The rapid development of the modern world demands companies to adjust to this dynamic. One of the strategies that can help organizations become more malleable is a flexible workforce. This term can be defined as employment relations not tied to a fixed place, schedule, and instructions (Minbaeva, 2021). Indeed, flexible workers are hired to perform different tasks of various complexity during a specific period. The most important advantage of this type of employment for firms is the vastness of new ideas that will allow their businesses to flourish (Vogel et al., 2021). Furthermore, this work is usually done better and faster, requiring less budget because there are no additional expenditures for personnel support. However, it may also challenge HR professionals who struggle to manage a fluid environment (Minbaeva, 2021). Flexible workers also benefit from having convenient schedules, but it makes their resumes vulnerable by creating questionable employment histories (Vogel et al., 2021). Still, this mode of work appears to be helpful in the digital age and especially at the times of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A flexible workforce is known for the range of skills that these people possess and the tasks they perform. In fact, many of these individuals became a part of the platform and gig economy (Vogel et al., 2021). For instance, a person that performs delivery service for several online stores can deliver a broad range of goods to customers. Another example is programmers that can do different digital jobs, like website creation and support, remotely. Freelance writers and editors can help researchers polish their manuscripts and prepare them for publication. If I were to choose a flexible job, I would prefer to be a remote science tutor. This work would allow me to teach students from various places without leaving my house while maintaining the full course load in college.
References
Minbaeva, D. (2021). Disrupted HR? Human Resource Management Review, 31(4), 1-8. Web.
Vogel, C., Schaltegger, C., & Zölch, M. (2021). Flexible workforce management. An exploratory study. In A. Gerber & K. Hinkelmann (Eds.) First international conference on society 5.0 (pp. 412-424). Society 5.0.