WORKFORCE REIMAGINED: New 2025 Report Finds Blended Teams Are Critical to the Future of Work

SEATTLE, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide study, Workforce Reimagined: Unlocking the Power of Blended Teams, reveals that blended teams—where companies combine full-time employees with independent talent—are no longer a stopgap solution but a vital driver of business success.

The findings, commissioned by Lions & Tigers in partnership with Read the Room Advisors, come at a pivotal moment for the American workforce. In 2025 alone, more than 212,000 women, especially mothers of young children, left the workforce, while nearly 40% of U.S. workers now participate in independent work, a number projected to reach 50% by 2027. At the same time, the rapid rise of AI is displacing workers and straining companies' ability to adapt.

The report surveyed more than 500 professionals across industries, revealing:

• 97% of leaders said losing access to blended teams would severely disrupt business outcomes.
• 79% cited access to specialized, hard-to-find expertise as the top strategic benefit.
• 86% reported faster delivery and improved agility.
• 83% saw measurable boosts to innovation and experimentation.

"To stay competitive and build on the talent they need to succeed, companies must blend internal and external talent to build adaptive, future-ready teams. This isn't just a workforce diversity issue—it's about retaining critical talent and sustaining economic momentum," said Brea Starmer, Founder & CEO of Lions & Tigers.

The study found that blended teams are particularly essential in closing the AI skills gap. With women 1.5 times more likely than men to need to shift jobs by 2030 due to AI disruption, blended models provide a pathway to keep women and caregivers in the workforce while ensuring companies remain agile.

"The data reveals a powerful arc. We've arrived at a workforce era where blended teams are an integral and accepted aspect of current versus future work. The data showed that the longer organizations operate with blended teams, the more employers see them as indispensable," said Pam Cohen, PhD, Principal at Read the Room Advisors.

The study implications are clear: blended teams are not a workaround—they are a lifeline. They keep women and caregivers engaged in the economy, give leaders access to the highly skilled independent talent choosing flexible work, and future-proof organizations against disruption.

About Lions & Tigers
Lions & Tigers  builds blended workforces that integrate independent experts with client teams, helping enterprise and public sector organizations scale with agility, access top-tier talent, and achieve their goals. By designing custom teams made up of full-time and fractional support across communications, marketing, operations, and change enablement, Lions & Tigers taps into the nearly 50% of professionals choosing independent work and delivers professional staffing and workforce solutions tailored to evolving business needs. With a mission to strengthen businesses with human-centered teams, Lions & Tigers is unlocking the full potential of the modern workforce.

Media Contact
Amanda Schumacher: 917-301-6715, [email protected]

SOURCE Lions & Tigers