In this post, I discuss how technology is changing the job market by lowering the barrier to entry for freelancers, and empowering employees to freelance whenever and wherever.
The combination of technology and the Internet has fundamentally changed the nature of the workplace. More people are starting their own businesses, working from home, or being employed on a freelance basis.
The trend toward more independent workers is so strong that some commentators are describing the next 20 years as an era of “Uber-ization” where work will become a matter of personal choice. As a result, the traditional concept of jobs and work hours is quickly losing its relevance.
While technology has made this transition smoother, the process of change is not complete. While some companies have adapted by creating flexible work policies or embracing freelancing, most haven’t yet made the changes needed to keep up with the pace of change.
There are several major trends that are reshaping the workplace and are driving the shift to more freelance work. The first is technology. It’s easy for anyone with a decent skill set to learn how to build websites, apps, and other software that make life easier for others.
As a result, many people are choosing to start their own businesses in order to create more income streams and avoid the constraints of full-time employment. The second trend is the growth of online platforms such as Uber, TaskRabbit, and Amazon Mechanical Turk that let anyone with a computer work on their own terms. These platforms have dramatically increased the number of people who are willing to perform jobs of all kinds, from house cleaning to editing to customer support.
Thirdly, many companies are making it easier to freelance with their own policies. For example, Microsoft recently announced a program that allows employees to earn extra cash by performing consulting work at home and on the go. It has also offered this type of flexibility to contractors and freelancers. Google, Apple, Facebook, and even Goldman Sachs have followed this lead by allowing their employees to work part-time as contractors or freelancers.
In spite of these positive trends, many employers still see freelancers as lower quality hires. That attitude is based on the stereotype that freelancers are unprofessional and unreliable. While freelancers have their problems, that perception is simply wrong.
Most freelancers work long hours and sacrifice time with their families and social activities. Yet many of them work with clients who are happy with their work and recommend them to friends. Moreover, freelancers are more loyal than full-time employees. They will continue to work for you when you’re short-staffed. This puts them in a better position than employees who have to look for other work when they’re laid off.
There are many more advantages for freelancers, but here are three that are especially important:
First, because freelancers work on their own terms, they can use a variety of scheduling tools to find the times that fit best for their family and personal obligations. Freelancers who want to spend more
More people are working from home these days.