How do you know your Talent?
We released the TeamFit open beta this week. Our online team matching service that helps individuals and teams show off their accomplishments.
We are building TeamFit because we know the nature of work is changing. The people on the team have all experienced this ourselves. We have worked at start ups and big companies, and on many freelance and independent projects. We want to help people recognize and take advantage of the value they can bring to their teams.
Here are some of the key trends that I see impacting our lives.
Rise of the contingent or on-demand workforce
This is the key trend that makes TeamFit central to the future of work. People who are flexible, knowledgeable, and with proven expertise can offer companies with adaptability, fresh insight, and drive innovation. 49% of respondents in Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2015 claim that their need for contingent workers will keep growing over the next three to five year. The contingent worker represents 34% of the workforce in the US today. This is our future.
The systems and tools built for HR have been focussed primarily on the full-time employee. To be ready to take advantage of the rich pool of on-demand talent, companies need to change how they manage HR. Strategies and analytics should be applied not only to their internal staff but also to their contingent workers and the pool of potential contingent workers.
Rise of the Millennial Worker
Millennials will be an important part of the contingent workforce. This generation will soon make up the majority of the workforce. Millennials are smart, mobile, and nomadic. In a previous open conversation that we held with senior consultants, understanding and finding ways to work well with Millennials was a key topic of conversation.
Jeff Fromm of Forbes writes “Millennials are different and the same.” In his research Jeff found that like everyone else, Millennials want rewarding work, the ability to align work to their strengths, and the opportunity to learn. Look for my blog next week where I will be sharing our learning from an open conversation from a few of these energetic, driven and independent consultants.
Millennials want to make an impact on the world by making it a better place and they are looking for ways to participate in the process and conversation. Millennials are looking for opportunities that will help them to create their own work paths. Millennials value expertise and are very interested in learning from their peers and predecessors.
Rise in Transparency
We live in a highly connected, competitive and social world. Transparency is about being honest, putting facts on the table, and being open and vulnerable. To be transparent one has to be willing to be put in a sometimes-uncomfortable position.
Starbuck’s Howard Schultz is often quoted for his line, “the currency of leadership is transparency.” I think this statement works across the organization and across teams. To be effective, we need to have transparency and openness among our teammates. With this, we are able to put ourselves in a better position to support and enable each other.
How do these trends relate to TeamFit?
Let’s loop back to the title of this blog post. “Do you know your talent?”
Talent is now the key competitive advantage. The currency value of skill. Translating to worth.
To succeed companies need to know what talent exists both inside and outside their organization. For companies whose bread and butter is services, matching the right mix of people to deliver on a project is critical to delivering results. It is a real challenge to do this when the people you can draw on is changing every day, not only in size but also in capabilities. With each day of experience, your team is interacting and learning something new.
And as an individual, do you know enough about your own skills to show them off?
Can you easily demonstrate your expertise, prove your know-how, and show a track record of achievement so that your employers, customers, partners, stakeholders and teammates can readily recognize the value you bring them?
Is it easy for people to understand your skills and when they are looking the skills and experience you possess will they find you?
You need to know your strengths and show the positive impact you have on projects. You also need to know where the opportunities lie for you to offer complementary skills. Know your weaknesses to turn away work or find areas where you need help to ramp up or find people who can help you. If you are part of the on-demand economy or want to leverage it you need to understand where you fit.
Millennials are changing how we think about engagement. They are a huge part of our economy. With TeamFit, we will help them find significant connections so they can find meaningful work. We want to help our community understand the unique and special skills they offer and help them get connected to opportunities where they can put their learning to work.
Try TeamFit. I’d like to hear your feedback on our first take on helping people contribute to the on-demand economy.
And TeamFit is committed to transparency.
See our views on data ownership.
We are different.
