site contingent workers, from

engagement and sourcing to onboarding, payment, and compliance and risk mitigation.

The solution offers a full suite of functionality for 1) hiring organizations, 2) staffing

suppliers, and 3) contingent workers (candidates), all of which link back to helping

businesses find the best-fit talent for their projects in near real-time. Crowdstaffing’s

executive team promotes the company’s “network effect” of having three main user types

collaborate, which deepens the total pool of skillsets available via its talent marketplace.

Crowdstaffing was founded in 2012 and has two major offerings: the Crowdstaffing Hiring

Marketplace and Crowdstaffing 360.

Strengths

► All communication with candidates is fully-centralized and transparent. Not

only does the Crowdstaffing solution guide users through the engagement and

sourcing process, communication between hiring managers/recruiters and

potential candidates is centrally-managed and fully-transparent, meaning that

program leaders can easily view how the “candidate experience” is being

executed, and, can easily streamline key steps throughout the sourcing process in

real-time.

► Both solutions (Marketplace and 360) provide users with the ability to

engage and manage talent with fully-automated capabilities. Some digital

staffing solutions are considered “top-down” (when the user brings its own talent

pool) with strong technology, but Crowdstaffing’s two major modules ensure that

its clients can leverage the power of a deep talent network while also managing

the critical operational components of CWM (onboarding, compliance and risk

mitigation, payment/settlement, profile management, etc.).

► The Crowdstaffing Hiring Marketplace is akin to a “private social network”

of talent, adding to user comfort and an improved user experience.

Crowdstaffing’s talent network has the look-and-feel of a business social network

(similar to LinkedIn), meaning that users unfamiliar with the digital staffing arena

are more likely to have a positive user experience in searching for and engaging

external talent. In addition, a good portion of the solution’s functionality is

reminiscent of “MSP for digital staffing,” which can add to the usability of the

platform for those customers that are familiar with traditional CWM solutions.

► The Crowdstaffing 360 solution is designed as both a standalone solution

and one that easily integrates into existing CWM technology. The 360 platform



can serve as a digital staffing-led extension of a company’s VMS solution (with

requisitions funneled from the VMS into Crowdstaffing), or, alternatively, become

a business’s central source of staffing supplier management, compliance and risk

mitigation, and candidate curation.

Considerations

► The Crowdstaffing Hiring Marketplace is currently focused on on-site

contingent labor, but also has the ability to support full-time hiring. Although

on-site non-employee talent is the key demographic for Crowdstaffing’s Hiring

Marketplace, the platform also has the ability to support full-time hiring for those

users that desire this functionality.

► The solution’s non-supplier-funded model is different than the norm. The

supplier-funded model has long been the standard for contingent workforce

programs and their solutions. Although Crowdstaffing’s model is more progressive

than the norm (and certainly welcomed by those seeking a change), some

businesses may be discouraged.

► Integration is limited to VMS platforms. While not all businesses have fully-

embraced the “ecosystem” aspect of workforce management technology, many

are sparking enhanced total talent visibility via the integration of digital staffing,

VMS, and human capital management technology.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Crowdstaffing deserves strong

consideration from organizations that seek to enhance their on-site contingent

workforce talent pool and augment greater CWM capabilities. Additionally, the

company deserves special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses that want to fully-automate the multi-layered steps of staffing

and talent acquisition.

► Companies that require enhanced and real-time staffing supplier

performance visibility.

► Businesses that want to expand their IT, professional services, and

engineering talent pools.



Field Nation

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Field Nation and its solutions as

“Best-in-Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Field Nation is an on-

demand provider of digital staffing and total workforce management solutions. They are

notable for their defined presence in the IT and field service industries, as well as their

digital talent marketplace and flagship workforce management product, Field Nation One.

The privately-held Field Nation was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Minneapolis,

MN. It has long been known for its 100,000+ independent IT and service professionals that

are available on the Field Nation talent network, specializing in the field service industry

while also leveraged across other verticals. In 2018, the company launched its Field Nation

ONE platform, which assists its users in managing employees, non-employee talent, and

professional services vendors under one centralized offering for maximum visibility and

execution. Field Nation is a veteran in the digital staffing space and, as such, has a long

track record of robust functionality and a positive client and user experience.

Strengths

► Users of Field Nation can leverage both its sizable talent network and its

flagship workforce management platform via a centralized dashboard. The

introduction of Field Nation ONE allows the solution’s customers to maximize its

contingent workforce via a centralized dashboard that enables work order

management, worker-to-project-alignment, employee scheduling, and more. The

solution’s talent network boasts over 100,000 service providers/workers which can

be matched to open jobs via a machine learning-led algorithm.

► Its mobile application is one of the strongest in the digital staffing space. The

native iOS and Android mobile application enhances business and worker

communication; service providers (and other talent sourced through the network)

can provide real-time updates to Field Nation clients, upload pictures of completed

work, manage payments and invoices, and sign up for additional projects.

► It has strong functionality for managing compliance and regulatory issues.

IT and field service work is typically highly-regulated. As such, the Field Nation

talent network prioritizes worker/vendor certifications to ensure that customers are

focused on sourcing the best-fit talent from both skills and regulatory perspectives.

► Field Nation’s short- and long-term product roadmap is aimed at delivering

total workforce management. With a product roadmap that will introduce HR-led

functionality and integration with human capital systems such as learning

management, the next generation of the Field Nation ONE platform will support

elements of TWM. Also, the company has been adept at anticipating market

requirements and solutions to new workforce management challenges.



Considerations

► Current integration capabilities could be expanded in the future. Field

Nation’s solution tightly-integrates with IT Service Management (ITSM) and Field

Service Management (FSM) systems (as well as many CRM platforms), however,

there are some integration gaps with certain VMS and ATS solutions.

► The platform is “heavy” on work order management. The strength of the

system is tailored for IT and field service work. However, the focus on work order

management may not be core for users that desire a wider variety of functionality.

