When companies want to get more value from independent talent, the instinct is often to focus on the talent itself. Finding the right person matters—but how an organization finds, evaluates, and engages that talent can matter just as much.
Research from our 2026 State of Independence report reveals a clear divide between organizations that lead in their use of independent talent and those that are lagging behind. Leaders are more disciplined not only in how they manage independent talent, but also in where they look for top performers and how they decide when to engage them.
After examining the report's findings, two practices stand out: using a broad range of talent channels and establishing disciplined processes for engaging independent talent.
Let’s take a closer look at some best practices for building and managing your external workforce:
One of the biggest differences between Leaders and Followers is their willingness to use known or previously vetted talent.
70% of Leaders say they use known or previously vetted talent whenever possible, compared with just 31% of Followers.
That approach makes practical sense. Organizations often already have access to people whose skills, work quality, and familiarity with the business have been proven. Bringing those individuals back for new projects can reduce the time and uncertainty involved in finding someone new.
As one workforce planning executive explained in our report, the organization makes known talent its “first rule.” If someone has worked with the company before and remains in good standing, the organization looks for opportunities to engage that person again.
The same principle applies to alumni networks. A global professional services firm, for example, has focused on former employees as a source of independent talent. Since leaving, alumni may have developed new skills, expanded their industry experience or gained perspectives beyond the organization. That makes them more than former employees—they can become a valuable source of experienced independent talent.
For companies with large employee or contractor populations, these networks can represent a significant talent pool that is already familiar with the organization.
Known and trusted talent is an important starting point, but a strong talent strategy cannot rely exclusively on people a company has worked with before.
Leaders are more likely to use multiple channels to identify independent talent. Those channels can include talent platforms, staffing firms, alumni networks, referrals and other established sources.
Our State of Independence report found that 43% of Leaders have conducted audits to identify independent talent working through off-channel arrangements, compared with 16% of Followers.
That practice points to an important reality: Companies may already be using independent talent without a complete picture of where that talent comes from or how those workers are being engaged.
An off-channel audit can bring those relationships into view. Once identified, organizations can determine whether to incorporate those workers into a more consistent program.
The result is greater visibility into existing talent relationships and opportunities to bring them into a more structured, consistent process.
Organizations need a consistent way to determine when a project calls for an employee and when independent contractors may be the better fit. Without a defined process, those decisions can vary from one department or manager to another.
According to our research, 39% of Leaders use a formal process to decide between FTEs and independent talent, compared with 27% of Followers.
A formal decision process doesn’t have to be complicated. It can start with a few basic questions about the work, required skills, expected duration and availability of internal talent. These answers can help determine the most appropriate engagement model.
The ultimate goal is greater consistency. When those decisions happen informally, managers may default to the option they know best. A structured approach creates a more deliberate conversation about the work itself and the type of talent needed to accomplish it.
Discipline also means recognizing that people’s work arrangements can change.
Our research highlights organizations that have enabled internal FTEs to transition into independent talent roles. 26% of Leaders have used this approach, compared with 22% of Followers.
Those transitions can benefit both the individual and the organization when circumstances change. A global healthcare program director we surveyed described situations in which employees relocated or experienced other changes that affected how they could work with the organization. In some cases, someone might transition from employee to contingent worker—or eventually move back into an employee role.
These pathways recognize that the relationship between a company and a worker doesn’t have to fit into a single category forever.
Companies can also establish structured paths for other workers: 35% of Leaders have converted temporary workers from a staffing firm to independent talent after a set period, compared with 14% of Followers. This approach gives organizations a clearer way to transition proven talent into new working arrangements while building on existing relationships.
Process discipline also involves the operational systems that support independent talent.
For example, 22% of Leaders say accounts payable can pay only approved independent talent, compared with 9% of Followers. This type of control helps ensure independent workers have gone through the appropriate engagement and approval process before payments are made.
Leaders also report confronting risks that can emerge as independent talent programs grow. In fact, 16% have experienced identity fraud involving independent talent, compared with 4% of Followers.
That difference may partly reflect the fact that Leaders engage independent talent at greater scale, but it also underscores why disciplined processes matter. Verification, approval and payment controls become increasingly important as more workers enter an organization’s talent ecosystem.
For more on identifying fraud and ways to address it, read this recent article by our Director of Enterprise Sales Stephanie Mannon.
The research shows that Leaders are much more likely to combine all the methods and practices mentioned above rather than rely on one sourcing channel or an informal process.
For organizations looking to get more value from independent talent, the lesson is simple: The advantage comes from having a disciplined way to find, evaluate, engage and re-engage the right talent.
That discipline can turn independent talent from a series of individual engagements into a more intentional part of the organization’s broader workforce strategy.
For more on our 2026 State of Independence research, visit the report page.