Summary: Daniel Barke argues that every company with a contingent workforce actually has three kinds of workers: (1) the Requested (formal req, PO, clear ownership), (2) the Contracted (staff brought in under a work contract with a focus on deliverables), and (3) the Invisible (no formal req or PO, often paid via expense lines, little to no governance). The third group is usually the most expensive due to hidden, ongoing renewal without visibility or onboarding/offboarding. He emphasizes that modern workforce platforms must surface and manage these overlooked workers, not just those that were requested, to prevent cost leakage and improve governance.

If you’re researching staffing and workforce management, key takeaway: focus on visibility across all contingent workers, including those not formally requisitioned or contracted, to avoid hidden costs and optimize workforce utilization.