► Reporting and analytics are not at par with the overall strength of the

solution. The core performance measurement metrics (spend, supplier

performance, time-to-assignment, etc.) are all included in its reporting structure,

however, Field Nation O’s analytics offering could be improved to match the

strength of its robust workforce management functionality.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Field Nation deserves strong

consideration from both SMB and enterprise-sized organizations seeking access to the

industry’s largest network of IT and field service talent. Additionally, the company

deserves special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses that prioritize work order management as part of their utilization

of external labor.

► Companies that require more robust talent organization and need to

centralize management of employees, vendors, and contractors.

► Businesses that need real-time access to on-site contingent labor.



Genesys Talent

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Genesys Talent and its solutions as

a “Contender” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Genesys is an on-

demand provider of digital staffing technology and services, known for its flagship

candidate “MatchLists,” which enable its customers to find the best-fit talent, either active

or passive.

Genesys Talent is a privately-held technology solution provider that was founded in 2016,

with its first digital staffing offering available to the market in 2018. The Houston-based

provider is primarily known for its candidate MatchLists, an offering that helps businesses

build company-specific talent clouds, as well as its PREDICTe module. PREDICTe blends

the power of machine learning, natural language processing, and talent analytics to not

only reduce time-to-fill rates, but also ensure that its customers are actively engaging the

best-fit talent (direct hire or contingent) for a given job or project. Genesys’ commitment to

the “match” is a factor in the solution growing steadily over the past 18 months.

Strengths

► It is one of the strongest sources of passive candidates in the market.

Genesys Talent’s pre-vetted and certified network of talent includes a wealth of

passive candidates that can be matched to open jobs for its customers. Due to the

strong relationship between Genesys and the talent in its network (the company

offers a Career Portal that workers can leverage to find new opportunities), these

passive candidates can be aligned with better-aligned positions.

► It features robust integration with major contingent workforce solutions.

Genesys serves as a strategic partner to the industry’s major VMS platforms (the

Genesys platform can receive requisitions and submit candidates via APIs), as

well as leading ATS solutions for staffing supplier customers.

► The solution includes both a wide talent network and staffing functionality.

The two-way platform, supported by a robust customer service team, ensures that

its clients have a positive user experience throughout the talent engagement

process.

► PREDICTe’s AI-fueled matching is one of the industry’s most powerful

candidate alignment solutions. Genesys leverages a variety of artificial

intelligence and predictive analytics capabilities to ensure the highest-quality

matches for open job requisitions.

Considerations

► Talent coverage is limited to larger, metropolitan areas (but will expand).

While talent coverage is quite deep in major U.S. cities, it can be difficult for users

in smaller areas to find consistent matches for open requisitions (something the

Genesys team is working to expand in 2019).

► The platform lacks true project management functionality. One of the few

shortfalls of the Genesys Talent platform is its lack of true project management

functionality to actively track contingent workforce spend, project milestones,

SOWs, etc.



► While candidate matching, time-to-fill rates, and overall staffing services are

strong, the technology itself is not dynamic. Although both the Genesys

network and its core functionality are market setters, the total platform is not as

dynamic from a user experience perspective compared to other solutions in the

digital staffing industry. As the solution matures over the next couple of years, as

will the technology platform itself.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Genesys Talent deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations seeking a “bottom-up” source of

new talent. Additionally, the company deserves special consideration in regard to the

following customer scenarios:

► Businesses that prioritize passive candidates in their greater talent

acquisition strategies.

► Companies in major metropolitan areas with a need to fill light industrial,

engineering, administrative, professional/business, and IT staffing roles.

► Contingent workforce programs that require a digital staffing solution that

can easily integrate into their greater CWM and ATS platforms.



Kalo

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Kalo and its solutions as a “Leader”

in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Kalo is a Freelancer Management

System (FMS), formerly known as Lystable, that helps businesses curate freelancer and

contingent talent pools behind a series of robust workforce management functionality.

Kalo is a privately-held digital staffing and FMS provider, with offices in San Francisco and

London. Formerly known as Lystable, the solution’s wide range of workforce management

capabilities makes it one of the industry’s deepest and strongest, helping its customers

curate freelancer-based talent pools, mitigate major compliance risks, and automate many

of the operational components of the average contingent and freelance workforce. Kalo is

known for its functionality around talent curation, its deep integration with several HR,

workforce management, and CWM platform types, and its solid foundation of external

workforce analytics, candidate experience enhancement, and agile workforce enablement.

Strengths

► The Kalo platform is incredibly complementary of key workforce manage-

ment solutions. Integration is a key component of the digital staffing industry; it is

critical that businesses have the ability to leverage both core contingent workforce

platforms (i.e., VMS) and HR solutions while harnessing the relative power of

digital staffing offerings. Kalo counts VMS, HRIS, and ATS as integrative, as well

as other platforms related to work optimization, including electronic signature

technology (i.e.,, DocuSign), and project management automation (i.e., Asana).

► Kalo supports innovative functionality around the candidate experience. As

concepts like “employee engagement” and the “talent experience” become core

facets of the Future of Work, it is crucial that digital staffing outlets support these

human capital-led approaches. The Kalo platform enhances its clients’

communication with freelancers (via integration with Slack) and insights pulled

from profile, project, and engagement data can be leveraged for true talent/

employee experience initiatives.

► Compliance is at the forefront of independent talent curation. Kalo’s platform

promotes full automation around risk mitigation, guiding its users through

compliant onboarding, project exposure, screening, background checks, and data

storage.

► Kalo’s analytics traverse beyond mere staffing and contingent workforce-

related performance. As total workforce management becomes more of a reality

in today’s talent-driven world, it is interesting to note that Kalo’s platform can be

seamlessly linked to core workforce management systems; as more and more

organizations begin to develop total workforce management capabilities, this data

will become a foundation for a successful program.



Considerations

► The Kalo platform is “top-down” and does not offer its own network of talent.

Kalo’s talent curation of enterprise freelancers is one of its strongest capabilities; and,

its technology-first model offers the ability to facilitate freelance marketplace and

recruitment partners who provide talent.

► Direct hires and W2 workers can also be facilitated through the platform. The

profiles within Kalo are dynamic and taggable as both 1099 and W2; also, custom

profile templates allow businesses to rack and store customer information on

worker type (regardless if it is 1099 or W2). If the Kalo platform has been

implemented by an MSP partner, both types of talent can be managed through the

system.

