The transformation of the labor market seems to prove them right. The labor shortage is causing employers to look for versatile workers who can take on more varied tasks. Or who can replace a colleague at short notice who has to be absent.
“It is the revenge of the multinationals in the world of work! », says Véronique Boisjoly, who has just published the book Multi: Potentiality, Diversity and Collaboration, the latest title in the September publisher’s Les Pros collection.
As an author of children’s books and practical advice for work, she has been interested in the phenomenon of multipotentiality since 2014.
As part of her research, she observed that the multipotentiality factor promotes collaboration and diversity within organizations. This would give several people the opportunity to unite the teams and enable the company to run smoothly!
More than entrepreneurs and self-employed people
What is a multiple person? “He is a person with multiple interests who follows multiple paths. She enjoys the new mandates and even inspires her,” summarizes the author, who lives in Stoneham.
This is particularly the profile of many entrepreneurs who have the ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time and who are driven by new projects. But it’s not just them, the author intervenes. Multinationals can be creative people, long-term employees or students looking for a professional identity.
For her work, the author met several public figures and self-employed people who define themselves as multinationals.
Among them, Elainie Lepage, political attaché to Quebec’s mayor, believes that at 25 she has a “well-stocked toolbox” with her diverse interests.
“I came to terms with the term generalist a few years ago,” says journalist and director Catherine-Ève Gadoury. I think the generalist makes connections between disciplines more easily. He is versatile and has a better overview of the world. »
Get out of the box
But first you have to accept being a multidisciplinary or a generalist, says Véronique Boisjoly. “If you want to have a career, it is frowned upon to be a jack of all trades. It is reflected in the difficulty of defining yourself and finding your place in the current system,” she believes.
In some traditional workplaces, multinationals are disruptive. The workplaces are divided in such a way that each employee has different tasks. There is no question of interfering with a colleague’s position!
But what happens to these tasks if one of them is canceled or the position remains unfilled for several months? “Here you have to think in terms of multinationals. SMEs do this almost systematically because they have fewer employees. »
Added to this is the fear of appearing as someone who lacks stamina or willpower. “However, we are multiplying the projects. »
This is the mission that the author has set for herself, who defines herself as a multi-person. “The term multi denotes a profile, but each person can be at different levels in different ways,” she points out.
Find your balance
However, the challenge with multis is finding the right balance.
“Looking for something new doesn’t mean abandoning one project for another. The challenge with multis is finding your strengths and finding a balance between consistency and performance. »
—Veronique Boisjoly
In an environment where everything moves quickly and the job market is open, it is easy to move on to the next job, both in professional and personal life.
Being multiple has several advantages in a world that has become more complex. It is also better received. As evidence, she cites the fact that multidisciplinary training is becoming more widespread and popular in educational institutions.
After years of hyper-specialization and working in silos, it is now the turn of multinationals to gain the appreciation of the general public, says Véronique Boisjoly.
Even if the work is aimed primarily at workers who define themselves as multi-person people, it remains relevant for managers and employers, emphasizes the author, “so that they can better understand the profiles of these workers and integrate them into their organizational structure.”
The Workplace section was created to address the issues of relations between employers and employees, present original initiatives to combat labor shortages and talk about a universe in constant change, especially in times when it is moving forward… Have ideas ? Write to us at [email protected].