Two important trends are coming together in the workplace.
The new workforce (known as Millennials) are not excited about the 9-5 workday. They don’t mind working hard but don’t have the interest in hanging around an office for a full day. This is causing a huge collision with management that is still mostly from another era that are tied into sitting the full day at their desk.
Another trend coming is moving away from the employees. Companies want a flexible workforce and having employees just minimize their flexibility. Hiring freelancers, especially for projects, gives corporations the flexibility to mix and match human resources as needed.
The numbers for freelances are astounding. It is estimated 50% of Millennials are freelancers. At the current rate, a majority of tech workers in the US will be freelancers by 2027.
If you are stuck in the mode of being an old fashioned employee, you may not to think about the future. It is going to be harder and harder to be a traditional employee going forward.
I switched over from being an employee to working as an external resource to companies in 1997. While there have been difficulties not being an employee, I prefer it over traditional employment. I have had the chance to work on so many different projects in tech, I got experience that I could never pay for. I became a better worker because I was responsible for outcomes not just putting in a day of work. I realize this is not for everyone but I see the gig economy taking over and many people are going to be impacted.
Thank about how you want to fit into the gig economy. Plan now as the future is coming!