AfriBlocks Network
The job market has has a number of significant changes over the last few years. The growth of the gig economy, remote work, the use of freelancers the creation of hybrid roles are examples of these changes in how the world approaches work. These changes have been driven by a desire to achieve maximum efficiency in the workspace while giving the workforce more fulfilling lives.
Hybrid roles are on the rise globally as companies seek to hire labor that significantly improves their output. Simply put, hybrid roles require an individual that possesses two or more skills. A hybrid position will carry responsibilities that were previously regarded as two or more jobs. In some cases, the roles may be from different departments altogether.
Why it’s important to pay attention to hybrid roles
The preference for talent that can cover hybrid positions steam from an appetite to have team members that have an understanding of multiple facets of the job that needs to be done. For many businesses today, for example, it is important that employees in any role have an understanding of social media processes. This is because regardless of the department, there might be a need to communicate certain things through social media hence an understanding of social media may put you at an advantage when a company is looking to employ someone.
Employees that can fill hybrid positions bring more value to any team and as a result, hybrid roles pay more than the traditional roles from which they would have been fused. Working in such a position allows you to gain exposure to multiple aspects of your industry and thus increasing your knowledge. Having this knowledge that spans various departments in the industry makes you more valuable and indispensable to your organization. Hybrid roles are a good way to facilitate career growth and gain access to opportunities that require experience across different fields.
How does one get into a hybrid role?
There is a common misconception that it is complicated to become skilled enough to fill a hybrid position if it becomes available. A lot of the roles that fall in this category require ‘extra’ skills that can be learned and perfected quickly. Some of the skills could be technical such as the ability to write. An example of this would be a role that requires a software engineer to write blog posts about the activities that they are doing on behalf of the company. In other cases, the role may require transferable skills which allow you to fulfill the “people” needs of an organization such as the management of teams and planning projects.
A loose way to view hybrid roles is to say that they are the roles where traditional job descriptions meet the technological requirements of today. These tech functions of today are things like design, coding, web analytics, and social media. Having an understanding of how these function and where they fit into your current industry puts you in a position to fill a hybrid role when it arises.
Regardless of whether you want to work as a freelancer or find a permanent role, possessing multiple skill sets puts you at an advantage. Businesses around the world are looking to maximize their output and having employees that can cover multiple bases gives them a good chance of doing so. Pay attention to the hybrid roles emerging in your industry and make sure that you put yourself in a position to fill such a role should it come your way.
