: Talent Acquisition

The Future of Work: Mission Based Employment

Amongst the many changes occurring in the Technology sector we predict the emergence and growth of what we call Mission Based Employment.

Mission Based Employment accepts that from the outset many roles within fast growing or changing organisations have a definable lifecycle and require individuals with very specific skills during that period. It differs from Interim Management in which people typically undertake short or medium term roles on a purely tactical basis to perhaps cover an absence, or undertake a particular project. Mission Based Employment is a dynamic element of organisational culture and recognises that an individual's ability to add value beyond their technical skill set is largely dependent on what particular point of the organisational life cycle the organisation is at, at that time.

Our very simple view is that broadly speaking organisational growth and development falls into three primary phases - early stage, consolidation and established. We believe that given the different characteristics of organisations at each phase then this needs to be reflected in their people infrastructure- obviously the entrepreneurial skills necessary in a start up are different to those required in an established organisation.

Our view is that those highly talented individuals with extensive and successful experience in early stage businesses should be engaged on an appropriate length fixed term contract, perhaps 12,18,24 or 30 months with a brief and a reward system geared to leading the business through its start up phase. At the end of this period, as the organisation moves into its consolidation phase new specialists with appropriate skills will manage the business forward. This model applies across all business management functions, particularly sales and marketing.

Under the current 'join for life' model many early stage specialists, and this particularly includes founders, remain in the business well into the consolidation and even the established phase where their input, motivation and value becomes increasingly diluted. At best their personal productivity may fall dramatically, at worst they can become a blockage to organisational change and development.

Mission Based Employment manages company and individual expectations, is in the very best interest of the developing business and ensures that the right people are in the right place at the right time.

Mission Based Employment will only appeal to skilled, confident and highly effective individuals