New year, new job. Even though each job is different, just like each company is different, we can identify macrotrends that will accompany us throughout the year.
Fluid working. Between job hopping and “slash workers”, people with only one profession are a thing of the past. We have already left the “steady job” behind, and now we are also saying good-bye to the single profession lifestyle: many people already do several jobs at the same time. Of course, this was caused by the crisis, but it is also a new way to understand and dominate the flexible work market.
24/: work that never sleeps. One of the effects of fluid is that boundaries between “work” and “life” have become permeable, continuously invading the other territory. This is why it has become a worker’s right to disconnect, and it is specified in writing in more and more countries. But that’s not all. Nowadays, more and more people are working while others rest. Stores and shopping centres are almost always open on Sundays and holidays, with a few stores that stay open around the clock all week long. In Italy, where businesses can open any time they want, we are starting to hear talk of greater regulation. You can bet it will become one of this year’s hot topics.
Not only is the steady job on its way out, we also won’t be focusing on one job only
Tasking. It is not a difficult word; it only means being paid to perform individual tasks. It is the old concept of “piece work” and it is becoming more common due to the increasingly fluidity and fragmentation of the digital market. Proof of this are the microworkers who increase Internet-based artificial intelligence for a few cents per click. Also, all of those platform workers and gig economy, paid not by the hour but by “task”. It does not matter if they deliver pizza or clean houses. Demands for better rights and protection for these workers is emerging all over the world. In Italy, the government has formed a contracting table for food delivery riders.
Bossless offices. It is called “self governance”: a sort of “self-management” in which all employees manage themselves. They work in autonomous groups of equal importance, and each person has their own responsibilities without orders from a senior manager nor hierarchies. The first cases were found in other countries, but now even Italy is learning. Workers like this method, and it appears to be good for business.
One of the effects of fluid is that boundaries between work and life have become permeable, continuously invading the other territory
Company welfare. Until just a short time ago, it was a luxury for a few large companies who were able (also financially) to invest in the well-being of their employees and help them reconcile their work and home life. Now, even small and medium-sized businesses and startups are looking to implement good corporate welfare programs. It is very important for younger workers. According to the “Osservatorio Generazione Z, Millennials, lavoro e welfare aziendale”, 83.2% of workers considers this a determining factor in choosing a company to work for. They consider both the quantity and quality of their work. It looks like a good starting point for the new year.