Tech Innovation And the Future of Work
by Koi Germany, Jr.
Jobs, much like the rest of the world, have become increasingly digitized. Professions in the tech field continue to flourish year over year, freelance work is at an all-time high and the startup has all but supplanted the large corporation.
Enter Alex Abelin, former Google strategist turned startup CEO and co-founder of LiquidTalent, an employment acquisition platform designed to capitalize on the economic shift and revolutionize the means by which employers and employees interact and conduct business.
“We’re moving away from a 9 to 5 and we’re moving into a more independent, autonomous working environment,” Abelin declared, citing his initial inspiration for founding the company.
Noticing what he perceived to be a waning belief in the idea of a typical job, he acted on a hunch, and, incorporating in 2013, placed his faith in the dominant trends of the market: nebulous corporate structuring, varied income sources and the ability to work from virtually anywhere.
“I don’t think the systems in the communities are really set up to take advantage of what that means,” he opined, “what that independent marketplace looks like in a much more fluid 1099 economy.”
Here Abelin refers to the Form 1099, a type of information return issued by the government which specifies income received outside of wages, salaries and tips, jurisdiction the more familiar W-2 tax form covers.
His trend analysis also took into account the gradual shift in generation of the average worker.
“The workforce today is 50% millennial and it’s going to be 75% millennial by 2020,” he said, adding a distinction between the impending generation and those prior. “Young professionals want independence, they want lifestyle, and they want purpose over profit.”
LiquidTalent promises to sate that desire with its untethered structure for matching and hiring job seekers with potential employers. Specializing in tech jobs, the interface utilizes complex algorithms to match job seekers with hirers based primarily on their previous experience and past project work. This, Abelin believes, provides a more egalitarian opportunity and forgoes other means of screening which may serve to bar certain candidates.
“It’s not conducive to finding talent in some communities because they may not come from an Ivy League school,” he stressed. “What matters is what you can accomplish, what are your skills sets, what’s your cultural fit, do your values line up with the organization.”
Users also have the ability to connect directly with employers via call and text, a feature, he asserts, increases the quality of the overall experience of applying.
“You’re talking with the hiring managers, you’re talking with the founders, you’re talking with the executives, you’re talking with people that are actually building the teams,” he notes, highlighting his own difficulties in the job market.
“When you submit a resume, chances are you’re never hearing anything again, he said. “With us, it’s a very human-to-human experience.”
The platform boasts big name partners including sports conglomerate ESPN, startup incubator WeWork, and IBMWatson, to name a few.
Abelin later went on to host the #TheBronxUntapped tech summit last October, exploring borough’s potential and prospective future as a leader in innovation. The event was attended by Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and Assemblyman Michael Blake.
Of the event, he said, “Companies that hire in the Bronx, companies that work in the Bronx, I really believe that their best days are in front of them and for us to spearhead this movement and host a really important conversation.”
Those interested in LiquidTalent may download the app on the App Store or visit the site at http://liquidtalent.com.
Koi Germany, Jr. is a freelance contributor to the Bronx Chronicle.
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