Uberization of WorkforceHuman Resource Management

Prepared By Manu Melwin Joy

Assistant ProfessorSCMS School of Technology and Management

Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114

Mail – manu_melwinjoy@yahoo.com

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Uberization of Workforce

• In a session called Talent, Culture and Risk: the Next Frontier, John Bremen, Human Capital & Benefits Leader for North America, talked about the fourth industrial revolution: the change to workforce dynamics that he described as the “uberization of the workforce.”

Uberization of Workforce

• Like Uber drivers whose status as workers has changed, many workers today do not follow the traditional description of the employee who reports to a job every day and goes home at the end of that day.

Uberization of Workforce

• A variety of work arrangements are on the rise and while the nature of work changes, so does the workforce – in fact, changes in the personal habits and preferences of the workforce are often driving changes in the nature of work.

Uberization of Workforce

• The resulting revolution presents employers with multiple challenges. A mobile, global, free-floating workforce can mean talent shortages, intense competition for top talent and a workforce where the expectations of one generation may be opposite of those of previous generations.

Uberization of Workforce

• For those facing the challenge of assessing and managing the risks associated with talent, there are two categories of risk to look at.

Uberization of Workforce

• First, there are the risks to talent. Do workers in the new age have a sense of commitment? Do they have the right skills and training? Do they exercise the right level of judgment and discretion? Do they aspire to leadership positions and have leadership skills? Are they ready to step into roles being left by retiring Baby Boomers?

Uberization of Workforce

• Second, there are risks from talent. Less committed, shorter-term workforce can present safety issues. Change among the client-facing people at an organization may have a negative impact on retaining customers. John mentioned an alarming statistic to underscore this point. He said that customers switching from one vendor or provider to another cost organizations a total of $1.6 trillion dollars last year. These are big stakes. Clearly the risks associated with talent cannot be ignored by any organization determined to succeed in this century.

Tips to manage freelance talent• Make the brand stand out:

Qualified freelance workers have more options than ever about who they choose to work for. Make sure your employer brand is developed with an eye toward attracting the best independent workers. Showcase the exciting things the company is doing and the types of projects talent would work on,as well as how such opportunities will help them learn something new and advance their careers.

Tips to manage freelance talent• Turn independent workers

into brand ambassadors: It’s likely that the best independent workers have similarly qualified peers. Encouraging existing contractors to spread the word about your company and its opportunities will help to create a pool of talent eager to work for you.

Tips to manage freelance talent• Build a talent community: Once

you have an established talent pool, it is important to retain those individuals – and the knowledge they have gained at your company – by establishing a talent community. This way, you can keep them engaged and easily access great talent already familiar with your company, rather than having to find new workers for each new opening.

Tips to manage freelance talent• Be a talent advisor: Independent

workers are continuously looking for new opportunities to try new things. Work with managers to see which positions traditionally filled with permanent hires can be filled with independent talent. Not only will this help determine where alternative work arrangements can address business needs, but it will also open new doors for those individuals.

Tips to manage freelance talent• Embrace a compliant

approach: As the freelance economy grows, so have the number of regulatory bodies cracking down on misclassification of contractors and independent workers. Consulting with an expert about such regulations will help maintain a compliant approach.

Uberization of Workforce

• As companies will increase their dependence on independent talent in the coming years, the time is now to optimize your freelance strategy.

Uberization of Workforce

• By understanding how your organization can prepare for this shift already well underway, and adapting current processes to make a more inviting environment to independent workers, your organization will be well prepared as the Uberization of the workforce continues.