Randstad US report predicts boost in temp workers

Staffing and HR services company Randstad US recently published their "Workplace 2025" report, in which over half of polled workers (70%) and employers (68%) believe that a majority of the future U.S. workforce will be employed to an "agile" degree - namely, as a contractor, consultant, temporary or freelance employee.

The study polled over 3,100 workers and 1,500 HR executives across the country and found that as early as 2019, approximately half the workforce will be made up of these agile workers. Furthermore, 39% of current workers said they'd consider moving to agile work over the next few years.

RandstadAgileGraph

“Our first-of-its-kind study serves as a wake-up call for business and HR leaders to quickly embrace and prepare for the disruptive changes impacting how, when, where and by whom work is conducted,” stated Jim Link, chief human resources officer at Randstad North America. “More workers have changed their perceptions of non-permanent employment, choosing to pursue agile work because it offers them greater control, growth and even job security. This mindset shift, combined with the growing availability of collaborative technologies to facilitate work from anywhere, anytime and on any device, means the notion of having to work a traditional nine to five day in an office is disappearing.”

Other notable findings from workers surveyed include:

  • 46% saying they chose to become agile workers.
  • 68% agree that agile better fits their lifestyle.
  • 63% believe working agile will make them more qualified in the future workplace.
  • 56% believe agile work makes them more money.
  • 38% agree they feel more job security working as an agile worker versus a permanent position.

52% of HR executives polled went on to say that by 2025, their organizations will be more committed to agile workforce, with 68% of employers expecting their workforce to be comprised of agile talent.

RandstadWorkplace2025

“The ability to anticipate talent needs, and optimize and leverage skilled workers wherever they may be, will be key to a company’s sustainable competitive advantage going forward,” added Link. “For most organizations, moving to a more agile model will call for greater collaboration and alignment between HR executives and the c-suite in order to drive this shared objective. In addition, building today’s best-in-class workforce has moved beyond the halls of HR, requiring new stakeholders such as IT, finance and operations to help implement talent-related initiatives.”

Randstad's "Workplace 2025" study represents the first in a series of reports on "key disruptions and trends that will shape the world of work in the next decade." For the full report, head to Randstad's site here.

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