Are we over it yet? Half of the workers in your organizations will be under 30 and by 2025, everyone under 25 will be a digital native. They grew up with all things tech. Innovation inside our companies will come from the digital natives. So, why are we hanging on to old structures and ways of thinking about work? Do we have leaders who just don't see this coming or chose to stick to models they grew up in?
It was great to see an LA Business Journal article last week about nontraditional work in LA. There is an astounding number of workers who are self employed and data shows it is one in five or upward of one million people in this county. They work in non-traditional jobs and are part of the underground cash economy. They rule and love the entrepreneurial life.
There is a concentration in entertainment and creative however, this trend is spilling over into other sectors. We are about 50% higher with number of self employed compared to other states in the country. We are on a "fast - forward" when it comes to contingent workers, says, Manuel Pastor, professor of sociology and American studies at USC.
Remember our story about the creative economy that Otis College of Art and Design created? Their 2015 report spoke about 166,000 non-employee arrangements and now we see that number increasing rapidly. The government agencies will eventually have to deal with this new reality. It is not going away anytime soon.
Great talent is all over this -they don't need the structures of legacy systems. They want to work in collaborative networks where skills matter. Our clients are willing to pay for the skills they need, however, they are still hanging on to old models. Now, we just need our Hiring Managers to get over it and think more about work, the plan to get things done, how to use technology and ensure that everyone understands the respected cultures in their network. I know that is not easy.
What are the skills that will allow us to let go of controls that used to work but don't now?
Empathy - what do you want for the future and ask your workers what they value.
Anticipate Future - get the big picture and translate that into quarterly deliverables and ideal resources with options.
Match Maker - willing to look at the match up of resource and need in a variety of scenarios and factor in the cost of speedy or slow solution.
Piloting ideas - be okay with trying out an idea or new work arrangement. Tell others you are testing out feasibility and criteria for success.
Let's open up the conversations so that we can get over it and move forward.