The Talent Blockchain
Considerations for the Future of Managing the Currency of Capabilities
By 2030, the bourgeoning gig economy of today will be the predominant way of working, and its fundamental enabler will be what I refer to as the Talent Blockchain. To articulate that vision in more detail, let’s look at the changing nature of how workers engage with work, and secondly what will be needed to bring together workers and the work to be completed.
How workers are engaged
Around 7 years ago the term ‘gig worker’ made a resurgence. Essentially, it referred to the fast-growing segment of individuals that were working one, or multiple, jobs as an independent (1099) rather than an employee (W-2). The reality is that independent workers completing jobs for others has been around for thousands of years. But the term ‘gig’ originated in the 1920s when musicians would earn money by playing a venue for money (gig). The term subsided and then gained momentum again in the 1960s when organizations like Manpower and Kelly Services provided temporary workers to employers for short term workers. As we fast forward to the present, the gig worker is rapidly growing in popularity and volume, leading to what many refer to as the gig economy.
