Reimagining Work: Strategies to Disrupt Talent, Lead Change, and Win with a Flexible Workforce

A NEW PARADIGM FOR CREATING A WORKFORCE THAT MEETS THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY′S ON–DEMAND ECONOMY

"Reimagining Work is an inspiring thesis portraying the tectonic shifts occurring in the workforce, and the promise of the self–empowered freelancer for the future. Amidst the backdrop of the real–world case study describing the vision, formation and success of Catalant, the reader gains a deep appreciation for what it takes to successfully launch a start–up, while being inspired by the possibility of a future where everyone can be an entrepreneur, pursuing their passions and shaping their careers in ways that were unimaginable just a few short years ago."
—Brad D. Smith, Chairman and CEO, Intuit

Written by the co–founders of Catalant, Reimagining Work offers leaders a framework for fundamentally rethinking talent at global enterprises. Large corporations are currently burdened with an inflexible and outdated human capital model that can′t meet the demands of the business cycle. Simultaneously, in today′s on–demand economy, talented workers are seeking a series of projects that are flexible, purpose–driven, and give them more control and ownership over their work.

Reimagining Work explores a new paradigm that combines a mix of flexibly staffed full–time employees and highly skilled free agents. In this blended model, there is little distinction between "us" and "them" – the ideal talent for a given "job to be done" is accessed seamlessly in real time.

Now is the time to reimagine your workforce!

About Us vii

About the Authors ix

Introduction xiii

1 A Quick History of Work 1

2 HourlyNerd 7

3 The Gig Economy 23

4 Walking Sand Hill Road 33

5 The Talent Crunch 2014 43

6 The Match Game Winter–Spring 2014 55

7 The Flexible Workforce 65

8 Disruption Summer–Fall 2014 75

9 The Upside–Down Work/Life Equation Winter–Spring–Summer 2015 97

10 The Rules Do Not Apply 113

11 Fake It ’til You Make It Fall 2015–Spring 2016 125

12 Win with Technology 2016 137

13 The Future of a Flexible Workforce 2017 and Beyond 151

Index 161

CATALANT TECHNOLOGIES is redefining how global enterprises attract, empower and retain talent. Based in Boston, and founded in 2013, Catalant works with more than one quarter of the Fortune 100 and counts more than 40,000 elite firms and individuals in its network.

ROB BIEDERMAN is the co–founder and co–CEO of Catalant. Prior to Catalant, Rob was a private equity investor at Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs.

PAT PETITTI is the co–founder and co–CEO of Catalant. Prior to Catalant, Pat was a management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and Vantage Partners.

PETER MAGLATHLIN is the co–founder and former CFO of Catalant. Prior to Catalant, Peter was an investment banker at UBS and worked at investment firm Highbridge Capital Management.