The Digital Revolution Is Making The Job Market Work For You

30 January 2017

Job markets are ripe for transformation, and it’s finally here—in the form of digital platforms, the very same technologies that have reshaped the business landscape in areas such as e-commerce.

Online talent platforms are digital tools that connect individuals to work opportunities in a large-scale but efficient way. Some, like LinkedIn, Monster.com, and Indeed.com, bring together candidates and employers to fill traditional jobs.

Others, from Upwork to Uber, create online marketplaces for freelance work. Still others are tools that use big data analytics to transform the way companies hire and manage talent.

Technology is starting to swing the pendulum slightly back in favor of workers as online talent platforms give users more work options, more mobility, and a better sense of the wages they can command on the open market.

Talent platforms are gradually expanding to new occupations, industries, and geographies, but so far the clear winners have been educated and skilled professionals in advanced economies.

In fact, the most sought-after talent may not need to apply for jobs at all. The opportunities may come to them as more companies recruit “passive” candidates rather than placing an ad and waiting to see who responds.

Even workers who lack formal credentials can gather endorsements and build their reputations for soft skills such as customer service; they may also be able to find flexible and self-directed opportunities to add hours and boost their incomes.

Online talent platforms have a unique ability to track the positions employers are filling, the skills required, and the career pathways that take people from education to employment. These insights can help individuals make better-informed decisions about educational investment.

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Source - James Manyika (LinkedIn Blog)