I believe in this new age of the gig economy and social media, when you work for a company, you’re merely renting your brand to them.
I have been thinking a lot about this recently, as the result of a number events where I have spoken, or been a participant.
At the World Built Environment Forum, the panel I presented on tackled the changing face of work as we look to more itinerant workers.
At a session I presented for a group from the UK Government we looked at how normal jobs are being disrupted. At an event on employee advocacy, I heard much about the notion of employees having their own personal brand to aid advocacy and social selling.
I reflected upon my own experience when a company offered me a new job in a new country – with two of the conditions being that I stop blogging AND I stop public speaking – two things I see as my hobby more than anything else.
In the video below I put forward my case for why I believe that employees are merely renting their brand to an employer (in return for mutual benefit) and we should stop the notion that companies “own” us and our brands.
This may be seen as a controversial view – what do others think?