Industry: Any
Roleshare: Sharing Economy
Today you can find a platform or marketplace to share pretty much anything short of a toothbrush. At its core the sharing economy is about sustainability - extending the life of, providing access to more people. The sharing economy is built on the idea of collaboration and peer-to-peer connection. It's about leveraging technology to create more efficient use of resources and connecting people who need or want something with those who have it. The most popular examples of the sharing economy are companies like Airbnb, Lyft and Taskrabbit. But there are many other businesses that are built on the sharing economy model including everything from bike sharing and car sharing to clothes swapping and even dog walking.
Accommodations - Airbnb, Couchsurfing, HomeAway, Camp in my Garden, One FineStay, Oasis, Noirbnb, Outdoorsy, etc.
Fashion - Rent The Runway, Armoire, GlamCorner, ShareWear, DesignerShare, Style Lend, Le Tote, Outdress, Borrow For Your Bump, HUMM, etc.
Transport - Cars, Boats, Bikes, Scooters - Uber, Lyft, Gett, Juno, ZipCar, SamBoat.com, DriveMyCar, Tubber, RVShare, Otto, etc.
Childcare - Bubble, UrbanSitter, Bambino, GoNannies, Gobie, etc.
Baby Stuff and Toys - VIGGA, BabyQuip, Belles and Babes, Pley, KiwiCo, ToyLibrary, etc.
Pets - BorrowMyPooch, DogVacay, MadPaws, etc.
Food, stuff, equipment, skills, space - Fat Lama, Zilok, Freecycle, Dolly, Olio, GoShare, Taskrabbit, WeWork, JustPark, etc.
These are all companies that have disrupted traditional businesses by letting people share their time, stuff, skills and resources. And we think there's a big opportunity to do the same thing in the job market - job sharing.
With 1 in 30 employees working two jobs,without their employers knowing, (source: WFH Survey) and half of knowledge workers moving to freelance by 2027 according to the World Economic Forum, companies have to adjust for the reality they'll likely need to share their "employees" with other companies. That said, how will they maintain culture, sense of belonging and dedication, business continuity and quality in a rising employee-led and portfolio workforce? The answer - job sharing. Multiple professionals working together, accountable to each other, to keep things moving.
Sophie Smallwood, co-Founder of Roleshare, a platform brining the sharing economy to jobs in the private sector says "we built Roleshare to make it easy for people to find others with complementary skillsets and work together. By doing this we are enabling a more diverse, sustainable, and equitable workforce where often the best roles are reserved for people who fit the full-time only mould. And for companies we help them retain, redeploy and hire untapped talent who want to share work."
The sharing economy is often lauded for its sustainability and ability to connect people, but there are also some criticisms of the model. Some argue that the sharing economy takes away jobs and destroys traditional industries. Others argue that it contributes to income inequality and creates a two-tiered economy where those who can afford to own assets reap the benefits while those who can't are left out. With job sharing, people - working parents, caregivers, ageing workers, working students, portfolio professionals, and freelancers - can actually secure trully equitable part-time opportunities at diverse transition points in life and reap all the same benefits as those who have full-time jobs.
At its heart, the sharing economy is about sustainability, connection and efficiency. Whether you think it's a force for good or bad, there's no denying that the sharing economy is here to stay.
If you're looking for a way to get started in the (job) sharing economy check out Roleshare.
Interested in a roleshare? Sign up
Want to list your roles? Post a role
