Developing future competencies of people employed in non-standard forms of employment: employers’ and employees’ perspective

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study is to analyze the differences between non-standard forms of employment (FoE) (i.e. dependent self-employment/business-to-business/B2B contract and contract of mandate) in terms of investing in the development of future competencies by employees and employers. This study also examined additional factors which influence these investments.Design/methodology/approachTo collect data, the computer-assisted telephone interview technique was used. 200 employees from different companies located in Poland participated in this study, wherein each of the above-mentioned FoEs (i.e. dependent self-employment and contract of mandate) was represented by 100 people. The Chi-Square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used in the statistical analyses.FindingsIn the case of only 2 out of 14 competencies, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups of respondents: the employers financed training courses for B2B employees more frequently than for mandate contract workers. Moreover, in only one case there was a statistically significant difference: the self-employed financed training courses themselves more often than mandate contract workers. This study revealed an important impact of other variables such as respondents’ age, education level, parental status and industry on the training activities undertaken by employers and employees.Originality/valueAlthough the issue of developing future competencies is important, there is little research examining this problem in the context of people who work in non-standard FoE. Moreover, previous research primarily focused on identifying differences between people working under employment contracts and the self-employed. This article fills these research gaps as well as shows that more factors should be considered in the research models to get a deeper insight into the problem of non-standard FoEs.

Learning and development in highly dynamic VUCA contexts: a new framework for the L&D function

“…Piwowar-Sulej and Bak-Grabowska (2024; this issue) also explore the issue of competency development, focusing in particular on non-standard forms of employment. They argue that in a VUCA world, it is important to not only focus on full-time employees’ development but also to consider those with non-standard employment contracts, including zero-hour workers, portfolio workers, and those on contracts that provide employees significant freedom in how and when they work.…”

“…A fourth area that requires significant investigation is that of competencies and VUCA. In this special issue we have four papers that addressed competency issues, and which are potentially more valuable in a VUCA context (Shet, 2024; Junça Silva and Pinto, 2024; Piwowar-Sulej and Bąk-Grabowska, 2024; Smith and Watkins, 2024). Shet (2024), for example, provides a typology of generic competencies that are a fit with highly dynamic VUCA context, therefore there is scope to empirically investigate the effectiveness of these competency categories and their relative effectiveness.…”

“…Shet (2024), for example, provides a typology of generic competencies that are a fit with highly dynamic VUCA context, therefore there is scope to empirically investigate the effectiveness of these competency categories and their relative effectiveness. Piwowar-Sulej and Bąk-Grabowska (2024) have started the debate as to the value of investing in competency development for non-standard categories of employees such as those who work on portfolio and more flexible contracts. There is scope to better understand why employers should invest in non-standard employees and those on zero contracts and fixed term work arrangements.…”