You’re hired! Well, just not full time. Many firms are filling their ranks with “part-time employees, temps, independent contractors, and outsourced positions,” Insider reports — and remote work is the driver. The move away from traditional full-time employment is a money-saver for companies, which can forgo expensive benefits by leaning into workers’ desires for more flexibility. Still, there’s evidence that at least some gig workers would prefer full-time employment, and a risk that “as companies invest less in their workers, they’ll get less out of those workers,” Insider notes.
By Saundra Latham, Editor at LinkedIn News
In the war over remote work, companies are turning full-time jobs into low-paying gigs
By MAGGIE WARD
Very interesting read. Here is a quote: “Perhaps the most widely discussed has been the way the remote age has prompted workers to emotionally detach from their jobs… it’s clear that people aren’t feeling as connected and devoted to their jobs as they did when they were seeing coworkers in person every day.”
According to the article, it means that remote employees are becoming fewer full-time employees and more contractors. Which means, no health insurance, benefits, etc. People are trading full-time employment for contract work to remain working from home.
I’m not saying that contract work and working from home are a bad thing. I’m, again, forewarning the “be careful what you wish for”. Mass remote work is going to equal mass contractors with little to no training, no connection to the company, the company has no connection to employees, and the majority of workers are one big transaction. No loyalty to the company and the company has no loyalty to the majority of the employees. Plus, it will become a race to the bottom for cheap labor.
Is that really want we want? Thoughts?
https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-employers-quiet-quitting-contractors-part-time-gig-2023-6
BY PATRICK BRASWELL
Corporate America is unwittingly rebooting the GIG ECONOMY. Neither the highest caliber of experienced talent (GenZ) nor incoming talent (Millennials/GenZ) is interested in “going back to the way things were.”
How lack of hybrid/remote opps will negatively impact Corporate America:
– They will continue to lose top-tier talent, impacting brand reputation, sales, and loyalty.
– Top-tier talent will start their own consulting practices, charge more $$$, and still make their own schedules.
– Top-tier GenZ talent is in demand (population squeeze is in their favor).
– They will lose senior/mid-tier talent critical in training up all those in-expensive hires they’ve made at the jr level.
– They will spend 5X’s as long finding – and retaining – talent to stay at their company resulting in millions of dollars of expense and lost oppty. costs.
How this will positively influence other verticals creating in-demand services:
– Independent health care coverage/reps/brokers.
– Concierge physicians (easier to pay a flat fee out of pocket than deal with the BS of the healthcare system + better service).
– Small business tax accountants and bookkeepers.
– Business coaches w/finance background specializing in 1-5 person 401Kplans, benefits, etc.
– Virtual assistants.
– Niche networking groups.
– B2B micro-influencers.
– In-person conferences (for 1:1 networking opportunities).
– Virtual offices offering mail service (to protect privacy).
– Co-working spaces that allow drop-ins and meeting rooms.
– Training services (for companies attempting to train up their junior staff, ironically, most likely employing those that quit them).
BT MELINDA LOVE
There are definitely perks to full-time employment, but some “gigs” are far from low paying. I’ve been a freelancer/consultant/contractor (choose your title- they are pretty synonymous to me) for the last 6 almost 7 years. Most of my clients are return clients that I have been working with for a number of years (some since I started my business). I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing for this long is I wasn’t making an equivalent full-time income.
As the saying goes, “fast, cheap, good… pick two.” In my opinion, talent always beats cheap labor in the long run. My best advice to anyone in the workforce is invest in yourself. Don’t wait for a company to offer trainings and take an interest in your career development. Keep learning and keep growing. Find opportunities, don’t wait for them.