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by Jake Reeleder on Dec 8, 2025
If one message was clear after attending UKG Aspire 2025, it was that the workforce management (WFM) landscape is evolving faster than ever. Across healthcare, teams are rethinking processes, re-evaluating technology, and looking for partners who can help them navigate change with clarity and confidence.
Organizations are ready to move away from reactive staffing and toward proactive, intelligent automation that reduces friction for employees and managers. They want systems that integrate seamlessly with their existing UKG environment, not more complexity layered on top.
As Matt Clark, Andgo’s VP of Sales, shared, “Aspire underscored the speed at which the WFM landscape is evolving. Organizations are prioritizing operational efficiency to meaningfully improve the workforce experience, and the strain that manual processes put on schedulers and managers shows exactly why.”
This takeaway was a recurring theme in many of the conversations our team had about Aspire.
The Shift Toward Proactive, People-Focused WFM
The ways organizations manage their workforce are changing. Manual processes are giving way to automation, proactive planning is replacing reactive scheduling, and teams are looking for technology that not only works but also integrates seamlessly with their existing systems.
At the same time, employees expect better experiences, including schedules that are predictable, fair, and flexible. We learned that this is why organizations are rethinking how they support their people while simultaneously improving efficiency and operational performance.
What We Heard on the Expo Floor
Every conversation that the Andgo team had on the expo floor tied back to this evolving WFM environment. A UKG sales representative told us that for their customers, the biggest barrier isn’t the technology itself but the change management that goes with it. As organizations adopt more modern WFM tools, leaders recognize that success hinges on strong, shared governance and clear adoption structures. It’s a reminder that as the WFM landscape shifts, the way teams manage change must transform alongside it.
We also heard from operational leaders, such as a Staffing & Scheduling Director at a large Minnesota Healthcare System. Her team is laser-focused on continuously optimizing their UKG platform, specifically around how payroll and overtime hours are calculated. Pay accuracy may sound tactical, but it’s increasingly a strategic focus for organizations working to build trust and reduce errors. This is another indicator of how deeply WFM modernization is influencing daily operations.
Scaling with Clarity
The focus on transformation was highlighted during a panel featuring Andgo’s Chief Outcomes Officer, Mickey DeAngelo, and Cone Health's Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Tammy Cavinness. Together, they explored what it takes to standardize WFM across a large, complex health system. Cone Health's journey, which is using automation and visibility to build consistency across campuses, reflects a broader trend where organizations aren't just improving workflows but are reimagining them at scale.
Looking Ahead to 2026
To get a clearer picture of where the landscape is heading, we brought our podcast, Talking Shift, to the Aspire show floor and asked attendees what they’re preparing for in 2026. Their responses were remarkably aligned, especially around building stronger workforce experiences and reducing burnout through more flexible scheduling and automation.
These themes reinforce what we saw throughout the conference: as the WFM landscape evolves, leaders are actively thinking about how they can better support their people.
Our Biggest Takeaway: The Transformation Is Here
Aspire made it clear that the transformation in workforce management is already happening.
Healthcare organizations are replacing manual shift-filling with intelligent automation that proactively addresses gaps before they become emergencies. They're moving from fragmented systems to unified platforms that give leaders real-time visibility across multiple sites.
More importantly, instead of simply filling schedules, they're now building workforce experiences that reduce burnout and improve retention. These are fundamental shifts in how healthcare is approaching staffing, helping define the future of WFM.
Want to continue the conversation? Reach out to our team to learn how Andgo helps healthcare organizations move confidently into the future of workforce management.