► Kalo’s reporting and analytics are currently robust but will be more dynamic

in future updates. Kalo’s talent curation and complementary functionality are

quite strong, however, one area that is merely sufficient is the platform’s analytics

and reporting module. Users will be satisfied with traditional reports, but others

could desire deeper access to core CWM-based intelligence (which is an emerging

functionality for the platform).

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Kalo deserves consideration

from both SMB and large organizations seeking a digital staffing solution that can help

them curate all of its freelance talent into a centralized platform. Additionally, the

company deserves special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses that need a robust FMS platform that is complementary of its

existing workforce and talent management solutions.

► Companies that require a digital staffing solution that can easily integrate

into VMS, ATS, and HRIS platforms for maximum talent visibility.

► Talent acquisition, contingent workforce, procurement, and HR executives

that need an intuitive, user-friendly system for centralizing their business’

total freelancer talent pool.



Shiftgig

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Shiftgig and its solutions as a

“Leader” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Shiftgig is a digital staffing

platform that connects businesses with “gig workers” via its flagship Deploy offering and

associated mobile application. The company, which was initially founded as a dual talent

marketplace and enterprise workforce management solution, is now laser-focused on

Deploy (and related functionality) after recently selling off its marketplace businesses.

Shiftgig is a privately-held digital staffing solution based in Chicago that has recently re-

launched its flagship Deploy product. The company’s software was once the foundational

technology for its larger Gig Economy-fueled talent network and worker marketplace (built

and designed for “shift-based” work in retail, entertainment, and experiential marketing).

Earlier this year, Shiftgig announced that it had sold the staffing pieces of its business to

focus 100% of its efforts on the Deploy platform, which connects businesses with “gig

workers” and automated key facets of recruitment and non-employee workforce

management. The big move means that the company can help its customers bring agility

and flexibility to its non-employee workforce programs.

Strengths

► It has perhaps the industry’s strongest mobile application for both

businesses and workers. As more and more “gig workers” leverage mobile

devices to find jobs, it makes sense that these professionals leverage mobile apps

to enhance the overall non-employee experience. Shiftgig’s mobile app enables

its workers with the ability to clock in for shifts, browse (and claim) open shifts,

submit timecards, and provide feedback on jobs.

► It features strong machine learning-led algorithms for enhanced talent

matching. Although all digital staffing platforms have proprietary algorithms for

talent-matching, Shiftgig’s machine-learning led functionality is one of the stronger

examples in the talent acquisition industry.

► The dual power of Deploy’s Operations Manager and Business App

facilitates robust non-employee workforce management. The Operations

Manager is a robust dashboard, offering workforce management functionality,

performance measurement, project management capabilities, and access to real-

time worker/project data. The Business App enables on-site staff to facilitate work

order management, real-time communication with workers, and operational

competencies. The power of both of these offerings is a core strength of the total

Deploy platform.

► Creating new jobs or “shifts” is both intuitive and incredibly templatized.

Shiftgig’s users can create new shifts/roles in quickly and in a streamlined and

repeatable manner (which is highly desirable given the on-demand needs of the

retail, entertainment, hospitality, etc. industries the platform serves) due to the

solution’s intuitive requisition development functionality.



Considerations

► Shiftgig’s recent move to become a software pure play is in its early stages.

While the overall strategy makes great sense, it can take time for such a decisive

move to take hold and pervade a company. Shiftgig’s recent sale of its staffing

business was necessary to help the solution focus on the power of the Deploy

platform. However, in this crowded marketplace, strong rebranding will be needed

to avoid confusion.

► The solution’s reporting dashboard has strong aesthetics and is currently

adding more advanced capabilities. The solution offers strong support for managing

the key staffing performance metrics with Deploy’s reporting tool and is actively adding

more advanced capabilities, including a marketplace health metrics overview, worker

engagement metrics, client business review dashboards, and a staffing

administration “book of business” overview.

► Shiftgig’s API list is being expanded. Digital staffing technology users typically

rely on API-based integration to greater HR and workforce management systems;

in Shiftgig’s case, the company has plans to aggressively expand this list in 2019

and has already developed robust integrations with both ATS and CRM solutions.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Shiftgig deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations in the retail, experiential

marketing, hospitality, and consumer service industries. Additionally, the company

deserves special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Companies that leverage a high volume of gig-based non-employee workers.

► Staffing firms that require a cloud-based digital staffing solution.

► Businesses that require robust mobile capabilities from their digital staffing

platform.



Shortlist

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Shortlist and its solutions as “Best-

in-Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Shortlist is a provider of digital

staffing and workforce management solutions and was formed in 2015. The solution’s

functionality includes an impressive blend of on-demand talent acquisition, workforce

management, VMS, and FMS capabilities.

Shortlist is a San Francisco-based provider of a wide range of digital staffing and workforce

management solutions. It was founded in 2015 and, since then, has emerged as one of

the more notable platforms in the on-demand talent space due to its “end-to-end”

functionality around engaging, sourcing, managing, paying, and reconciling the contract

and freelance workforce. The Shortlist platform prioritizes operational efficiency across

onboarding, compliance, project management, and SOW/services management, and has

grown considerably in both size and revenue over the past four years.

Strengths

► It is an end-to-end platform for engagement and management of non-

employee workers. Shortlist received high marks across the board due to its end-

to-end offering that provides users with all of the necessary functionality to curate,

source, and engage talent, then manage this workforce and track/monitor the

projects/initiatives it is linked to.

► It is one of few digital staffing solutions that offers full SOW management

and services procurement functionality. Shortlist is one of only a handful of

digital staffing providers that offers full SOW and services management

functionality. This outlet of the platform offers supplier negotiation automation,

competitive bidding, and full project-tracking.

► Disparate talent networks can be curated into one “All Partners” talent pool.

One of the core strengths of the Shortlist platform is its ability to centralize all of a

user’s disparate talent networks, workers, and services into one fully-centralized

portal for quick (and simple) engagement.

