Once upon a time, work looked something like this: Recruiters posted jobs, collected resumes, and determined who might be a good fit, screening out unsuitable candidates before passing along those that rose to the top. Once hired, employees entered into long-term arrangements with their employers, agreeing to be available, usually in the same physical location, to perform what was asked of them. Managers, able to observe an employee’s work over the course of months, evaluated how well each employee met job criteria.
Good performance was typically rewarded with promotions and raises. Bad performance was addressed with performance improvement plans, and, eventually, termination – although in some organizations, this could be a long and difficult process.
