Trends in Alternative Work Models

Trends in Alternative Work Models

If you are an employer that recruits and hopes to retain younger workers, you need to think about work models beyond the traditional 9-to-5 workplace.

It’s no longer one size fits all.

The shift towards alternative work models includes freelance, part-time and limited-term employment. Collectively, this is often known as the rise of NextGen Work, also often called the Gig Economy. Read more about the Gig Economy here . In its Future of Jobs Report 2018, the World Economic Forum predicts that these new categories of jobs emerging will partly or wholly displacing other, more traditional ways of working.

Now we have new data to illustrate how these trends are taking hold, including the newly released ManpowerGroup Solutions’ Global Candidate Preferences Research—How We Want To Work: What Employers Need to Know About Candidate Work Model Preferences . This research highlights differences in how candidates prefer to work and how employers need to adapt to address the growing global talent shortages.

What’s driving the demand for NextGen Work? There are a few significant factors: NextGen Work supplements incomes over the short-term, provides freedom to explore different roles and develops in-demand skills for the long-term. Individuals also have the flexibility to control where, when and how they work, which can reduce stress and allow for a better work-life balance.

Most strikingly, nearly half (45%) of all global candidates prefer something other than a full-time job. In some markets, the number of candidates who prefer contract, project, part-time, seasonal and temporary work exceeds 60%. Millennials in the study found NextGen Work to be particularly attractive, although people of all ages valued the flexibility and opportunity to develop new skills that NextGen Work provides.

While some markets are already embracing alternative work models, employers everywhere must tailor their workforce planning to candidate preferences. This may include, among other considerations, providing options for employees to work remotely, being flexible inside the organization, and being creative with talent recruitment.

In 2019, it’s more crucial than ever for employers to understand the needs of employees, in order to recruit the top talent. Explore more candidate insights from ManpowerGroup Solutions’ Global Candidate Preferences Research.