► Perhaps the deepest candidate profiles of any digital staffing provider. Each

candidate profile includes a rich history of past endeavors, common reviews/

ratings from other stakeholders in the organization, and a robust overview of its full

skillset and range of relevant expertise.

Considerations

► “Top-down” network with 50%-to-70% of talent curation incumbent on the

user. Although many digital staffing providers lead with a “top-down” approach to

talent curation, some users may want to prepare for some ramp-up time in pulling

their various freelancers and talent networks into the system.

► The Shortlist platform includes an extremely broad set of workforce

management functionality. Shortlist’s ultimate strength must be tempered for

new users of digital staffing technology (especially in regard to its enterprise

platform). Due to Shortlist’s incredibly user-friendly interface, businesses that



desire the simplicity of a “smaller” platform can choose to take a slower approach

and phase in specific functionality within the powerful suite over time.

► Shortlist’s reporting functionality is just beginning to offer deeper data and

intelligence. Shortlist recently upgraded its reporting functionality in late 2018,

which now offers deeper insights than in previous incarnations of the platform. As

such, the solution will continue to expand its analytical capabilities as time

progresses and the platform evolves.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Shortlist deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations seeking an end-to-end digital

staffing provider that offers additional workforce management functionality.

Additionally, the company deserves special consideration in regard to the following

customer scenarios:

► Businesses that require an end-to-end digital staffing solution that can easily

integrate with human capital, HR, VMS, ATS, and other key platforms.

► Companies that desire a digital staffing platform that can streamline

operational processes, such as onboarding, compliance management, and

payroll management.

► Enterprises that need to curate a deep talent pool of disparate talent and

freelancer networks.



TalentNet

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked TalentNet and its solutions as “Best-

in-Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. TalentNet is a provider of

digital staffing solutions that was founded in 2013. The solution was created on recruitment

principles, aimed to help its users curate talent and engage non-employee workers in a

setting that leverages the company’s brand and its existing workforce data.

TalentNet is a privately-held digital staffing solutions provider headquartered in Toronto,

Canada, with offices around the globe. Its solution was built by recruitment experts and

leverages a series of human capital-led functionality, including candidate experience-

fueled data, integrations with core HR and HRIS platforms, and social media APIs.

TalentNet is a core direct sourcing partner of many of the contingent workforce industry’s

major solutions (e.g., Beeline and SAP Fieldglass), as well as global job boards (e.g.,

Indeed). The Digital Staffing Technology Advisor evaluated TalentNet’s two core products:

TalentBench and TalentCommunity.

Strengths

► Its platform has the “look and feel” of recruitment software. As TalentNet was

developed and designed by recruitment experts, the platform’s overall user

experience mimics that of core recruitment and staffing technology. This can be a

boon for users that are new to digital staffing solutions but are experienced in

regards to traditional recruitment and staffing software.

► It has robust integration with major workforce management solutions. Digital

staffing solutions have increased in utilization threefold since 2016, however, they

are still considered complementary platforms. TalentNet boasts tight integration to

major software solutions, such as Beeline, SAP Fieldglass, Google, Indeed, and

SAP, which improves the overall usability of the platform in relation to other major

workforce management platforms.

► TalentNet leads with “agile” functionality. TalentNet leverages network portals

that are akin to “career pages,” while providing its clients with access to “known”

talent, as well as passive candidates. The agile nature of this linked functionality

is a core strength of the TalentNet platform.

► Mobile-optimized portal is as deep as the TalentNet website. TalentNet users

will enjoy a consistent experience from desktop to mobile, as the mobile-optimized

portal has the same depth and functionality as the standard, cloud-based solution.

Considerations

► Integration beyond VMS is currently in-development. TalentNet serves as a

strategic partner to the contingent workforce industry’s biggest global VMS

providers. However, at the moment, the solution does not offer out-of-the-box

integrations to procurement/spend management, HR/HRIS, or ERP platforms.

► The TalentNet platform offers limited SOW management and services

procurement functionality. While not a core module in most digital staffing

solutions, the lack of SOW/services management is a consideration for some

businesses.



► Standard analytics could be bolstered with more advanced features.

TalentNet’s analytics dashboard is robust in that it offers traditional staffing and

contingent workforce performance measurement metrics; however, as the industry

evolves, some users may seek additional reporting capabilities.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, TalentNet deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations seeking a digital staffing solution

that prioritizes recruitment-led functionality. Additionally, the company deserves

special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses currently leveraging VMS technology that desire to enhance

their direct sourcing initiatives.

► Companies seeking an agile solution for known talent, passive candidates,

and active candidates.

► Enterprises with deep experience utilizing recruiting solutions will gain

synergies by adopting TalentNet.



TalonFMS

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked TalonFMS and its solutions as a

“Contender” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. TalonFMS provides an

FMS solution and an on-demand workforce management platform that help organizations

engage and manage their freelancer and non-employee workforce. TalonFMS has several

key offerings, including direct sourcing, SOW management, and FMS functionality.

TalonFMS is a privately-held provider of digital staffing solutions and was founded in 2015.

Located in Brighton, UK, its platform has two distinct modules: its proprietary FMS offering,

which includes direct sourcing functionality, and its SOW management tool. Although the

company’s digital staffing solution has only been commercially available for a little over two

years, it has fast-become one of the most well-known providers in the contingent workforce

industry.

Strengths

► It provides a “simple” direct sourcing extension of VMS or HRIS platforms.

TalonFMS’ platform is ideal for users of VMS or HRIS technology that need a

simple, automated extension into direct sourcing functionality. The solution’s

“applicant funnel” visualization simplifies the talent engagement process, allowing

for on-demand engagement of freelancers and non-employee workers.

► Talon’s overall UX is perhaps one of the strongest in the digital staffing

industry. Talon’s users enjoy a smooth, streamlined interface that makes it easy

to curate known talent into private pools, as well as onboard new workers and track

in-development projects led by freelance and independent talent.

► The TalonFMS platform features robust SOW management functionality.

TalonFMS’ SOW/services management functionality is one of the stronger

examples in the total digital staffing solutions marketplace. The platform’s project

management capabilities are deep, with a full module dedicated to this critical

piece of non-employee workforce management.

