Traditional views about job security, employer commitment and paths to career growth are evolving, and many workers are embracing agile alternatives in addition to the traditional, full-time staff position, according to the Randstad Workplace 2025 study, the first in a series of research initiatives to forecast key disruptions and trends shaping the working world over the next decade.

The term “contributor,” not “employee,” will be a better representation of an agile worker in 2025, according to 47% of companies and 57% of workers surveyed. Randstad defines an agile worker as “anyone who works in temporary, contract, consultant or freelance capacity.”

The survey found significant changes in the way workers today view job security, employer commitment and career growth, and indicates they are embracing agile alternatives in addition to the traditional, full-time staff positions. 

“Our study clearly projects a future workforce comprised of a wide-range of talent arrangements, from permanent, contingent, contractor, freelance, consultant, full-time, part-time, temp and more,” said Jim Link, chief human resources officer at Randstad North America. “A workforce composed entirely of traditional workers is becoming a thing of the past. Employer-employee relationships are changing and today’s workers desire agile positions made possible by advancements in technology and globalization. Considering these changes, it is time to re-think the term employee.”

Millennial and Gen Z workplace contributors bring with them an even greater sense of autonomy and flexibility. The study found 38% feel more secure in their jobs working in an agile capacity. It also found 39% of traditional staff are considering a move to agile work in the next three years.

The Randstad Workplace 2025 study research findings are based on two separate projects. The employee survey was fielded from July 27 to Aug. 29, 2016, among 3,168 respondents, while the employer study took place from July 27 to Aug. 2, 2016, among 1,504 hiring decision-makers and C-suite executives.