Gone are the days when we choose to stay in one role for an entire lifetime with the hope of a gold watch on retirement! People in the past were defined by what they did for crust. Today, there is a shift and “greetings questions” are more around what you stand for and what you are passionate about.
Average tenure in a role nowadays is less than 3.4 years, this is significantly lower than career tenures of the past. The contingent workforce is growing fast and many people prefer contract work rather than the fatigue of company politics and playing the corporate game. It is estimated that by 2020 5 million people in Australia will be categorised as a contingent or contract worker.
A new generation has emerged, and it’s one that is defining the millennials.The days of “Hi, I’m an Accountant” are slowly dissipating and are being replaced by “Hi, I’m an Accountant/Photographer/Entrepreneur” – Introducing The Slashie Generation. Slashies’ are a new generation worker: defined as – a group of people who have had multiple “slashes” in their title and multiple career projects/skills.
Many slashies’ are reluctant to define themselves by the job in which they’ve settled but by their myriad of talents and skills – they may prefer to introduce themselves as a part- time Actor with some other commitments in call centres and data management. Or a journalist with a portfolio career in childcare management and domestic cleaning. The world has birthed a myriad of multifaceted individuals who are also more agile and able to take and make change with speed and ease. Times for notice periods are reducing. Change is fast and furious.