Examining the skills of workers ready for precarious job (based on the HeadHunter online platform data)

Abstract

The transformation of employment in the modern society requires new skills among the employees able to work flexible hours and to respond to the development of information and communication technology. To consider this issue the international research centers make an attempt to analyze the present skills and predict how they will evolve. One of the methods of such research is analysis of online employment platform. The positive features of this method are timeliness, data openness and a large sample size to assure representativeness. The purpose of the article is to describe skills of employees ready to work flexible hours (precarious work). The study is based on the international studies devoted to the topic as well as an analysis of skills described in the resumes of the Russian applicants provided by HeadHunter, the biggest Russian job search website. The examined skills are arranged into groups according to the classification proposed at the International Economic Forum (Geneva, 2016). The paper considers remote job, part-time employment and job which an applicant is ready to do even if the income is lower than the cost of living of economically active population. All three forms of flexible employment are precarious. Gender and age differences of job applicants are taken into account. The study results show that the main skills of the modern worker ready for precarious employment are basic computer skills and social and managerial skills. These skills completely meet the modern market requirements and its future development. This testifies that a worker agree to take on a flexible job similar to precarious job is aware of the employer’s requirements and possesses the skills needed for this type of job.