Reading Diane Mulcahy's book The Gig Economy was pivotal to me as someone who happenstanced into HR Consulting. While on maternity leave/severance after a plant closing with Baby Boy #2, a former employer called me to ask if I could be an interim HR Manager. I gladly accepted. I could set my own hours, and rates and be really helpful! After that gig ended, another and then another fell into my lap. Not only was this beneficial to my family, but I could also see the value it brought to my clients, who needed temporary HR expertise. The reasons companies might need temporary HR help vary such as bringing in expertise for a specific problem to covering for a critical HR leader during a Leave of Absence.
From this niche in the market, I founded and grew A Slice of HR. I didn't really have a name for it until I read her book. If you haven't read it and are interested in this movement, here is a great interview with her. Gigging is certainly not for everyone (despite my sensational title) but it certainly has been a game-changer for me!
Companies are implementing a business model where they have a small core group of employees and that's it. If they need other work done, it comes from this variable, dynamic, contract-based, independent workforce. That's the model of the future. Diane Mulcahy