Considerations

► TalonFMS is a “top-down” digital staffing solution. As with some other

solutions in the marketplace, Talon’s platform is a “top-down” platform. During the

implementation process, users will upload disparate and local talent networks

(including inviting candidates to the platform) for maximum engagement efficiency.

► Dynamic reporting/analytics functionality is emerging in the months ahead.

Users of the TalonFMS platform can derive all of the standard cost, quality, and

compliance measurements that are typically required of hiring managers (and

CWM programs); however, the overall analytical depth will become more dynamic

as the solution matures and grows.

► While VMS integration is one of the stronger instances in the market, other

integrations (i.e., spend management, eProcurement, ATS, etc.) are not

included “out-of-the-box.” While non-VMS integrations are not offered from the

get-go, TalonFMS supports integrations into other key enterprise systems on a

customizable basis.



Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, TalonFMS deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations that require a robust FMS

offering with additional SOW-led functionality. Additionally, the company deserves

special consideration in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses that require additional direct sourcing functionality beyond their

existing VMS platform.

► Companies with significant services-based spending (non-staffing-supplier-

related spend/projects).

► Businesses that need branded talent portals as part of their overall digital

staffing strategy.



Toptal

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Toptal and its solutions as “Best-in-

Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Toptal is a digital staffing

solution that is structured very differently from its competitors, offering a services-led

approach to help its clients engage the “top 3%” of talent across a series of specialized

fields and verticals. Toptal operates globally but has zero offices, celebrating its remote-

first business model.

The privately-held Toptal offers a diverse digital staffing service that boasts the top 3% of

talent across a range of industries. Toptal’s solution works much differently than other

providers in the industry, providing a “bottom-up” source of pre-vetted, pre-screened talent

via concierge-like “matchers.” Toptal was founded in 2010, making it one of the more

mature solutions in the digital staffing marketplace. Although talent-matching (and overall

talent engagement) is done on behalf of its clients, Toptal includes a client-facing portal for

its users to extract key data and insights regarding its non-employee workforce.

Strengths

► It offers the strongest talent-screening processes of any provider in the

digital staffing market. The science behind Toptal’s “top 3%” messaging is

developed via intense and deep talent-vetting and screening. To be included in the

Toptal network, freelancers and other workers must undergo a series of “tests” and

screening procedures (which include vertical-specific questions, etc.). Workers

can only be included as part of Toptal’s talent network if they pass all prerequisite

screening tests and processes.

► “Concierge-like matchers” work directly with clients to find the best-fit, best-

aligned talent for a role or project. Toptal’s “matchers” work directly with the

solution’s customers to find the best-aligned talent for an open position, typically

within 24 hours. As 100% of Toptal’s talent network is pre-vetted and screened

(per the previous bullet), there is a 98% overall success rate of matching across

all of its customer base. The hundreds of talent-matchers that work for Toptal’s

customers are experts in design, technology, and related business fields, many of

which are incredibly familiar with the verticals that they support. This adds an extra

layer of top-shelf quality to Toptal’s talent engagement and sourcing process.

► The Toptal solution is designed to support project-based work. Project-based

work is one of the key trends of the Future of Work, fueled by the Gig Economy.

Toptal’s concierge matchers assist customers in building deep “teams” of talent to

address project-based work. The solution also offers robust communication with

both matchers and talent to ensure consistent frequency of project status updates,

delivery dates, milestones, etc.



Considerations

► Toptal’s deep talent network is not as “searchable” as some other solutions

in this industry. That said, this difference from other providers serves as the

foundational basis for its premium, service-based business model. Toptal’s clients

receive concierge-like matching services to ensure the best-aligned fit between a

project’s requirements and the freelancers/contractors recommended for the job.

► Toptal’s analytics are similar to that of the Managed Service Provider model.

Toptal offers deep insights into Net Promoter Scores for clients and workers/talent,

as well as time-to-match and spend-focused intelligence. Some other capabilities

could be improved to match what is available from VMS and other workforce

management solutions.

► Current integration is limited to VMS (Beeline and SAP Fieldglass) and SAP

Ariba (which some talent-matchers leverage). While the levels of workforce

management integration are limited from a general perspective, Toptal’s real value

is in its services-based offering. That being said, the development of integrations

with two major ATS platforms is underway in Q3 of 2019.

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution and provider strength rankings, Toptal deserves consideration

from both SMB and large organizations seeking a robust “bottom-up” source of new

talent. Additionally, the company deserves special consideration in regard to the

following customer scenarios:

► Businesses seeking top-tier talent in the manufacturing, software develop-

ment, financial services, healthcare, and high-tech fields.

► Enterprises that desire more of a “human touch” in a digital staffing solution.

► Companies that desire pre-screened, pre-vetted talent for remote and

project-based work.



Upwork

Ardent Partners’ evaluation and analysis have ranked Upwork and its solutions as “Best-

in-Class” in the 2019 Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. Upwork is a global provider

of digital staffing technology that offers the largest “bottom-up” talent network of any

solution included in this technology evaluation report. Formerly known as Elance-oDesk,

the company was rebranded to Upwork in 2015, and, just last year, became the first digital

staffing solution to go public.

Upwork is the industry’s largest digital staffing solution by volume of workers/freelancers

within its global talent network. The company has spent the past 15 years building out an

impressive network of talent and is today one of the more mature platforms represented in

the Digital Staffing Technology Advisor. The company has made significant traction in the

market and reports that nearly 30% of the Fortune 500 are current customers. Upwork

made news late last year as the first major digital staffing solution to go public, which

transformed the industry landscape considerably. Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA,

Upwork has several versions of its platform that support unique end-user markets and

business scenarios; this report evaluates its product tailored for the enterprise market,

Upwork Enterprise.

Strengths

► It features a deep, global network of talent (considered the industry’s largest)

supported by robust machine-learning algorithms. Due to each candidate/

worker’s rich profiles, work history, engagement evaluations, etc., Upwork’s

learning-led talent-matching algorithms result in high success rates in regard to

project/role and worker alignment. The depth of Upwork’s network also plays a

critical role in how well users can align candidates to open positions. Upwork also

has a strong services offering and can provide a dedicated program leader that

can assist clients with capabilities beyond initial implementation, such as creating

new jobs/requisitions, curating talent clouds, and pulling in agencies and retirees

into the talent network, etc.

