The future belongs to AI + Talent Platforms and EORs
35.6% of AI layoffs already reversed. Companies are rethinking how they access talent.
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The future belongs to AI + Talent Platforms and EORs
What does a "modern talent strategy" actually look like in practice?
This past week I was at Transform1 in Las Vegas, and Matthew was at SIA Executive Forum2 in Austin. Across both stages, the conversations converged on the same thing: the companies winning right now aren't just hiring differently. They're architecting entirely new talent operating models.
Three patterns stood out:
1. The AI layoff boomerang is real. 35.6% of organizations3 that cut roles for AI have already rehired more than half of them. Only 8.4% of HR leaders4 say their AI-driven restructuring delivered what was promised. The lesson: AI makes humans more important, not less. The key is making those human engagements flexible.
2. Platforms and EORs are becoming standard infrastructure. Freelance platforms are growing at 17% CAGR5. The EOR market is projected to reach $$5.97B this year6, with 49% of companies planning to use EOR services. The infrastructure for flexible talent is maturing fast.
3. Your peers are already comparison-shopping. On Human Cloud, we've seen over 100% average month-over-month growth since October. 6,500+ visitors in March alone. Marketing, EOR, and Developer solutions are the three fastest-growing categories. The research is happening whether or not you're doing it.
The companies that build flexible talent into their operating model now will have a structural advantage. The ones that wait will be playing catch-up when the next hiring surge hits.
We'd love to hear from you. Reply and we'll get in touch.
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- Tony Buffum Chief Strategy Officer, Human Cloud Learn more -> |
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HC Community Call - April 2
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Tony Buffum State of Flexible Talent |
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Jonathan Wolfson US Regulation Update |
Thursday, April 2 at 12:00 PM EST
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Featured Stat
35.6% of organizations that conducted AI-led layoffs have already rehired for more than half of the roles they eliminated.
Source: Careerminds
Platform Pulse
The platform hit 6,778 visitors in March, up from 2,835 in February. That's 139% month-over-month growth, and nearly 4,000% since October. Here's what your peers are researching:
Marketing talent is the fastest-growing search: Marketing category searches are up 362% quarter over quarter. Brands are rethinking how they access creative and growth talent, moving from agency retainers to outcome-based engagements.
EOR demand accelerating: EOR searches grew 356% QoQ. Companies expanding globally are comparison-shopping compliant infrastructure on the platform right now.
New categories emerging: Customer Experience (70 views), Events (55), and Sales (53) appeared this quarter.
EOR by Specialization
The EOR market isn't one-size-fits-all. The best providers specialize by industry:
Industrial
Houston, United States
International recruitment and workforce solutions, including EOR services, managed solutions, and consulting for technology and energy sectors globally.
Healthcare
Canton, United States
Compliant W2 employment across 50 states, built for healthcare and regulated industries.
APAC
Portland, United States
Contingent workforce management and global hiring solutions across 100+ countries, with deep APAC expertise.
Gaming
Global platform for work payments and employment services across 85+ countries with EOR payroll and multi-currency payments.
Creatives
Copenhagen, Denmark
Unified freelance management platform for global creative workforce.
Broadcasting
Northampton, United Kingdom
Comprehensive freelancer management platform for scheduling, compliance, and payments in media and production.
Talent Marketplaces
Palo Alto, United States
Making it easy to hire, organize, and pay contractors anywhere.
Solution Spotlight
Instructional Design
United States
Learning and development agency providing custom training solutions and freelance professional support.
IDLance + Georgia DOE
Presentation Design
Raleigh, United States
Hybrid creative agency and freelance staffing firm.
Grassroots Campaigns
El Segundo, United States
Your creative project team facilitating on-demand work between great companies and freelance talent.
Developers
Empowering US startups with unrivaled access to global engineering talent, seamless hiring, and improved retention.
Remotely + Bluecore
AI
NASA-Level Satellite Design
Indianapolis, United States
Global crowdsourcing platform for developers and designers.
Industry Intel
AI layoffs backfire: one in three companies already rehiring
Source: Fair Play Talks
35.6% of organizations that conducted AI-led layoffs have rehired more than half of those roles. Nearly 31% said rehiring cost more than they saved. The 'replace humans with AI' playbook doesn't hold up. Companies are learning that AI requires more human oversight than initially projected. The smart move: flexible engagement models that let you scale talent up and down without the pain of rehire cycles.
EOR market projected to hit $15.89B by 2035 at 9.24% CAGR
Source: GlobeNewswire
The EOR market is expected to reach $5.97B this year. 49% of companies plan to start using EOR services. If you're expanding globally and still setting up entities in each country, you're overpaying. EOR has matured from niche service to standard infrastructure for global teams.
Freelance platform market growing at 17% CAGR to $14.17B by 2029
Source: Grand View Research
The global freelance platform market is projected to reach $24.16B by 2033. AI-driven job matching and portable benefits are accelerating adoption. The infrastructure for accessing flexible talent through platforms is maturing fast. Companies that build relationships with the right platforms now will have a structural advantage.
45% of TA leaders planning to outsource to freelancers
Source: HR Stacks
Nearly half of talent acquisition professionals now plan to outsource roles to freelancers. Full-time independent workers in the US doubled from 13.6M (2020) to 27.7M (2024). This isn't early adoption anymore. The question isn't whether to engage flexible talent. It's how to do it with quality controls, compliance, and visibility.
Temp staffing rising as skills-based hiring goes mainstream
Source: Green Key Resources
The U.S. staffing market is projected at $183B in 2026. Companies are redesigning roles by competencies, not degrees. The shift from 'hire for the role' to 'hire for the skill' opens up new channels for accessing talent through organized platforms.
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1 Transform Conference
2 SIA Executive Forum
3 Fair Play Talks
4 HR Executive
5 Grand View Research
6 GlobeNewswire
What is Human Cloud?
Human Cloud helps companies find and deploy the right flexible talent solutions in minutes instead of months.
We automate discovery, compliance, and orchestration across 1,077+ workforce platforms - so business teams move fast, procurement teams stay in control, and rogue contractor spend turns into a strategic advantage.
By using Human Cloud, companies can:
- ✓ Shortlist 10+ ideal solutions in minutes (not weeks)
- ✓ Deploy 3+ marketplaces in under a day (not 6-12 months)
- ✓ Turn 60% rogue contractor spend into a governed, strategic workforce
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