What made millions of professionals stop dreaming of the corporate journey to go freelance? Pandemic effects are immeasurable and, without a doubt, it made the cultural, economic and social spheres all around the world tremble. Its impact also affected the way we work. One of the most remarkable phenomena of this paradigm shift was the so-called Great Resignation, a wave of mass resignations in the US, led primarily by millennial and Gen Z workers. 

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This displeasure with the terms and conditions of the traditional work model is not new, as the Freelance Revolution had been cooking up for a long time. The pandemic was just the breaking point that made the revolution a wide-spread phenomenon.

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‍These are the main reasons why this work paradigm shift is taking place: 

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1) People’s desires and priorities have changed: work should fit our lives, not the other way round

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While in lockdown, many experienced some sort of epiphany and existential revelation ‘I don’t want to be sitting in an office from 9 to 5, always working in the same project and at the same place, with no purpose at all’. The paradigm shift stems from the mindset of workers who no longer found meaning in the conventional way of working. They want more freedom, flexibility and autonomy. They want to be able to manage their schedule, to have control over their finances and over their quality of life. 

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‍Surveys show that almost 40% of professional employees would rather leave their job than give up remote work, and even large companies like Apple are thriving to stop mass resignations caused by back-to-office policies. 

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2) New talent wants to work “in” and not “for”

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‍New talent wants to gain new experiences rather than accumulate years of experience. They want to choose how, when and where to work. They are no longer interested in building a career in an organization with rigid structures. Instead, they want to work with interesting leaders, in challenging projects that have an impact. They want to work in an efficient and collaborative way. 

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Of course, the fact that disenchantment and already poor working conditions were kindled by lockdown cannot be overlooked. However, it was proven that remote work not only increased team productivity but also brought about better results for companies. Win-win.

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3)  Borders blurred and a new work scene unfolded

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Talent saw their possibilities to choose how and where to work multiplied, and, as a result, organizations are now facing difficulties to attract and retain the talent they need. The range of work opportunities is now wider, and where you live is not relevant.  

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4) Top talent is no longer interested in the traditional benefits that companies offer

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‍The most sought-after and specialized talent does not commit long-term to a company anymore, instead, they prioritize spending their time in projects that are meaningful to them and align with their lifestyle. For them, the most interesting benefits are those that help them develop their abilities and boost their learning in time with their curiosity. Benefits that allow them to achieve their dream lifestyle as well as and work-life balance. Value proposals must be tailored to each talent, as recipes and pre-made packages have lost their appeal.

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‍5) ‘Purpose’ is the keyword for the new generations of professionals

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Their personal purpose has to be aligned with the purpose of the company. Now, talent has joined the conversation, and “choosing” goes both ways. They want to work in companies that match their interests and values, join projects that have social impact, be part of a company that promotes diversity, inclusion and a sense of belonging, as well as sustainable policies.   

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6) Talent wants to co-create work rules and dynamics

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They want to have a voice, to be respected and valued, and to be part of a nice and relaxed work environment, where they are not only recognized for their achievements but also for being a driving force for change. They want to design their own experience, work in teams and bring value to every initiative. 

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Nonetheless, for this revolution to become a norm, a rapid growth of qualified on-demand talent companies, such as Seeds, is needed. These platforms accompany talent in this new way of working by managing their job opportunities, providing them with a support network so that they don’t feel that they are jumping into the abyss, and inviting them to join a community that shares their interests and concerns. ‘On-demand talent communities’–that is the true evolution of the way we work. It’s no longer about people that throw themselves into roaming the limbo of impersonal mega platforms, updating their LinkedIn profile to the status of ‘freelancer’ or join ephemeral groups of some social network. 

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Even though nowadays talent rejects conservative and monotonous structures and instead looks for new challenges, they also understand that in order to maintain the lifestyle which their previous corporate life allowed, they require a community of experts in talent management and peers that share the same journey, so as to connect with the same corporations as before but working on-demand. Financial uncertainty, the guarantee of having future job opportunities and the lack of networking skills is alarming, and that is why the presence of organizations like Seeds is of utmost importance, more so in Latin America, where we are always late to the party. 

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In this new age, it is essential for talent to have networks that facilitate finding jobs in top companies. These companies are happily adapting to this new dynamic, but are not yet comfortable with the idea of working with an intermediary that guarantees success with the job acquisition, centralizes payments and offers customized assistance throughout the whole process of the project or mission. The sense of belonging to a community that will accompany them in their professional development, provide them with benefits similar to those offered by companies, fight for competitive professional fees and match them with their dream-organization is vital for the future of this ‘revolution’. 

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As the dynamic shifts and human resource markets react, many companies find it difficult to cope: they are losing talent faster than they can attract it.  

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The flip side, and perhaps the most important aspect, is that companies have realized that working with diverse and flexible teams and hiring on-demand talent was highly advantageous. They were able to attract and pay for experts that would never work as employees or that they simply would not have been able to afford, while also saving on recruitment and talent fees and shortening onboarding times.  Apart from being able to have access to qualified talent at a lower cost, companies understand that this is where the future of work is heading to, and that staying out would only render them obsolete.   

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‍On-demand work offers companies an efficient way of satisfying a critical or unforeseen need for temporary talent. Those companies which maintain rigid organizational structures will lose opportunities in terms of competing for the most qualified talents of the industry. On the other hand, those which promote flexible, on-demand and remote work will have access to workers all over the world, increasing and nourishing their talent resources. 

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Join the Present of Workand access the best qualified and on-demand talent of Latin America by clicking here.

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