Most recruiters are operating with blinders on, managing only full-time employees while ignoring 50% of their actual workforce. Jeff Mike, former head of human capital research at Deloitte, reveals how the "extended workforce" encompasses everything from contractors and gig workers to statement-of-work consultants, volunteers, and even AI agents. This isn't just about temps anymore - it's about completely reimagining how we deliver on work outcomes instead of just filling requisitions. In this episode we talk about the massive blind spot in talent acquisition that's costing companies millions in missed productivity and flawed analytics. Jeff breaks down the legal risks of co-employment and misclassification, explains why procurement has been running this show instead of HR, and reveals how smart recruiters can future-proof their careers by becoming true talent partners who deliver solutions, not just hires. Key Takeaways ➡ Extended workforce includes contractors, temps, gig workers, SOW consultants, volunteers, interns, and even AI agents - potentially 50% of your actual workforce ➡ Most companies track extended workforce spend through procurement, not HR, creating massive visibility gaps in people analytics ➡ Co-employment risk = treating contractors like employees; misclassification = putting workers in wrong tax categories ➡ Vendor Management Systems (VMS) like Beeline and Fieldglass were built as procurement tools, not people tools ➡ California's ABC classification test is the fastest way to educate yourself on contractor vs employee distinctions ➡ Statement-of-work resources from consulting firms often mask staff augmentation when direct hiring fails ➡ Future-proofed recruiters think "delivering on work outcomes" instead of "filling requisitions" ➡ People analytics is incomplete without extended workforce data - you're measuring half your actual productivity ➡ Business volatility and talent shortages are driving 60% of companies toward more flexible workforce models Chapters 00:00 - Intro & The Two First Names Problem 02:47 - What is Extended Workforce Really? 08:08 - Beyond Contractors: SOWs, Volunteers & AI Agents 12:44 - Where Recruiters Miss the Extended Workforce Boat 16:15 - Future-Proofing Your Recruiting Career 21:12 - Good Chaos vs Bad Chaos in Workforce Management 25:05 - Legal Landmines: Co-Employment & Misclassification 32:41 - Why Extended Workforce is Suddenly Mainstream 40:15 - Breaking Down Every Category: 1099s to PEOs 52:57 - The $2M Question: Why FTE Data Gets All the Love Sound Bites "You can't measure what you can't manage, but that doesn't mean don't manage it if there's not a measure developed yet." "If the contingent workforce is not in your people analytics, your people analytics is incomplete." "It's really about broadening your perspectives on what's the outcome and then what's the best category to get you to that outcome." Guest Name: Jeff MikeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-mike/Expertise: Extended workforce strategy expert and former head of human capital research at Deloitte, specializing in workforce analytics and talent acquisition optimization About Shally: srcn.co/me