Investing in Specialization
Heard on MPR this week that by 2020 at least 40% of the workforce will be independent workers – freelancers, consultants, etc.
What does this mean? It means businesses are pulling resources from the labor force when and where needed, creating a new, more fluid dynamic in the overall workforce. Businesses are modeling a pattern of paying for specialization, rather than hiring for generalization.
Nonprofits, take notice.
Gone are the days when one communications director handles every aspect of a small to mid-size nonprofit’s communications efforts – from website creation to writing press releases.
More and more the most creative and talented among us are freelancers, embracing the opportunities of being independently employed and unwilling to work for a single organization.
This shift in employment patterns can be beneficial to small to mid-size nonprofits as it gives them an opportunity to invest in specialization in new and creative ways.
Imagine a part-time or independent communications director focused on strategy while managing a bullpen of freelancers – folks who are called on, as their particular skills are needed, to play a specific role.
Imagine having a team of specialists working on your campaign. This team not only serves the nonprofit but recognizes the fact that skilled individuals no longer want to be organizational employees.
Instead of bemoaning this trend away from individual employment, embrace it for the potential it brings to your organization.
where’s the health care package? Just saying?