What the Heck is a Hybrid Worker?
I was watching the evening news recently when the discussion turned to a new trend in the local job market. The topic was news worthy because employers are hiring again. What caught my attention, however was what they are hiring, Hybrid Workers. Never having heard the term before I had to stop and listen.
Hybrid Workers are those who have no definite job description. They are people who possess a very broad spectrum of talents and who will fill multiple roles depending on the skills that are needed at the time. Sometimes they are dedicated to a single role until a project is completed. In other cases their time is allocated across multiple roles performing everything from copying and binding reports to functioning as a project manager responsible to launch a critical program. Job descriptions for these roles are so general that they provide no description at all.
Hybrid Worker positions are often contract positions as the demand for their skills fluctuate. That being said, those who have the broadest and deepest skills are better positioned to be retained as they are able to successfully fulfill more responsibilities. Reading between the lines one can see that a more experienced person is more likely to have the breadth and depth of skills that would allow them to be a valuable Hybrid Worker.
I wonder; is the compensation for a Hybrid Worker commensurate with their experience and potential to take on complex tasks, or is it lower because Hybrid Workers are often called upon to perform lower-level tasks? Do they have a flexible compensation structure that takes into account the role they are filling at the moment? Are they valued as contributing team members or are they just a means to an end?
Is this the future of employment for those who have been exited from full employment? What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment and let’s start a dialog.
- Gordon R. Clogston