► The “Program Owner” experience is ideal for both procurement and HR

executive leaders. Exclusively-tailored for the solution’s Enterprise customers,

Upwork’s “Program Owner” experience is more than an aggregation of workforce

intelligence in that it provides a deep view into the performance of non-employee

talent, compliance and risk mitigation factors, resource-driven information, and

overall adoption of the Upwork platform across the entire organization.

► It also features a seamless UX that encourages dynamic and agile

automation of key staffing processes. Upwork’s R&D team works to ensure that

simple digital staffing capabilities, such as job post creation and onboarding, are

completely automated and dynamic based on robust AI functionality. Additionally,

the user interface promotes an overall personalized experience for each user to

create functional- or department-specific “teams” of freelancers that can be easily

engaged for new projects.



Considerations

► Integration capabilities with core workforce management systems could be

improved. The Upwork Enterprise platform allows users to extract deep

intelligence regarding utilization, impact, and performance of non-employee talent.

That said, formal integration with VMS, ATS, ERP, HRIS, etc. systems remains a

work in progress for the company.

► Upwork Enterprise SOW management functionality does not offer advanced

capabilities. While Upwork Enterprise offers extremely robust project

management capabilities, those capabilities are not mirrored in its SOW

management functionality.

► Private talent added to the Upwork network can become public talent. While

not a major consideration, privately-curated talent will become part of Upwork’s

public freelancer network (allowing them to work with other businesses).

Solution Fit

Based upon its solution- and provider-strength rankings, Upwork deserves

consideration from both SMB and large organizations seeking both a “top-down” and

“bottom-up” source of talent. Additionally, the company deserves special consideration

in regard to the following customer scenarios:

► Businesses seeking a multifaceted, end-to-end digital staffing platform for

both procurement and human capital needs related to freelancer

management (hiring, managing work, payroll, analytics, etc.).

► Companies that desire access to the industry’s largest network of

freelancers and non-employee talent.

► Enterprises that require a digital staffing solution that promotes a

streamlined, holistic, and personalized UX.



Overview of Technology Evaluation Criteria

The Digital Staffing Technology Advisor leverages a series of evaluation criteria to

determine its solution provider rankings, all of which reflect the core functionality and vision

of today’s digital staffing platforms.

Talent Engagement, Matching, and Sourcing

Talent engagement, matching, and sourcing is the foundational crux of digital staffing

technology. Whether the solutions in this space offer “top-down” access to talent (users

curate from disparate sources) or “bottom-up” network of talent (vetted and screened talent

ready to be engaged immediately), this is perhaps the most critical functionality for any

digital staffing provider. Ardent Partners’ ranking criteria focused on how the solution

providers address and manage these key facets. Crucial factors in the evaluation include:

► Depth of available talent in a ready-to-engage freelancer network;

► Ease-of-use in finding relevant and aligned workers;

► Automation of job creation and job posting capabilities;

► Artificial intelligence- or machine learning-led algorithms for enhanced talent-

matching;

► And human-led services for helping users build an enhanced experience in finding

relevant, top-tier talent.

High Achievers (Bottom-Up Networks):

1) Toptal, 2) Upwork, 3) TalentNet, and 4) FieldNation scored the highest marks

regarding bottom-up, ready-to-engage networks of talent. Upwork offers the largest ready-

to-engage network of available talent (along with other robust capabilities for building talent

pools), while Toptal received high marks for the deep level of screening and vetting its

workers’ experience before being added to its talent network. Field Nation, as well,

achieved a high score for the depth of its worker and service provider network (over

100,000 workers/services). TalentNet received Best-in-Class ratings for its agile talent

curation and recruitment technology. Crowdstaffing was also rated a Best-in-Class

solution for the depth of its talent network, while Genesys Talent’s deep access to talent

is notable for both its top-tier quality and enhanced candidate experience.

High Achievers (Top-Down Networks):

1) Shortlist, 2) Kalo, 3) Adepto, and 4) Shiftgig scored the highest marks for top-down

networks and overall freelance/non-employee talent curation. Shortlist scored high marks

for its robust, VMS-like functionality for curating and centralizing non-employee talent, while

Kalo’s agile integrations with core workforce management and HR solutions enable its

clients to curate talent across disparate networks. Adepto ranked highly for its “shared,”

cross-geography talent curation and candidate-centric solution design. Shiftgig’s

Operations Manager is one of the industry’s strongest offerings for curating, engaging, and

managing “gig” workers. TalonFMS’ platform is also notable for its overall user experience,



its “extension”-like functionality (which feeds directly into VMS, ATS, and HRIS), and

unique branding-led job portals.

Project Management

“Project management,” which includes SOW management, services procurement,

milestone- and delivery date-tracking functionality, agreement/contract management, and

work verification, is an all-encompassing and critical piece of today’s digital staffing

solutions. For the “Project Management” criterion, Shortlist (1st), TalonFMS (2nd), and

Field Nation (3rd) were the top-ranking providers.

Ardent Partners’ ranking criteria focused on the following key evaluation factors:

► The ability to track project status, milestones, and delivery dates;

► The ability to verify that work is being done;

► Automated supplier and SOW workflows;

► Electronic signatures and contract management automation;

► Onboarding and compliance management for new suppliers;

► Supplier communication functionality, and;

► The ability to configure a user's taxonomy of project roles.

High Achievers:

1) Shortlist topped the ratings overall in this section, performing well in all project

management categories, including project tracking, automated workflows, and contract

management automation. 2) TalonFMS followed closely behind with strengths in its

supplier funnel visualization, milestone tracking, and project-centralization functionality. 3)

Field Nation ranked third, achieving high marks for its FieldNation ONE’s functionality in

centralized project-tracking, seamless engagement-to-project sourcing, supplier

communication, and automated payments.

Notable:

Both Kalo and Crowdstaffing performed well in specific project management areas.

