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Are You Ready For It?
The movement toward independence in the workforce is becoming more real.
For as much as I believe the future of work is independent, I question if the world is ready for it.
Heck, I question if I am ready for it!
It’s a concept that is hard to comprehend – for individuals and for businesses. Because it’s not a straight path. It’s the epitome of “we are building the plane as we fly it.” It is the unknown.
Two conversations helped me believe in the movement this week:
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One with a mid-sized business owner (call it $5B in assets under management).
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One with a well-established employee with a good paycheck.
It was one of those “too close to home” to ignore moments. It made all the research, data analyzing, and theorizing I do, real.
I felt it -- people and companies are opening their minds to the idea of employee independence. Or career ownership.
Just like any new trend, the first step is seeing and believing.
The early adopters are here.
Corporates Deviating From The Old Path
This is independent work 2.0.
Version 1.0 was gig work (Uber, Etsy, GrubHub). This new level requires more effort than downloading an app that allows you to work for yourself.
It requires an acceptance by both employer and employee that not all jobs have to be long term in nature.
Or in the case of my conversation with the mid-sized employer: that you can date a company (and vice versa) before you get married. You can work in a nontraditional way (contractually) before going full time.
My mind was blown. Because this was their idea, unprompted by me!
Corporate types aren’t known for deviating from the standard path when it comes to hiring! They like full timers.
Granted, this wasn’t a big, public company I was talking to.
It got me thinking: maybe companies are starting to open up to the idea of independent contract work?
Might not be so crazy when you take into account that 5 of the top 7 worries for boards are about utilizing employees (see chart from The Hustle).
New Approach: Get Feet Wet, Fill Gaps
Maybe, from the corporate perspective, this is a way to fill gaps in their business while they figure out long-term hiring plans and budgets.
They may not yet see it as a long-term hiring solution.
And that could be OK. It gets their feet wet with the idea.
It’s hard to go all in on something you don’t understand the ROI (return on investment) of just yet.
Unless it’s AI, then we go all in.
Workers Dive Into The Mud
The second eye opening conversation I had was with a well established, successful friend, who has worked in sales for more than 20 years. She called to share her plan for making it on her own.
Between consulting, thought leadership and creating her own masterminds, Kelly set a goal for herself to quit her well-paying, full time job by this time next year.
Her motivation: an unfavorable change to the commission plan.
She didn’t want to compromise her family’s lifestyle anymore because of this change.
(By the way, I’ve heard this same concern from several friends in sales roles. Hit me up with your experience if you are in sales!)
Kelly was fired up!
She and I have talked over the past year about her desire to leave given the limit on her upside. This time was different…
She was preparing to move and had an exit date in mind!
Kelly will be an inspiration to many once she figures out her path.
It made me realize that most people need to see to believe.
They need to see more Kellys replace their income in a nontraditional or contractual way to do the same for themselves.
Bottom Line
It seems like the world is waiting for someone to ring the bell and declare “this is the new way we work!”
The reality is that the 2.0 version of gig work, the future of work, is already happening.
It’s messy. It’s slow. But it’s happening and evolving.
No bell ring necessary.
Related: Press Pause on the American Dream