I read the Wall Street Journal article this past Wednesday, August 13th, about the CEO of TaskRabbit and the move to protect workers in this new model of independent contractors. I would love to meet their CEO, Leah Busque. The booming freelance economy is growing and she is trying to reform it. The peer-to-peer economy is fascinating for talent to consider and she wants to do more to protect workers.
Her workers are now given access to some benefits, networks of resources and discounts on cell phones and more. I like her style and it fits with the trends we are reading about - one report said by 2020 half of our workers will be independent. With healthcare reform, we will see fewer companies offering what was once the standard in benefits.
Think about the possibilities of this growing talent base as highly experienced folks who know they are talented, have skills and can define and design their own path. Self driven and committed learners. These workers are giving their minds, passions and energies to multiple roles and environments and probably love it. It might not be easy but it is leading edge for the companies are not offering the jobs for many. Thank you Leah Busque for setting a new model of care if you will for talent. Hire a tasker and check this out. Let me know how it works and what you think.