The Futurist: Global gig economy will put spotlight on contract workers

Foo Chek Wee, group HR director, SEA and Hong Kong, Zalora, knocks on the doors of the future - and anticipates that talent fluidity will cut across geographies in a more expedited manner by 2026.

Macroeconomic forces will determine how the HR function, like all corporate functions, will evolve over time.

In 10 years, low birth rates, relative high skilled labour demand across both emerging and advanced economies, and technology democratisation, will accelerate the establishment of the global gig economy, where organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements.

The "uberisation" of work will happen, where the nature of work will be further compartmentalised and specialised.

Furthermore, talent fluidity will cut across geographies in a more expedited manner.

As a result, the HR function, by competition or will, will have to establish a new work paradigm and execute this paradigm in buying, building, borrowing and bouncing talented services, not talent.

Image: Provided

The June 2016 issue of Human Resources magazine is a special edition, bringing you interviews with 32 HR leaders, with their predictions on the future of HR.

Read The Futurist or subscribe here.