Kalo’s real-time supplier communication was a key strength, as was its contract

management automation (highlighted by integration with DocuSign) and document/data

storage. Crowdstaffing’s MSP-like interface received high marks, especially in regard to

how its platform seamlessly manages overall project and supplier workflows.

Operational (Compliance, Onboarding, etc.)

Much like traditional staffing solutions, operational components are critical to the overall

success of any talent-led initiative that relies on digital staffing technology. Compliance is

always a significant concern for businesses that leverage non-employee workers, while

everyday and operational elements, such as onboarding and offboarding, are crucial to the

greater success of core contingent workforce management goals.



Ardent Partners’ ranking criteria for operational functionality in the Digital Staffing

Technology Advisor:

► Automated workflows for worker onboarding and offboarding;

► Functionality to actively track and monitor compliance to regulatory policies and

guidelines;

► System-of-record (SOR) functionality;

► Automated decision-making and business rule management;

► And invoice and payment management.

High Achievers:

1) Upwork and 2) Toptal scored highest overall against operational criteria, with 3)

Shortlist a close third. Upwork achieved Best-in-Class scores for its Program Owner view,

which facilitates dozens of automated, real-time onboarding, compliance, and payment

management processes. Toptal received high marks for its extensive pre-vetting and

screening, which supports industry-leading time-to-hire rates. Shortlist excelled in this

arena due to its holistic onboarding automation and deep payments automation. 4) Field

Nation also achieved Best-in-Class marks for its “Flightboard” tracking system and robust

compliance and risk mitigation functionality.

Notable:

Kalo was among the leaders for onboarding functionality and its ability to be

“complementary” of other work-centric platforms. TalonFMS was notable for its bespoke

and customizable onboarding configurations (as well as its integration with core financial

management systems). Crowdstaffing’s 360 platform was notable for the depth of its

onboarding and compliance automation (which includes recruiter qualification and

onboarding), while Shiftgig achieved high marks for its enterprise and operations views

(facilitating job requisition-to-reconciliation functionality).

Reporting and Analytics

Today’s businesses are living in an “age of intelligence,” in which data-led insights are

fueling decision making in the evolving world of work. With regard to non-employee

workforce management, reporting and analytics are typically reserved for the more

comprehensive solutions in the space (particularly VMS and MSP). However, as digital

staffing technology grows in utilization and prominence, reporting and analytics are

becoming more critical to its user base.

Ardent Partners’ reporting and analytics ranking criteria focused on the following key

evaluation areas:

► Depth of staffing insights and data;

► Integration with key workforce management systems, such as VMS and ATS;

► The ability to rate performance of non-employee workers;

► The ability for users to leverage predictive analytics for future workforce planning;

► Artificial intelligence-led reporting functionality;



► Real-time project and worker status via dashboards;

► Talent- and workforce-related analytics;

► And spend- and budget-related analytics.

High Achievers:

1) Upwork received Best-in-Class marks for its deeply-tiered reporting functionality, as well

as its extensive business intelligence APIs. 2) Shiftgig’s Deploy platform includes

customizable dashboards with real-time and actionable intelligence on worker

performance. 3) TalentNet received high marks for its proprietary machine learning-led

functionality, which fuels enhanced talent-matching based on its users’ frameworks,

businesses rules, and project history. 4) Adepto scored Best-in-Class marks for its

integrated procurement and HR functionality (supporting total talent visibility). The

Crowdstaffing 360 platform offers one of the industry’s most powerful predictive workforce

analytics engines. The Field Nation ONE solution centralizes visibility into spend, supplier,

talent, and budget attributes of the non-employee workforce.

Notable:

All of the providers highlighted in the Digital Staffing Technology Advisor scored high marks

for the depth of their analytical and reporting capabilities. While some providers’ analytics

were not as “dynamic” as others, each solution provides its users with unique, intelligence-

led functionality. Toptal’s reporting functionality includes deep data regarding worker

history, while Kalo’s core FMS platform offers deep visibility into non-employee talent for

HR reporting. The TalonFMS solution offers its users a real-time dashboard that includes

on-demand insights into the status of freelancers and contractors.



Appendix I

Research Process

Ardent Partners used a rigorous, multi-modal research process that leveraged qualitative,

quantitative, and deep market knowledge to produce the Digital Staffing Technology

Advisor. Ardent analysts leveraged six different sources of data to produce their rankings

and evaluations:

1. RFI survey: Each provider in this report completed a comprehensive survey (A

“Request for Information”) that addressed the company including its size, customers,

partners, and financial strength. The survey also captured details regarding the digital

staffing solution, including breadth of offering, current capabilities, roadmap, strategy,

and adoption by customers.

2. Briefing: Each provider presented an interactive briefing to the Ardent Partners

analyst team.

3. Product demonstration: Ardent Partners’ analysts viewed an in-depth solution

demonstration covering each provider’s digital staffing functionality.

4. Reference calls: Ardent Partners conducted between three and five phone reference

calls for every provider in the report and graded how the solutions were being used

today and the overall satisfaction with both the provider and the solution.

5. Analyst experience: The analyst team responsible for authoring this report has

collectively spent 14-plus years working in the CWM and staffing technology spaces.

6. Market research: Over the past decade, Ardent Partners has conducted an extensive

series of market research studies that has enabled it to survey, benchmark, interview,

and engage leaders from thousands of distinct staffing and contingent workforce

operations. This working body of knowledge helps frame this report and others focused

on the greater talent market.

7. Market inquiries: Each year, Ardent Partners takes hundreds of inquiries from HR,

human capital, and procurement professionals to discuss their overall technology

strategies, technical and business requirements for digital staffing and contingent

workforce automation, solution selection RFPs, and their opinions and views of the

providers in the marketplace.

The reference calls and product demonstrations were used to validate Ardent’s overall

findings including usability, solution functionality, breadth of offering, future solution

strategy, technology adoption, company presence, and ability to execute.

Ranking Criteria and Definitions

Ardent Partners evaluated and ranked the solution providers in this report based upon two

essential areas of consideration: (1) Solution strength, which includes the quality, depth,

and breadth of the provider’s current digital solution. The solution strength evaluation also

considers factors like usability, functionality, and the solution’s ability to support key tasks,

activities, and processes that drive digital staffing processes. (2) Provider strength, which



considers nearly a dozen distinct quantitative and qualitative factors, including support and

delivery capabilities, talent sourcing, project management, integration, analytics and

reporting, specialization, product roadmap, and customer references. See the Appendix

for a more complete definition of Ardent Partners’ evaluation criteria.

