MISC MUSES

I hear so much about changes in hiring practices … Fewer full-time positions, more project-oriented, “we’ll call you when we need you” jobs.  Funny thing is many young, culturally diverse people coming into the workforce don’t necessarily want to be anchored to a single employer.  They certainly aren’t looking for the 8-to-5, half-hour-lunch, 2-week- vacation gig their parents coveted.  These workers, in some circles referred to as “millennials,” are not looking to belong to one company, but to networks in which they can explore and thrive.

Boredom is the true enemy of the emerging workforce … and after a steady diet of MTV and Halo 3, employers have their work cut out for them to keep these expressive, gifted, and demanding people engaged.  The folks at Google sure seem to have it figured out (e.g. free meals, all the Xbox you can play, etc).  But those of us without Google-sized budgets will have to get even more creative.  Yes, the workforce *is* evolving, and those of us looking to harness the skills and creativity that come packaged as 20- and 30-somethings need to adapt.

Please recognize, though, that it’s not just an age thing.  Anyone living in Texas, California, and Arizona can attest to the existence and growth of the new “minority-majority.”  In the 1990s, corporate diversity programs were popular because they made sense from a social responsibility perspective.  Today, access to top talent (and the competitive advantage that comes with it) means your company’s culture has to support the complete assortment of A-Player packaging.

Just one last comment on the age thing … You may be wondering how long you can continue to ride those older, reliable baby boomers.  Well, consider this:  An AARP-sponsored study of 1,500 workers age 45 to 74 showed a whopping 69% plan to continue working, in some capacity, beyond their retirement age … some because they have to, but mostly because they want to.

I think that makes us lucky!

PayReel’s clients, who are some of the biggest companies in the world, are constantly immersed in the chaos of producing multimedia content or executing live events. PayReel makes sure they have the right contractors at the right time in the right place, and that everyone gets paid properly. And, most importantly, they handle every last detail perfectly while making sure their clients think nothing of it. Relax. We got it.

Let me begin by saying what this blog isn’t. It’s not a way for payroll professionals to stay up-to-date on pending legislation. It’s also not a thinly veiled attempt to sell you something. It’s not particularly well constructed or worthy of being plagiarized.

It is, on the other hand, a good read for busy people who recognize that talent is more frequently being packaged in the form of freelance contractors. This is talent that busy people must harness in order to keep their production projects on-schedule and on-quality. This is also talent that can be a bitch to manage.

This blog is an acknowledgment that we are living – and working – in interesting times. Many young people (anybody south of 30 IMHO) entering the workforce are not on their fathers’ career track and have different expectations of employers than their ancestors. In particular, they’re not looking for a cradle to grave relationship with a single company. They want to network, play the field, take a year off. But more on these millennials in a later post.

Given this paradigm shift on employment, the IRS, DOL, DHS, etc are scrambling to keep pace. Busy people making use of this re-packaged talent need to keep pace of them keeping pace.

And then there’s the specter of health care reform. What impact will it have on this emerging workforce? No one can say for certain, but if you read this blog I’ll make sure you stay informed and appropriately confused.

I promise to do my best to keep my posts short, informative, and maybe even humorous. Thanks for reading!

PayReel’s clients, who are some of the biggest companies in the world, are constantly immersed in the chaos of producing multimedia content or executing live events. PayReel makes sure they have the right contractors at the right time in the right place, and that everyone gets paid properly. And, most importantly, they handle every last detail perfectly while making sure their clients think nothing of it. They are your employer payroll solutions for freelancers!

Relax. We got it.