As the worlds of Talent Acquisition, Contingent Workforce and broader workforce strategy continue to converge, this partnership reflects the growing importance of cross-functional collaboration in shaping how work gets done.
Direct Collective will partner with TALiNT Partners to bring the contingent workforce dimension into the wider Talent & TIARAs 2026, bringing together influential voices from across the contingent workforce ecosystem with leaders across Talent Acquisition, HR, Procurement and broader workforce strategy.
This partnership reinforces TALiNT Partners’ mission to lead the global conversation on how work gets done, connecting employers, workforce leaders, staffing firms, advisors and technology providers navigating rapid transformation across talent, AI and workforce models.
Why Direct Collective?
Direct Collective has earned the trust of an influential community of practitioners and leaders operating at the centre of the contingent workforce ecosystem.
Through that community, Direct Collective brings practitioner intelligence, real-world perspective and deep connectivity to some of the most pressing workforce challenges facing organizations today, including:
- Balancing permanent, contingent and increasingly AI-enabled workforce models
- Navigating workforce governance, compliance and risk
- Building more agile workforce strategies
- Aligning procurement, HR, TA and operational leadership around workforce planning
At a time when workforce decisions are no longer owned solely by HR or Talent Acquisition, the contingent workforce perspective has become an essential part of a much broader workforce strategy conversation.
Why This Partnership Matters
The relationship between Talent Acquisition, Contingent Workforce and broader workforce strategy has evolved significantly in recent years.
What were once viewed as separate conversations are increasingly becoming part of a single, connected workforce strategy discussion, one shaped by skills shortages, workforce agility, AI, automation and changing business demands.
That evolution is exactly why TALiNT Partners is bringing together strategic partners like Defiant Strategies and Direct Collective within the Talent & TIARAs 2026 community and event experience.
Together, these partnerships ensure the conversation reflects the reality of how workforce decisions are being made today — across HR, Talent Acquisition, Contingent Workforce, Procurement, Operations and executive leadership.
Defiant Strategies brings deep expertise in workforce transformation, advisory leadership and the future of talent strategy, helping organisations navigate the convergence of human and synthetic talent.
Direct Collective adds a highly engaged contingent workforce community, bringing practitioner-led insight and real-world perspectives from leaders operating at the centre of workforce change.
Collectively, TALiNT Partners, Defiant Strategies and Direct Collective will create a richer ecosystem around Talent & TIARAs 2026, one designed to encourage:
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Peer-to-peer learning
- Practical workforce insight
- Stronger connections between strategy and solutions
- Shared thinking across TA, CW and workforce leadership communities
This collaboration reflects a wider shift happening across the industry:
The future of work will not be shaped by Talent Acquisition, Contingent Workforce or workforce strategy operating independently. It will be shaped by how these communities come together to solve increasingly complex workforce challenges.
Talent & TIARAs 2026 will provide the space for those conversations, connections and ideas to happen.