Just another day at the office? Not so much. Well, not anymore.<\/p>\n
Today, Joe is probably required to learn new tools every year, his team is probably globally dispersed, and it\u2019s probably more important for them to be adaptable than specialized.<\/p>\n
Today, customer demands evolve at a rate we can barely keep pace with, and employer-employee relationships grow more complex with every new and younger generation that reaches working age. Technology cycles get shorter, and the distance between teams gets longer.<\/p>\n
This is the changing workforce, and it\u2019s called Workforce 2.0.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve probably heard of Workforce 2.0 before, but you might not really understand what it means. And if you\u2019ve come across someone from Workforce 2.0, you probably found their approach to work quite, well, alien.<\/p>\n
But these “aliens” are the way of the future, and understanding their behaviors and preferences is the first step toward leveraging their talent and adapting to the upcoming workplace trends<\/strong><\/a>. So, here\u2019s the scoop.<\/p>\n Employees used to work in offices. You know, those walled-up spaces with limited natural light, built especially to confine people together to work toward a common goal, with a shared purpose<\/strong><\/a>. In offices, teams communicate in-person, daily, and \u201cwater-cooler chats\u201d give way to organic knowledge transfer.<\/p>\n The thing is, Workforce 2.0 prefers their couches, coffee shops, libraries, and really anywhere they can get a strong enough Internet connection. They control their environment and choose what suits them<\/strong>, personally, to be most productive \u201cat\u201d work<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Sounds great, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n That\u2019s probably why over 43% of employees<\/a><\/strong> work remotely, at least some of the time. And why more and more people want to join virtual teams who communicate via Skype while sipping coffee in their pajamas. Because remote work\u00a0offers employees mobility and flexibility, like traveling the wide, wide world while holding down a full-time job.<\/p>\n Now, full-time jobs have always been one of the essential checkboxes of adulthood. You know, finish school, get a degree, find a permanent position at an established company. Then, work\u00a09 \u2018til 5, Monday to Friday, until it\u2019s time to retire to the Canary Islands for sun and sand.<\/p>\n But the changing workforce of today doesn\u2019t conform to the \u201cessential checkboxes of adulthood\u201d.<\/strong> No. They work (get this<\/em>) when they want to work. Workforce 2.0 is full of free agents \u2013 independent freelancers and temp workers who control their own working hours.<\/p>\n These forward-thinking rebels harness their talent only when they find projects or contracts that tickle their fancy. These contracts usually stipulate scope and level of service, but don\u2019t dictate when and where the free agent works. This means more flexibility to work when inspiration grabs a hold, like the night owl who works better once the sun goes down (and then enjoys a sleep-in the next morning).<\/p>\n Traditional employees have a definitive job description, with specific tasks, and measurable outcomes. So, they work in a way that will enable them to achieve those outcomes, and perform their role better<\/strong><\/a> and better with each passing performance review.<\/p>\n But, Workforce 2.0 is guided more by the meaning and consequence of work<\/strong>, than the tasks described on a piece of paper. They look for projects that challenge them, fulfill them, and align with their personal development goals. So, their approach to work is, you could say, a little different.<\/p>\n This workforce<\/strong><\/a> is more individualized, more demanding of its employers, and more prepared to adapt to change and learn new skills and technologies<\/strong><\/a>. They\u2019re ready for it. In fact, they crave it.<\/p>\n Workforce 2.0 is multigenerational and geographically dispersed.<\/p>\n This workforce encompasses as many as 5 (yes, 5!) generations<\/a><\/strong>, each with a different perception of when, where and how to work. Gaining influence above all others is the millennial generation<\/strong><\/a> – a group estimated to account for 75% of the workforce by the year 2025; a generation driven by a deeper purpose in life and work.<\/p>\n The increasingly remote nature of teams introduces further complexity: An interesting mix of cultures, experiences, and sometimes-conflicting opinions held by dispersed team members. Of course, this complexity can be advantageous.<\/strong> More diversity means more creativity and innovation. And remote teams mean fewer facility costs and less travel time.<\/p>\n However, integrating this complex combination of people is, well, challenging. Conflict must be controlled, innovation must be leveraged, and performance must be managed, often from a distance.<\/p>\n \u25cf Develop strong online communication and performance management processes to control a remote team. Popular communication tools include Skype<\/strong><\/a> and Google Hangouts<\/strong><\/a>. Online performance review systems help managers to provide feedback to remote teams.<\/p>\n \u25cf Create virtual team-building sessions to build a cohesive team, motivated toward a common goal. By using gamification<\/strong><\/a>, online team-building is made fun and engaging for dispersed employees.<\/p>\n \u25cf Use customizable online training solutions<\/strong><\/a> to cater to the different learning preferences of each generation, and to attract top-talent Millennials who look for continuous personal growth and development opportunities in their work.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to argue that technology is making many full-time \u201chuman\u201d jobs redundant. But not many people know that 30% of the workforce<\/strong><\/a> actually chooses<\/em> to be free agents, and thus, out of a permanent job.<\/p>\n This sub-group of the changing workforce has been dubbed the Gig Economy. They choose to find chunks of work at a time, work that interests them so that they have flexibility, mobility, and control over their own growth and development.<\/p>\n At the same time, businesses are appreciating this just in time workforce \u2013 staff who can be contracted just when businesses need them most. Just-in-time (JIT) staffing has become a more flexible solution<\/strong> for employers who struggle to predict customer demand and upcoming projects with much certainty. This means that they don\u2019t always have enough talent, or the right talent, for the job.<\/p>\n Today, businesses reduce costs<\/a><\/strong> by meeting actual, rather than forecasted, staffing needs. They get the most suitably skilled temporary employees when they need their skills.<\/p>\n But while the flexibility of Workforce 2.0 is beneficial, the non-committal nature of JIT staffing means that it brings a few challenges. Like team members who don\u2019t really feel like part of the team, the continuous influx of new recruits who aren\u2019t familiar with the business culture, and quality standards that wane due to disengaged temp workers.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are ways to adapt to Workforce 2.0 so that your business achieves all of the benefits<\/strong>, and little to none of the disadvantages:<\/p>\n \u25cf Use technology and apps to source freelancers with a high-performance track record. Upwork<\/strong><\/a>, for example, helps employers find skilled candidates from all over the world while offering measures to protect the employer against poor or non-performance.<\/p>\n \u25cf Find collaborative tools that support blended team structures, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS)<\/strong><\/a> with discussion forums or chat features. This helps teams to align, collaborate and learn from each other.<\/p>\nWhere They Work<\/h2>\n
When They Work<\/h2>\n
How They Work<\/h2>\n
Adapting to a Complex Workforce<\/h2>\n
So, here are a few ways to adapt, and get the most out of Workforce 2.0<\/span><\/h3>\n
How To Adapt To Free Agents<\/h2>\n