Temping - The Future of Work?

This week we celebrated Labor Day, a holiday established in 1822, during a time of much labor unrest. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome all holidays, and an opportunity to take some time off, but looking over the origins of this day it raises some questions for me about purpose and fit with today’s global economy. However, in spite of some confusion about how and what we’re celebrating, one thing is clear – the American worker (union and non-union) is still a very valuable component to our economy.

What we need today are businesses ready to define the qualifications that will shape future jobs and to begin training and hiring those individuals who are out of work but prepared to meet those qualifications. Being realistic, I know we’re not going to see much happen on this issue until after the election in November, but come January, let’s all be ready to take action.

Getting Ready for Change

If you’re one of the lucky ones that has a job, don’t get too comfortable. You may have a job today, but is that job going to be required tomorrow? Can utilizing a computer, robot or technology enhancements make your job extinct or if not redesigned? Could your job change and require other skills?

Now is the time to enhance your skills by building new competencies, establishing knowledge of new technologies, and/or gaining certifications to aid with your employability – internally and externally, if needed.

For the millions of unemployed that are diligently searching for a job as well as those that have hit a wall and given up hope, I encourage you to educate yourself about the future and prepare once again to be a vital contributor to the greatness of our country. There are lots of researchers writing and speaking about this topic; read different points of view and then make your own decisions about what’s right for you. What skills can you develop or enhance in order to better showcase your current and future workplace readiness?

Prospective employers want to hire individuals who are self-motivated and demonstrate their enthusiasm by preparing for the future. And what does that mean? It could mean building new skill sets or expanding knowledge about an industry or profession. It could be investing in education and/or certifications that will add value to an employer’s talent pool. It could involve reading self-help books or being coached on how to update management and leadership styles and communication skills. Certainly it includes a continuous expansion of technology awareness and skills.

Employers will soon be looking for great employees to help them transition their organizations into the flexible, fast-paced, global market of the future. The smart employers are already seeking to make these hires, knowing that the future may not be about creating hundreds of jobs, but more so about the innovation and creativity that will allow them to offer more innovative products and services while controlling costs and expectations. The future of work is not going to look like our workplaces looked like five years ago. Will you be ready?

Have You Thought About SuperTemping?

 

The May issue of Harvard Business Review includes an interesting idea about the rise of the supertemps. In an article on alternatives to full-time employment, Jody Greenstone Miller and Matt Miller share the reasons why the shift to a temp workplace is here and growing. I believe they are right - all the stars are aligning to make the choice of temporary job assignments an easy one for many workers who have years of experience or who are committed to successfully balancing work and family. A high-powered career and the climb up the proverbial ladder are not as attractive as they used to be in light of what we’ve seen all too often as the end of those stories. Here are a few of the factors driving the trend towards supertemps:

• The corporate "social contract" guaranteeing job security and plush benefits is dead or dying.
• Technology advancements promote a plug-in ease that allows working from anywhere.
• A majority of experienced, as well as younger workers just aren’t interested in 80-hour work weeks anymore.

To assist organizations and individuals interesting in trying this option, Miller and Miller offer a few tips for making the "temp arrangement" work. As organizations look for ways to build up their capacities for the future, and workers adjust to the idea of short term assignments rather than full-time employment, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Focus on what needs to be done. Set specific objectives for each assignment.

2. Don’t make the mistake of saying you’ll work out the details as you go along. Clearly define each phase of the work. Any good consultant will tell you that the success of their projects is based on clearly defined and written expectations for deliverables.

3. Be realistic about any additional resources, internal or external, that will be required to support the success of the temp and the project.

4. Ensure that the temp has an accessible and focused project sponsor to help navigate getting the work done through internal systems, as well as act as an advocate to sidestep the politics and workplace history that can often get in the way of success.

5. Schedule success – chart the number of meetings, hopefully every two to four weeks, depending on the complexity and/or length of the project.

In addition to the points offered in the HBR article, I would add:

• Shift paradigms - view these temporary assignments differently from the mindset and systems HR has established for filling full-time positions. We all know what happens when we try to force a square peg into a round hole!
• Watch for scope creep and project shifts and be intentional about rewriting expectations for deliverables, schedules and success metrics.
• And that brings me to my last additional tip – make sure the assignment is clearly articulated, including the success metrics by which the performance of the temp will be measured.

The future offers opportunities for reinvention – perhaps one of the options that will work best for your future is considering temp assignments. Miller and Miller note a number of companies focused on temporary talent; Axiom, Kelly Services, Eden McCallum and Manpower. Once you select an industry, profession, or skill set I’m sure you’ll find others.

I’m not so naïve to believe the economy can jump back quickly from the hole it is in. However, I believe that exploring temp assignments might lead to a new bridge to the future and a totally different view of employability.

　

This article was written by Deborah A. King, President and CEO of Evolution Management, Inc., an 8(a) certified, woman-owned, small business providing customized solutions to the challenging organization development and human resource issues facing private businesses and government agencies. Debbie and her team are ready to assist with professional development, including executive coaching, as well as career transition workshops and coaching. Call us for more information at 770.587.9032, or visit our website at www.evolutionmgt.com. If you enjoyed this Career GPS forum, subscribe to our OD/HR BizNext forum, click here.