A year in external talent: what Procurement leaders are focused on for 2026
Over the past year, Proteams has hosted a series of Executive Roundtables with Procurement leaders from multinational enterprises around the world, both at regional and industry levels. These conversations created space for senior stakeholders to exchange practical insight on building and scaling flexible workforces, what’s working today, what needs to be rethought, and what they expect from their external talent models as they plan for 2026.
Across markets and industries, four consistent themes have taken shape:
Quality of talent over savings and speed
Leaders repeatedly placed securing the right talent above traditional metrics such as rate savings or time-to-hire.
In pharma, biotech and consumer health, project success often depends on a small number of highly specialised external experts; in that context, a mis-hire is far more costly than a slightly higher rate. Survey data reflects this shift: around 70% of companies indicated they plan to bring in staff with new skill sets, rather than rely solely on existing capabilities. For many, the priority is not just “more capacity,” but access to skills they do not have in-house.
FMCG, telecom and technology leaders described a similar pattern around digital, data and AI roles. They need external specialists who can work on both business-as-usual and major transformation initiatives, collaborate across borders and operate within complex, global structures.
No single winning operating model
A major takeaway from every roundtable: there is no universal “right” model for managing external talent. Most enterprises are still testing, learning and refining. When asked to rate confidence in their current setup, leaders averaged just 4 out of 10, not as a sign of failure, but as recognition that the operating model must evolve with business needs. Participants described a blend of approaches often coexisting inside the same organisation:
Reactive, decentralised models that move quickly but struggle with oversight
Compliance-led frameworks that manage risk but can slow down onboarding
MSP-style arrangements that bring structure but sometimes lack niche expertise
Boutique setups that deliver depth of skill but can be hard to scale globally
The real focus for 2026 isn’t about finding a one-size-fits-all label, it’s about learning what works, and building a setup that balances flexibility, cost, control, and access to specialised talent.
Compliance and classification as practical barriers to scale
Compliance surfaced in every discussion as a major element shaping scalability, largely because many organisations still rely on manual or case-by-case processes that don’t keep pace with demand.
Nordic and Swiss-based teams in particular highlighted the effort required to keep Procurement, HR, Legal and Finance aligned while still providing a responsive external workforce. The consensus: a scalable external talent strategy works when compliance is built into workflows, giving teams the confidence to move fast without cutting corners.
Rethinking rate cards and provider relationships
Many organisations are questioning whether their rate cards and supplier strategies still fit today’s market. Common concerns included:
Outdated rate bands that do not reflect the scarcity of high-demand skills
The trade-off between large providers that offer coverage and small platforms that offer depth
Difficulty comparing like-for-like value across different suppliers types
As enterprises rely more heavily on project-based work and specialist skills, simple price benchmarking is becoming less meaningful. By 2026, leaders expect value to be measured more through outcomes, reliability, niche expertise and global reach than on standard rate grids.
What this means for 2026 priorities
Across roundtables, four priorities for the next 12–18 months stood out:
Treat external talent as a strategic workforce topic, not only a spend category. This means closer joint ownership with HR, clearer policies for when to use external talent, and greater transparency for line managers.
Invest in visibility and tooling. Leaders want a single view of who is working where, on what, and under which terms. Systems that connect demand, sourcing, contracts and performance are moving from “nice to have” to baseline.
Build compliance into the process, not around it. Classification checks, onboarding steps and country-specific rules need to be embedded into workflows so that teams can move quickly without cutting corners.
Use pilots to prove new approaches. Many organisations gained traction by starting with focused pilots in one region, function or category, measuring the impact, then scaling based on evidence rather than promise.
At Proteams, we’re seeing that external talent is becoming central to how enterprises deliver change, manage risk and maintain momentum toward 2026. To discuss these trends in the context of your own external workforce strategy, you can schedule a call with our team.
If you’d like to join a select group of executives tackling these same challenges, request your invitation to our 2026 Executive Roundtables—limited spots are available.