Provider Strength

The providers included in this report have a longstanding track record of performance in

the market and a proven ability to deliver digital staffing solutions to global enterprises.

Execution

1. References: Analysts engaged in conversations with the references of each

provider (HR, staffing, and procurement practitioners) to discuss how the solution

was deployed and used. The calls also captured general comments and feedback

around feature functionality, usability, and performance as well as their overall

satisfaction with both the provider and their solution.

2. Technical capabilities: Each solution provider was ranked on their proficiency

across a wide range of areas, including solution security, deployment

methodology, solution support, platform expertise, integration with enterprise

systems, and network capabilities.

3. Reporting and analytics: Each solution provider was ranked on how well their

solutions extracted and presented data, enabled users to perform analysis and

present insights, and ease-of-use.

4. Support/delivery method: Each solution provider’s delivery models were

examined to understand what support resources were provided to users, along

with how solutions were implemented, how upgrades performed, and the

frequency of new solution releases. Ardent analysts also considered whether

implementations were done by solution staff or by third-party organizations.

5. Other: This included a wide range of areas not covered in other categories,

including a provider’s ability to sell, support, and develop their solution globally. It

also included their presence and staffing levels in regions other than North

America. Also examined were the features provided for mobile use of the solution

along with any functional limitations.

Vision

1. Demo grade: Ardent Partners’ analysts ranked the in-depth solution

demonstration from each provider. The ranking combined the overall solution

grade and the provider’s understanding of the market’s needs and ability to deliver

a clear and cogent message.

2. Solution strategy and roadmap: The vision and strategic direction of the solution

provider and its digital staffing solutions were examined including recent solution

innovations and the specific and general direction of the product roadmap.



3. Breadth/depth of solution: The completeness of solutions and services offered

across the digital staffing spectrum and the aggregate functional capabilities of the

solution suite.

4. Market specialization: The strategy and solution fit for capitalizing on a specific

segment of the market, whether it be by industry, geographic region, customer

size, individual market/vertical segments.

5. Other: The market applicability of a provider’s solution, including both buyer and

supplier perspectives. Overall sense and feel for how well a provider understands

the market, listens to its customers, and anticipates their needs.



Appendix II

About the Author

For nearly 14 years, Christopher J. Dwyer has been one of the

world’s foremost spend management experts and leading

authorities on contingent workforce management. He is a premier

thought leader in the non-employee workforce industry, authoring

hundreds of research studies and evangelizing the evolution of

the non-employee workforce and its associated technologies and

solutions. Dwyer is the voice behind Contingent Workforce

Weekly, the industry’s first (and only) weekly podcast dedicated

to this space, and is looked to as an expert on the Future of Work, Gig Economy, and the

innovation behind the “new world of work.”

Dwyer has been a prominent analyst voice for well over a decade, previously leading the

Aberdeen Group’s Global Supply Management practice and contributing innovative

research and insights regarding the global supply management industry. Dwyer joined

Ardent Partners in 2013 as a Research Director and currently leads the firm’s coverage on

“complex spend management,” which includes non-employee talent, business travel and

expense management, meetings and events management, and other key indirect spend

categories. Dwyer and his work have been quoted/featured in USA Today, The Christian

Science Monitor, Forbes, CNBC, and other major business publications.

Dwyer has been twice recognized as a “Pro to Know” by Supply and Demand Chain

Executive Magazine (in 2014 and 2019) and has been honored four times (2013, 2014,

2015, and 2016) by HRO Today as an “Analyst and Advisor Superstar.” And, in 2018, he

was named as a “Top 100 Future of Recruitment Influencer” by Onalytica. Dwyer

contributes thought leadership and insights to not only help procurement, human

resources, and human capital management executives better find, engage, source, and

manage talent, but also thrive in the new world of work. In his tenure as an industry analyst,

Dwyer has also developed research projects and studies on ePayables, spend analysis,

eProcurement, strategic sourcing, contract lifecycle management, and financial operations.

He welcomes your comments at [email protected], on Twitter (@CJD_Ardent),

and on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjdwyer).


https://www.twitter.com/CJD_Ardent

http://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjdwyer



Ardent Partners: Research with Results

Ardent Partners is a research and advisory firm focused on defining and advancing the

supply management strategies, processes, and technologies that drive business value and

accelerate organizational transformation within the enterprise. Ardent Partners was

founded in 2010 by Andrew Bartolini. Ardent Partners actively covers the supply

management marketplace and produces research to help business decision makers

understand (1) industry best practices and how to improve performance and (2) the

technology landscape and how to identify the best-fit solution(s) for their specific budget

and requirements.

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions about this report or our

research in general.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Research%20Inquiry



Disclosures

Ardent Partners utilizes a rigorous research methodology developed over the past decade

and works tirelessly to deliver the high-quality, independent research. Your comments and

feedback are welcomed at [email protected].

Ardent Partners does not endorse any solution provider or individual solution discussed in

this or any of its other research reports, presentations, and online publications. The

information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.

Ardent Partners, Ltd. disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or

adequacy of such information. Ardent Partners, Ltd. shall have no liability for errors,

omissions, or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations

thereof. The contents expressed herein represent Ardent Partners’ best analysis at the

time and are subject to change without notice. Furthermore, Ardent Partners’ research

should not be construed as statements of fact. Additionally, Ardent Partners Ltd. does not

advise readers of this report or any business practitioners to select only those solution

providers with the highest ratings or other designation.

© 2019 Ardent Partners, Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this

publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. Solution providers and

consultancies should take special note that Ardent Partners reserves the right to seek legal

remedies including injunctions, impoundment, destruction, damages, and fees for any

copyright infringement, which includes but is not limited to usage of any Ardent Partners

content in company collateral, presentations, and websites in accordance with the laws of

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States.


the 2019 digital staffing technology advisor

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