The launch of an IT consultancy talent sharing economy was sparked by a £3 billion waste of IT skills.

A UK-based startup, BenchBee, has launched a groundbreaking talent sharing economy for IT consultancies. The platform provides a dynamic community where member organisations can collaborate and monetize their “bench” consultants, reducing recruitment costs and responding more quickly to project demands. Founder and CEO Hassen Hattab explains, “This isn’t just another job board – it’s an entirely new category of talent sharing that disrupts the traditional recruitment model.”

According to IDC, IT skills shortages are expected to impact 90% of organizations by 2026, costing the global economy an estimated $5.5 trillion (£4.18 trillion). In the UK, the average IT consultant spends 15-20% of their time on the bench, resulting in lost revenue of £3.06 billion annually. This problem is only expected to worsen as demand for niche expertise continues to rise.

Traditional recruitment channels are no longer effective, with agencies charging high placement fees on inflated salaries and often failing to deliver the necessary niche skills. The best talent is already employed and invisible to traditional hiring channels, leaving consultancies with limited options for filling skills gaps.

BenchBee’s talent sharing economy solves three of the industry’s biggest challenges: monetizing underused consultants, accessing hidden talent pools, and eliminating recruitment inefficiencies. Instead of competing for scarce talent, member organizations can share and subcontract talent as needed, with a flat membership fee replacing costly commissions. This provides predictable costs and real-time access to pre-qualified professionals already working in the industry.

“As skills shortages intensify and economic pressures grow, BenchBee empowers consultancies to take control, maximize their existing talent, protect margins, and move faster in an increasingly competitive market,” says Hattab. By providing a smarter and faster way for companies to share expertise, BenchBee is revolutionizing the IT consultancy industry and helping organizations thrive in a challenging market.