Editor's Synopsis
This article from SQORUS, a digital transformation consulting firm, explores how the labor market is evolving as employees, consultants, freelancers, and AI agents increasingly collaborate within the same organizations. Drawing on a conversation with Frédéric Brousse, Managing Director of Enterprise EMEA at Malt, and data from Malt's Tech Trends 2026 study, the piece highlights that freelancing has matured well beyond a stopgap solution — 94% of European freelancers previously held permanent positions, and large corporations are now structuring formal relationships with independent talent.
The article identifies a critical shift: companies no longer prioritize the type of service provider but rather the ability to solve problems by combining business, technological, and organizational expertise. The rise of "super-connector" profiles — professionals who blend domain knowledge (marketing, finance, HR) with automation and AI skills — reflects this trend. Expertise alone is losing its standalone value; what matters increasingly is the ability to bridge disciplines.
Looking toward 2027, three key expectations emerge: mastering AI within one's own field, the ability to coordinate multiple areas of expertise (evidenced by rising demand for part-time CTO/CDO roles), and a sharp focus on impact and operationalization rather than prototypes and demos. AI has become the second most in-demand skill on Malt's platform, with AI agent-related postings growing 60-fold since 2024. The article concludes that the central question for companies is shifting from "who will do this task?" to "what combination of human and technological expertise will drive this transformation?"
