The Future of Employment: Survival of the Social Media Savviest

Author: Charles Category: Employee Branding

Canadian employers are again shifting the way they hire people.

More andFuture of Employment more employers today are avoiding long term employment relationships by directly contracting with independent consultants.

The single biggest reasons for this is the speed of digital communications in our business. Everything we do is at ten times the speed it used to be just a few years ago.  What this means to business owners is shrinking business cycles, shortened from an average of 18 months to half that time, making it extremely challenging for a business owner to anticipate their next move, let alone develop cogent strategies to address current and future realities.

This puts a new twist on the workforce in terms of who we hire and how job seekers must start managing their careers.

Individuals are being forced to think of themselves as a brand and a commodity.

Gone are the days of job descriptions and traditional resumes. Getting found online is everything to the job seeker, and in the increasingly competitive talent pool, they need to start finding ways to put themselves out there as achievers, not job holders, promoting a portfolio of accomplishments to demonstrate what they can and will do for a future employer.

Career changes are more common than ever.

Add to that the rapidly changing needs of employers, and it’s no great secret that many organisations are turning to temp agencies to reduce the risk (and cost) of hiring the talent they need. So what does all this add up to?

The need to keep pace with changing technology has become essential. There is little chance the world of employment will return to the good old days when we were secure for life.

Individuals are being forced to think of themselves as a brand and a commodity.

There is little chance the world of employment will return to the good old days when we were secure for life. Individuals can no longer think of themselves as someone simply looking for a job. Changing business landscapes, and hence career moves, are more common than ever. The need to keep pace with changing technology is essential.

As the world and markets continue to globalize, even the most secure jobs can vanish in an instant.

Detroit is the biggest example of how change has affected so many, and yet, this is happening more often and in many more industries. China’s decision to allow foreign production has taken the majority of factories away from the rest of the world.

Here are some important social media tips to keep savvy as the employment market continues to evolve.

  • Present yourself and what you do best on social media — it is simply one of the biggest tools available and it is much easier to be found than in a dusty pile of resumes or an outdated recruitment company’s database.
  • Network at all kinds of events and meet people in person.
  • Network through all kinds of activities online.
  • Manage your online profile. Check your own Google results by searching this way: “Your Name”
  • Look at self-funded superannuation and self-future planning.
  • Set up your own business registration as a sole trader — even hobbies can become a business and earn a considerable amount of money.
  • Look for a second source of income — publishing books on Amazon is free and you can generate a second income, for example.
  • Stay in touch with current affairs on the news — news on Tv used to be so far away. Today that is not the case. A single event on the other side of the planet could impact your income and even your employment as fast as tomorrow.
  • Be aware of government grants and assistance.
  • Always remember your employment is never really secure — it always pays to have a friend in the recruiting industry, whether you are an employer or an employee.

This situation will only become more apparent in the future.

More and more emphasis will be placed on how each employee and contractor manages to promote and manage their reputation online.

It is no secret, organisations are turning more and more to temporary staffing. Temporary staffing reduces the cost of hiring and avoids any legal entanglements of hiring regular fulltime employees. So what does all this add up to?

Social recruitment and executive search may be relatively new for many in the recruitment and executive search industry. Social recruiting strategies, contract and temporary staffing is an essential part of what we do here at Ashton & Associates Recruiting.

Building relationships to meet the changing needs of employers and job seekers is what we do best.

 

Barbara Ashton is the President and Founder of Ashton & Associates Recruiting.

Ashton & Associates Recruiting… Placing Powerful People. Every Time.

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This post has been approved for public release by Barbara Ashton. All certified posts carry this Google Authorship link to Google.