Employers are now finding better ways to match gig workers to the tasks at hand, according to Ardent Partners' report, “The 2017-2018 State of Contingent Workforce Management: The Convergence of Talent, Technology, and the Future of Work,” sponsored by Shiftgig.

The report covers many facets of successfully deploying gig workers, including how to best find the gig worker that has the requisite skills needed for a particular project. More than half (56 percent) of organizations are now leveraging labor automation and online talent platforms “as a keystone act” when addressing the talent requirements of a new business project.

“Online and talent platforms, which serve as real-time networks in which flexible/non-employee workers and businesses can connect, have quickly become a primary means of addressing talent-based needs,” writes Christopher Dwyer, Ardent Partners' vice president of research. “Most of these platforms specialize in specific areas or verticals — such as field service, industrial, and blue-collar work, and many utilize unique algorithms to help enterprises determine the best alignment between a project and potential freelancer or non-employee worker.”